Cats and husky...again

[Alodia]

I know this topic has been brought up a lot and is quite controversial, and I know that you should NEVER leave your cat and husky alone unsupervised - and I don't, won't and never will. But having said that, I would like to hear your opinion on my situation.

A few days ago I brought home Alodia, my just a little over 6 week old Husky. I have two cats, Binka and Mimi. I am perfectly aware of huskies' tendency to chase anything due to their high prey drive. Binka is turning 10 years old and is the top cat in the area (even our neighbour's bigger toms steer clear from him) and was quite hostile to Alodia when they met accidentally.

First I'll talk about Binka. He's a pretty arrogant holier-than-thou jerk and did not even run when he saw Alodia. He was in a aggressive-defensive stance, hissing and growling, dilated pupils and his fur raised. But he remained still...until Alodia jumped up at him in excitement and he gave her a smack, making her scared and crying as she ran into my lap. Binka did not use his claws nor did he swipe her eyes, just a swift pat with the pad of his paw, and I speculate that he was asserting his superior status over her (checking online to see if I was right and I came to that conclusion.)

On the third day (Binka remained outside on the second day) during dinner I placed my cat on his seat at the dinner table because that was where he always sat during dinner as we occasionally gave him table scraps. I let Alodia wander around on the ground, but because of the first confrontation she avoids jumping at Binka. Binka was again hostile at first - until I gave him some prawns. His attitude changed IMMEDIATELY. He no longer remembered there was a little intruder in his territory and all of a sudden it's a PRAWN - damn everything else, a prawn! I treated him with this snack while keeping Alodia close, because I read that in the wild cats were solitary creatures and the main reason for their territorial instincts was because of competition for food thus I wanted to convey that his food source is not affected even with this new addition to the family - he even gets a rare delicacy while she is around! (we seldom give him prawns). He was so caught up by the prawn than he even jumped down from his chair towards me to get his prawn - ignoring Alodia who was literally a few centimetres away from Binka. Now he's quite docile, he can tolerate her sleeping near and under his chair and didn't attack her when sniffing her as she slept. He is relaxed to the point where he himself dozes off while she is still around (and of course we're right next to them). He now only hisses at her if she comes up from behind while feeding (I'm always there to hold her back from approaching) and whenever she gets too close without his consent. Alodia backs away (actually she runs away from Binka). I am also working to get them to be at least be comfortable and tolerant, they don't need to play and frolic, just peaceful.

As for Mimi he usually spends his time sleeping in some corner or shelf somewhere. At first he did hiss at her but after Alodia met Binka it seems that she avoids jumping and pouncing around/at cats all together. She is hesitant to approach both my cats, though Mimi is much more docile that Binka and ignored her altogether even when she sniffed his tail while he was lying down as I gave him a belly rub.

So while Alodia is a puppy and still quite small, I keep them apart for fear of BINKA attacking her. And yes she RUNS from Binka, as in, when he gets to close to her she would bolt. And because of her fear(?) of Binka she is hesitant to approach Mimi as well (I was going to say cats altogether but so far it's only been these two and they're mine so I can't yet viuch for other cats). So now that my husky is scared of my big cat (he is quite large though not the largest in my area) my question is will she try to turn the tables when she is older? Does this mean my husky acknowledges my cats are superior? Like I mentioned before I do not plan to ever leave them together unsupervised, and it helps that they don't run from her or at all (they are eerily still) so it doesn't spark a chase.

Opinions? I know that was quite long to read but I haven't yet come across much about a husky being afraid of a cat.

Edited January 8, 2013 by Alodia
Grammar and punctuation

[Storm Angel n Auroras Mum]

she will one day be bigger and chase back

[Alodia]

I thought so

[Povodny]

Your husky won't always be smaller than your cat lol. They will become more confident but hopefully will develop a certain amount of respect for cats in the home. I have two cats and four huskies. At night the dogs share the kitchen with one of the cats. The cats will swipe the dogs if they feel threatened and the dogs will chase George from the fence to the back door when he comes in in the morning.

I think it also has a lot to do with the individual dog and its temperament.

