No doubt, cats and dogs can live in the same home and even become great friends, debunking the common belief that they hate each other. That said, it’s also true that some dog breeds are not meant to live with cats. Keep in mind that every canine is different and just because your dog can live with a cat it doesn’t apply to every dog.
In most cases, pet lovers may love either cats or dogs. But some families love both species of animals and desire to keep them together. This is possible, though you need to make sure that your dog and cat are a good match. This article explains what you need to know about the worst dogs for cats.
Understand the relationship between dogs and cats
The main problem between a dog and cat relationship is that many pet owners want their pets to get along better rather than seeing them as two distinct species. Besides, various compatibility problems arise when you keep a dog and cat under the same roof.
You see, a dog may be playful while a cat may be too fearful and a dog can have a predatory drive when your cat is fearful and aggressive. Unfortunately, many dogs can find themselves in a situation where they don’t know how to react.
When you see these situations, the best thing to do is to individualize the pets and the household. Even better, this situation requires an expert to do a proper assessment to figure out what the problem could be and the best solution to resolve the issue.
However, if the cut just needs to be alone at times, then letting them have more areas that they can access and not the dog may be the right thing to do. If the cat is simply afraid of the dog, perhaps you can separate them when you are not present.
Ideally, you need to be careful when introducing a cat and dog, meaning you should match their personalities. For example, a playful dog can make a better match with a playful cat. Better still, any new puppy or kitten may want to play with the other animal. The trick is to determine whether the current animal will like the presence of the other animal.
How to introduce your dog to a cat
It’s also important to understand that just because your dog is friendly or tolerates a cat in your home doesn’t mean that it will also be friendly or tolerate a different cat. So make sure that you confine a new cat to a separate room for some time when you bring them home. In this way, the animals will get used to the smells to enable them to adjust to the changes.
Therefore, when you try to introduce the animals to each other, consider a leash and head halter to control your dog and a leash and harness to control the cat. You can only let the cat out once it’s calm and not afraid to face the dog.
It’s important to make sure that the cat is socializing with your dog and has various perching and climbing places for resting and napping. These places should be out of reach for your dog.
It’s worth noting that some pairs can live together under the same roof. This process of knowing each other can sometimes take about two to three weeks. It can even take a couple of weeks for you to teach your dog how to behave when it’s with a cat. Even if you see some improvements in their relationship, you may have to separate them when they aren’t under supervision.
The worst dogs for cats
Now, just because some dogs can tolerate cats, it doesn’t mean that all dog breeds can behave the same. This is the reason why it can be hard to choose the perfect canine for your family, especially when you already have a cat. Not only do you have to pick a dog that suits your lifestyle, but you also need to find the right one that can live and play with your cat.
So if you are determined to keep a dog and cat under the same roof, you should know the worst dogs for cats. You can rest assured that many dog breeds can do well with cats, but not the ones below as they are worst dogs for cats:
Australian cattle dog
An Australian cattle dog is one of the breeds that can make a loyal and devoted pet. This breed has traditionally been bred to herd dogs, though they may have such strong instincts that they like to use. Therefore, they try to herd cats and they make a good job out of it.
Here is the deal, you will see that an Australian cattle dog will attempt to chase your cat to keep it within the pack. In most cases, this breed is not aggressive toward small animals, but your cat may feel intimidated by being chased by a large animal. If you still want to have an Australian cattle dog and a cat in your home, consider hiring a trainer to help you manage your dog.
Beagle
Beagle were usually bred to hunt game, so they can make the worst dog breed for cats. Historically, these dogs used to hunt small animals, such as rabbits, making them have prey instincts to other small animals like cats.
Therefore, if you have a cat in your family, likely, a beagle would be happy to chase it. Also, they are energetic and enjoy taking the chasing challenges. Above all, you need to redirect their energy to prevent them from pursuing your feline companion.
Samoyed
The Samoyed was traditionally used to herd reindeer, pull sleds, and hunt, though it has now become a family pet. Because it has high prey instincts, there are good chances that it will pursue your cat.
While some of these dogs can live comfortably with cats, you need to be careful when introducing them to your cat. The best way is to introduce the two animals while they are still young.
