Is my Shar-Pei wanting to mother or eat my kittens?

[chrissy]

I just adopted a 4 yr.old Chinese Shar-Pei a few weeks ago. She is a great dog. My only behavioral problem is I can't tell is she wants to eat my Persian kittens or mother them. She is ok with the adult cats....unless they run or hiss....then she is more interested in them and chases them. I am not worried about the big cats, they can get away. I really think she just wants to play with them. Now the kittens on the other hand....she is crazy with them. When she sees them she seems so happy. She acts like she is sooo excited and is really trying to get to them. I have let her smell them. She roots at thier bottoms, nudges them with her nose,etc. However, 3 times now as I pull the babies away from her she opens her mouth as to eat them. I am working with her. She is so bad she even trembles at the site of them. She watches them, and almost herds them. I have had her on a leash walking past them, put her in a submissive position and put them by her, let her off lead to sniff, etc. She had a litter of pups before I got her(not sure how long ago). She sat patiently as my last mommy had her 5 babies. I had a gate up, but she was right there. She cried a little, then she was fine. Well, that litter is only 2 weeks old. The ones that are 4 weeks old meow and make kitty noises. She comes running like .....are they ok?....lol..she is soo funny!
Any ideas on this. I mean I have never seen a dog tremble over the sight of a cat/kitten. Is she nervous, excited, worried...what?

[virginiaannette]

I would keep them apart if you arent sure. The last thing you would want is dead kitties! My friend had the same thing happen and had to keep them in dif. rooms. Better safe then sorry. Atleast until the babies are alittle bigger.

[ScarlettO's Mama]

She's probably trying to mother them but I'd deffinately keep an eye on them if you're unsure. My old beagle mix (also had pups) was VERY mothering to a rabbit that I had. Oddly enough the bunny had the EXACT color markings of my beagle and I guess that kind of drove her as well, but anytime the bunny was out my beagle would lay curled up with her and just groom her! My old pitty was like that with kittens, she loved grooming them and was especially sweet to them.

[shawneo]

I would be very careful. Shar-pei can have some serious aggression issues towards other animals. I have one and he is the sweatest guy in the world but when he see's a cat or even an unfamiliar dog he is like a wild man. He wants to go after them and who knows what he would do. I believe it is just in his blood because we socialized him pretty well yet he is still like this.

So yes, keep them separated until you trust them together!