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

She might not if she learns to keep her distance my girl has never lived with a cat but doesn't chase them , completely ignores them if she sees them in the street , but then there's always the chance your girl will want to chase back , like uve said they'll never be left alone . What I'd do is get a dog gate (like a baby gate but taller) the cat could run through the bars to escape if it needs to but your dog won't be able to follow :-)

Sent from my ST18i using Forum Runner

[Keeonah]

she will one day be bigger and chase back

Oh how true that is. If your puppy is anything like my daughters was then she will store it up and when she's big enough she'll remember what the nasty putty cat did when she was little. Unfortunately my daughters neighbours cat pushed it too far. Huskies are very intelligent. They don't forget a wrong.

Gary.

[LuvMyKai]

Yes, she will get bigger and may chase back, but if shes anything like my Kai, she will only chase so far, Kai chases my cat chandu a lot! But all it takes is one stern look from chandu and he backs away, sits down and lets him do what ever it is he wants, he understands chandu is in charge ( a few whacks to the face from chandu when he was a pup made him realise that chandu DID NOT like being pestered)

[LittleLuka]

well i'm no help because Luka hates cats. He goes INSANE and will do about anything to get to them. it's a good thing i'm allergic and will never own one.

[Removed #2]

I have my Red boy because he killed a cat, we believe the one he had been living with...which threw him into the system. Do what you think is right and what you are comfortable with, but as your husky grows, watch what she does with a toy. Mine give them a "death shake" and I'm certain though Andy is very calm and sweet, he is still a hunter!

[Alodia]

Thank you for the replies. This leads to my next question(s): Does this still apply if the cats don't run in the first place? I know that Odie (Alodia) will be three times as bigger in a couple of months, but if she learns to steer clear/ignore them since a young age and the cats don't run to initiate a chase, are the chances at least minimalised?

[Emma]

Mine live with three cats and in our case, if the cats don't run then they're of no interest. Just ignore them. Ours are very fiesty, as they're bengals they retain some of their Asian leopard cat traits such as love of water and look feral when a dog gets too close. They charge them with all guns blazing! However, Our youngest will run off at times and that's when I see some interest in our dogs eyes, and that's also when I think instinct could kick in and take over. So long as you know what could happen and take precautions as she grows bigger, thats all you can do.

[Povodny]

Thank you for the replies. This leads to my next question(s): Does this still apply if the cats don't run in the first place? I know that Odie (Alodia) will be three times as bigger in a couple of months, but if she learns to steer clear/ignore them since a young age and the cats don't run to initiate a chase, are the chances at least minimalised?

Personally I think you're over analysing it. Try not to stress over something that may never happen. If you're anxious when the dogs an cats are together it will transfer across. Just be calm and get on with life an enjoy it as safely as possible.

As I mentioned, I have two cats one we had when we introduced the dogs and another we introduced to the dogs later. Both are fine around each other as I've said. Except in the garden where the dogs 'chase' given the opportunity but that's usually only if George is coming down off the fence in the morning. That's also after he's been out hunting all night and smells and tastes really interesting!! Lol

[jessiezara90]

My cat Toulouse always stands his ground, I never leave them alone however I have by accident locked them in a crate together and luckily they were sleeping together....phewwww. But Toulouse is extremely confident in himself and I'm pretty sure if he was frightened of Meeko we would have an issue. Meeko always nudges him which Toulouse finds very irritating and will eventually attach himself to Meeko, then Meeko will sulk for a bit . They have grown up together though and Toulouse was here before, I would be terrified to bring a new cat into the family now.

[Keeonah]

It might be easier for you as the dog and the cats are yours. In this position you can teach the dog not to chase/attack the cats and vice versa. As Jeff has said husky's have hunting instincts in them so you need to watch how she plays with her toys. This will give you an indication as too what she may be like. My daughters dog only killed the neighbours cat because it wound her up. Mia watched the cat as it walked along the top of the fence "knowing the dog couldn't get her". All the time the cat did this Mia was working out how she could stop the cat until one day she ran at the fence knocking it so hard the cat lost its balance and fell off. Unfotunately for the cat it fell the wrong way. As I said these are highly intelligent dogs and don't forget so the more you can get them to play together the better it will be for all. On a different note I know a few people that have huskys and cats living together and have had no problems because they prevented it at an early age. Good luck.

Gary.

