dog and kitten safety

We have a friend visiting with a large dog. They want to bring their 4-month-old kitten over for a weekend. Is it safe to let them interact without supervision? My Maple is 3 and Jasper is 7, so I know cats can be unpredictable, but this is a dog.

Absolutely not. My Jasper is 5 and hyperactive, he chases everything that moves. See my thread about tiring out my hyperactive Jasper if you want to know the chaos I deal with daily. A kitten is just a small target. Keep them separated or have someone watching constantly.

No. I don't care if the dog is a golden retriever or a chihuahua. Predatory drive is hardwired. I have Whiskers who is 11 and has CKD, see Whiskers CKD stage 2 update for his stress levels. Stress and potential injury are not worth the risk. Supervision only.

Agree with steve. My Ziggy is 6 and very food motivated, he ignores me half the time. If a dog is around, he hides. A kitten would likely hide too. See Feeding schedule for Ziggy for how much he actually eats when stressed. Don't take the chance.

Thanks. I was hoping for a 'yes, if the dog is calm' but I guess not. My friend is insistent. Should I just say no to the visit?

If they are 'insistent', they are not responsible. You have Maple and Jasper. Jasper has hyperthyroidism. You have enough on your plate. Read the pinned thread on Introducing a new cat to a resident dog if you want to see why introductions are a nightmare, let alone a random dog.

Moderator note: This comes up a lot. The answer is always no for unsupervised interaction. See Senior dog chases new kitten for a case study of what goes wrong when a dog's chase instinct kicks in. The only safe way is a crate or a separate room. If they can't manage that, they don't get to visit.

Okay, I will tell them to leave the kitten at home. Appreciate the direct answers.