-----
I had this problem and a very unsuccessful outcome. Fortunately, the cat was
a foster and not a permanent cat. Rocky (the cat) would actually lie in wait
for Alvin (the dog) and then jump on him and sink in his claws. We had blood
spattered all over our walls on more than one occasion. When Rocky would
attack, he would go after Alvin again and again and again, and over time, as
Alvin became progressively more frightened (Alvin was a very sweet and
patient dog who always got along well with all of our other cats), the
frequency and severity of Rocky's attacks increased dramatically. On one
particular occasion, I was holed up in the corner of a bedroom with Alvin
while Rocky was blocking the exit. He would lunge at both of us everytime we
tried to leave. I finally pulled poor Alvin through the sea of claws and got
him into another room, closing the door before Rocky could follow. Rocky
stayed outside the door for a good 10 minutes, hoping someone would open the
door so he could get in and attack Alvin again.

We had a Rocky for a total of two months. We kept hoping that given enough
time, the situation would work itself out. It didn't. Over the course of the
two months, things went from bad to worse. It got to the point that the dog
was a nervous wreck all the time and was literally peering around corners
and hesitating to go from room to room lest Rocky was in one of the rooms
and would attack him (again!).

Initially, we had hoped to adopt both Rocky and Bullwinkle, since they had
been picked up off the streets together and were virtually inseparable
(don't know if they were siblings or had just been raised together). I don't
know if it made a difference but when the two cats were picked up by Animal
Control and turned over to the rescue group, it was discovered that
Bullwinkle had been previously neutered, but Rocky was still a full tom when
found (both cats were somewhere between 5 and 10 years old when picked
up  - - I shudder to think of how many homeless kittens Rocky fathered).
Rocky was subsequently neutered once he was placed under the care of the
rescue group. Both cats came to me as fosters a number of weeks later. Even
then, they were not in great shape, and I spent a lot of time feeding them,
brushing them, etc. Rocky was a matted mess, and Bullwinkle had a broken
tooth and two infected claws. Both were suffering from muscle weakness
because they had been in cages at the vet hospital for weeks (for lack of a
foster home). They were not ferals, however, and had clearly both once been
somebody's pets. Their story was that their owner had moved and left the two
cats to fend for themselves on the streets (through the winter). The
neighbors had been putting out food for them for several months before
somebody finally called Animal Control.

At the end, we returned Rocky to the rescue group and kept Bullwinkle (who
had actually been an accomplice in some of the attacks but calmed right down
once Rocky was gone). I felt totally horrible separating the cats, but the
rescue group told us to keep Bullwinkle since it was difficult to place
older cats and it was difficult to place two cats who had to stay together,
and it would be extremely difficult to find a home that would take two
"older" cats that needed to stay together. They did find a very nice,
dog-free home for Rocky (he is an only cat now) where he is spoiled rotten.
But I still feel bad about separating the two cats. We still have Bullwinkle
who is now the sweetest, gentlest cat you would ever want to meet.

At any rate, this was the outcome. If I had known about Feliway at the time,
I may have tried it, but I don't know if it would have helped or not.
Good luck. I wish I could have told you that in the end the dog and cat got
along just fine, but this was one time when it just didn't happen.
Best regards,
---Cindy S.

I would say immediately de-acquiring the stray cat is the thing to do,
in the proper manner of course to the SPCA.

The cat has a nasty personality that won't change, but the Great Dane
will eventually change in this kind of environment.

I think the cat is probably feeling very defenseless after the spay so
is acting aggressively towards the dog.  The animals should definitely
be separated until this situation can be corrected.  I believe it can,
but will take some work on the part of your friend, and some patience
as well.  I would recommend contacting an animal behaviorist to help
with the situation.  They need to be separated and then slowly re-
introduced to each other.  Here is a good site that tells how to
properly introduce a cat and dog:

http://www.cuhumane.org/topics/catdog.html

<snip>

My $.02:

First step: keep kitty's front claws clipped short. That will prevent
most damage, especially to doggie's eyes. Doggie sounds WONDERFULLY
gentle and patient. (I LOVE great danes).

Second step: make sure kitty has no diseases communicable to doggie.

Third step: use human wiles to entice the two to live together
peaceably. Possibly accomplished by withholding food from aggressor so
they can be fed together-- or at least in the same vicinity-- without
either being threatened.

Give both lots of love and attention in the other's presence. Remember
that time usually sorts these things out, as animals find their place in
the household pecking order. The human's main function is to prevent any
real damage from taking place during the sorting period.