[Povodny]

Hope these help. It is possible

[Alodia]

you're right...it's only been 4 days now and I'm way too paranoid (my parents tell me the same thing). I guess I'll just calm down and take baby steps. Thanks for the tips everyone! If it turns out good then great, if not I'll take the necessarry precautions and compromise so that the family is peaceful. I'll follow what my gut says.

[RedJasper]

I have 3 huskys and 2 cats. The cats have free run of the entire house. I keep a baby gate up in the doorway of the spare bedroom to give the cats a safe place. Rori chases them when they run. Vader wants to sniff and gets slapped a lot as well as Rori (cats are declawed). Rusty ignores them but will chase them if Rori is. However Rusty is trying to keep the cats safe so he runs them into the spare bedroom where she cant get to them. The cats do not trust the dogs at all. Understandably so. They are all different. Rusty does have access to them 24 hours a day, he is not crated ever. We have set up a camcorder even to see what they do when we are not home. Rusty lays on my bed and does not move until he hears the car in the driveway. The cats lay in the windows during the day and never try to go into the bedroom. I know the risks and I am not blind to the fact something could happen. Give it some time. My cats have been living life with dogs for several years now

[Duremite]

We currently have nine cats and three huskies. (Two are puppies though so I'm just going to focus on Niko.) Niko started in a house with six cats. He's lived in a house with other cats he hadn't met, had three new cats added (Two of them are four month kittens currently), and even met A LOT of strays on the street. So far, Niko has shown no desire to kill them. There's even been three separate occasions where he's seen a stray running and went to chase but as soon as I yelled "Niko leave it!" he's left the cats alone every time. There was also another time that the run and chase happened so fast I didn't catch it and Niko could have EASILY had that cat if he so desired, luckily, he was just wanting to play and only nosed it. Then there's been a few days that we've come home and Niko's broken out of his kennel and he's never hurt any of the cats in that time period either. (Kennel is fixed now and 'escape proof'.) I know this could change in a heartbeat though, and we are always watching Niko for signs of change. As it is, he's almost always in the room with cats, he has learned since he was a pup that he wasn't allowed to chase, and he doesn't. This of course, is just Niko's individual experience though, and I'm sure it varies from person to person.

As for getting older and chasing back.... Simon is 17 and a half years and is to say the least, top shit around our house. He's swatted Niko plentiful of times. There's only been a few times when Simon has been growling after a swat that Niko's lowly growled back and I usually make a noise at him to distract him and then chase Simon off myself and there's never been a problem behind that.

In short, it's certainly possible to keep a Husky-Cat household if you keep on top of it. We let the Huskies and the cats mingle and when the dogs ignore the cats, or the dog sees one of the cats run by and doesn't chase, we usually give them a treat. This obviously proved useful with Niko, but again, I can not guarantee results. XD

None of our cats are declawed by the way, and we make sure they have safe spots to run to just in case. Cat tree, counter, table, baby gates like mentioned above, etc. Niko is crate trained though, like I said. He might someday graduate and be allowed to roam the house free with them, but he's got a lot more proving to do before that day.

[Celestial Echo]

I had three cats when we brought Echo home (RIP Red) and 2/3 were super unimpressed with the new puppy in the house. We got a baby gate for our bedroom, and crated her when we weren't at home for the first 6mos-a year that we had her. One of my cats is totally aloof and couldn't care less about her now, my other one (who liked her the least initially) absolutely LOVES her, and sleep with her all the time. We got a second baby gate for our hall way for several reasons, but one of them is because Echo was eating the cats food (and litter, YUCK!). The second gate also gives the cats a safe place to go if Echo was bothering or playing too rough with them. Echo grew up with cats (and sometimes I think she thinks she is a cat) and she doesn't realize that she is a big goof ball. Her favorite pass times include stomping and punching the cats, and chasing them to the gate. We no longer crate Echo, so having the second gate with a safe place for them to go potty, eat, and have their own room to sleep in without being stomped on has worked for us for quite some time. I think it depends on the dogs too. Echo has a high prey drive for small furries, and has killed one of my birds and countless rats/mice (we have snakes), but I really think that since she grew up with the cats, she actually thinks she is one, lol. She has never tried to hurt them, and when she gets swatted when the cats have had enough of being stomped and punched, she just thinks that they are playing with her.

