We are all familiar with the line “fighting like cats and dogs” – a line that cemented the impression that two of the most popular pets in the world were fated to become mortal enemies. If you believe that, well, you’re wrong.
Oh yes, there is a numerous of dog breeds that would readily pounce the nearest cat but it is also undeniable that there are also cats and dogs that live under one roof without causing too much of a trouble to their pet parents. An occasional fight, perhaps, but nothing that serious.
Some cat-dog relationships may be better (or worse) than the others. It all boils down to how they were introduced, how they are managed by their pet parents, their habits, and of course, their breeds.
According to Purring Pal, cats can be territorial. And so the introduction of a dog to a cat-dominated household requires little steps that would not threaten the cat’s position in the family. This also holds true when introducing a cat in a home that is dominated by dogs. Here’s a list of dog breeds that are highly popular for their capacity to coexist with cats:
Pomeranians
Agile and sure-footed. This sled-dog descendant can completely live in perfect harmony with cats.
Pomeranians (also called as “Poms”), actually weigh only about 3 to 7 lbs. They were originally bred as working dogs. But, with centuries of breeding and interbreeding, it resulted in the Poms that we have today – which is just about the size of a cat.
Poms are active, confident. It may actually think it is one of the cats (or the other way around) due to similarities in size. The breed is said to be “the little dog that thinks it can”. No matter the size, you can never see Poms run away from bigger dogs; even from the much, much bigger ones.
And finally, the fur may be too much but we all know that no cat will stand still upon seeing all these hair in need of a groom. With a Pom and your cat under one roof, expect to see a lot of grooming sessions at home!
Beagles
Beagles are hunting dogs and this breed usually brings to mind their instinct to chase any moving animal smaller than themselves. This assumption makes it difficult to believe that many beagles and cats can actually coexist.
Beagles are scent-oriented, friendly (too friendly, in fact), and are sweet enough to maintain a healthy relationship with cats.
Maltese
If there are canine breeds that are known to have introvert personalities, Maltese dogs are one of them.
Smaller than other breeds, it is actually not determined whether the Maltese really likes cats or not. They probably may have a certain level of tolerance to cats around but we don’t know that – not yet, at least.
What sets this breed apart from other cat-friendly dogs is that while others tend to make friends with the cat, the Maltese just don’t give a care. This is the breed that tends to slack around and ignore everything – including the cat. Just put it in its own corner and it’d be happy as any dog can be.
Labradors
Talk about gentle giants! This breed may look nastily huge but they are actually known to be one of the most gentle and tender among the many dog breeds. In fact, almost every household can attest that labs are great with kids and so are they with cats. No matter how much pouncing and scratching the cat does, labs are simply just forgiving, you’d expect to see it end its day with a dog-cat snuggle. Imagine if we all have that kind of tolerance. There’d be world peace!
Golden Retrievers
Easy to train and extremely patient, golden retrievers know just where they stand and so do not go beyond the boundaries when it comes to cats. They simply understand their limitations when it comes to household roles.
They’re playful, outgoing, and can adapt really well to new environments including cat additions to households. These characteristics just make it less stressful for pet parents to have a golden retriever and a cat as housemates.
Cocker Spaniels
Cocker Spaniels can peacefully live with cats. Originally bred to hunt, this breed was trained to target birds. The Spaniels also have a very playful personality which suits absolutely well with felines.
Basset Hounds
Basset Hounds are one of the world’s nicest and even-tempered dogs. Good-natured and easy to get along with, they always make sure to have a peaceful relationship with everyone around; and that includes you, strangers, children, and even other pets like cats.
No matter which breed of dog you get as your cat-companion, it would almost always work to take baby steps in introducing the two. After the introduction, and maybe a bit of dog training, it would take a bit of an adjustment but once both pets get the hang of it, you’ll be fine.