I have had friends whose dogs (not just huskies) killed their or their neighbors cats. Every dogs has a different personality, and you just never really know until something happens, or you plan for something bad to happen. I never interfered with my cats and dog when they were playing. I always supervised. My cats are really old, so now I will tell her to leave them alone if they swat her or growl at her, because she thinks they are just playing with her. Sorry for this ramlbing nonsense, I just thought I would share what we have done, and it has worked for us. Hope it helps you too

EDIT: PEEEECTURES (sorry for image size)

Echo and Red

Echo and Socks

Echo and Socks 2

Edited January 9, 2013 by Celestial Echo

[calvinandmommy]

My Calvin met my parents two cats when we were in TX last when he was just over a year old. He had never seen a cat before so we just let him figure it out for himself. He ended up getting his butt kicked by TC who was 12 at the time (he has passed away since) and my parents other cat Stella passed him a few times hissed and then left him be. Calvin was actually scared of both of the cats but I'm not sure what he would do to other cats. I think every husky is different with every cat. I know after TC got Calvin good they left each other alone. Well except when Calvin was asleep on the floor once TC came over and fell asleep right next to him (on purpose I think)...Calvin woke up and freaked out and took off to the other room lol.

[Ravenwolf]

They can learn to get along, and the cat may even retain his position as "top dog," LOL. My first husky was 7 years old when we got him, and was intent on killing my cat. It took a full year to teach him not to try to eat the cat. Now, 5 years later, the cat bullies the dog. As in, dog is laying on bed, cat walks up and pretty well says "move it," and Wyatt slinks off, avoiding eye contact. If he's not fast enough to suit the cat, Bruenor gives him a swat to send him on his way! These days I spend more time warning the cat to leave the dogs alone than the other way around!

Be warned, too, that even if your husky is good with your cats, there's a very good chance that she will still regard other cats at prey, and that can have tragic consequences.

[Povodny]

I had three cats when we brought Echo home (RIP Red) and 2/3 were super unimpressed with the new puppy in the house. We got a baby gate for our bedroom, and crated her when we weren't at home for the first 6mos-a year that we had her. One of my cats is totally aloof and couldn't care less about her now, my other one (who liked her the least initially) absolutely LOVES her, and sleep with her all the time. We got a second baby gate for our hall way for several reasons, but one of them is because Echo was eating the cats food (and litter, YUCK!). The second gate also gives the cats a safe place to go if Echo was bothering or playing too rough with them. Echo grew up with cats (and sometimes I think she thinks she is a cat) and she doesn't realize that she is a big goof ball. Her favorite pass times include stomping and punching the cats, and chasing them to the gate. We no longer crate Echo, so having the second gate with a safe place for them to go potty, eat, and have their own room to sleep in without being stomped on has worked for us for quite some time. I think it depends on the dogs too. Echo has a high prey drive for small furries, and has killed one of my birds and countless rats/mice (we have snakes), but I really think that since she grew up with the cats, she actually thinks she is one, lol. She has never tried to hurt them, and when she gets swatted when the cats have had enough of being stomped and punched, she just thinks that they are playing with her.

I have had friends whose dogs (not just huskies) killed their or their neighbors cats. Every dogs has a different personality, and you just never really know until something happens, or you plan for something bad to happen. I never interfered with my cats and dog when they were playing. I always supervised. My cats are really old, so now I will tell her to leave them alone if they swat her or growl at her, because she thinks they are just playing with her. Sorry for this ramlbing nonsense, I just thought I would share what we have done, and it has worked for us. Hope it helps you too

EDIT: PEEEECTURES (sorry for image size)

Echo and Red

Echo and Socks

Echo and Socks 2

aww Echo could be Peppa!! Lol

[Celestial Echo]

[MENTION=1752]Povodny[/MENTION] - Aww XD

[MENTION=5937]Ravenwolf[/MENTION] - Echo wants to chase all cats, but she does it because she wants to play with them. My neighbor's cats are SUPER territorial, and they actually attack Echo if we walk by their yard. They will run right into the street after her, so I try not to walk by that way because she actually thinks that they are playing with her, and she doesn't understand that they are ATTACKING HER.

As a general rule, after Echo got attacked by our neighbor's cats, I do not let her near anyone's cats that are outside because I don't want her to squish them by accident, or lose an eye.