Dogs reaction to cats

[GSD Woman]

Do people here who have cats with their dogs have different reactions to the cats among their dogs?

My cat Spike can be, to put it bluntly, a turd at times to the dogs. Freddie is afraid of the flipping cat. Rudy tolerates him to an extent and then grumbles or mouths him. It is sad that a 62lb GSD is afraid of a cat.

Please share your stories. Maybe they'll make me feel a little better.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Every time I've had a cat and a dog, the cat always rules. Not always in a mean way, but the cat is definitely the boss ?

My Lab loved her cat, and he's established boundaries, so they get along alright. If she is too over zealous, he sets her straight.

 

[Auslander]

I miss having cats, but my setter, who is the most mild mannered goof of a dog, and perfectly safe around other dogs, horses, rabbits, chickens, etc - is emphatically anti cat. I have no doubt that he would kill one if he got the chance. There is a local cat which regularly wanders through my garden, and the dog goes completely loopy if he sees it - snarling, shaking and throwing himself against the door. Very odd

 

[AmyMay]

We had a cat when we got Daisy as a puppy. Lovely little hunting partnership and good friends. However any other cat sends her in to ‘killer’ mode.

EDT. She couldn’t catch or kill one if she tried…

 

[skinnydipper]

Every time I've had a cat and a dog, the cat always rules. Not always in a mean way, but the cat is definitely the boss ?

Yep. Cats Rule.

Current cat, now senior, is tiny. She used to sometimes play a game where she would sit on the inside of the dog door, knowing that her presence behind the perspex was enough to deter even the largest dogs from coming in. If one of them dared to try to come in she would swipe at their legs. I had to intervene.

She has always liked to sleep with the dogs and will snuggle up with the big girl.

 

[GSD Woman]

She has always liked to sleep with the dogs and will snuggle up with the big girl.

Spike often curls up next to Rudy when we take naps. (My blood sodium is low again so we nap a lot.)

 

[EventingMum]

My two older terriers (4 and 10 yo) will chase the yard cats but pretty much ignore the house cat (18 yo) unless he runs but if he just walks or sits they aren't bothered. The puppy (7 months) hasn't had much interaction with the yard cats but doesn't react if he sees them, however, he adores the old house cat and spends ages washing him, surprisingly the cat doesn't object at all!

 

[Tiddlypom]

Both the late JRT and the current one will chase any visiting cat out of our property, and would chase one if they saw it on a walk. Hence they are always on a lead when on a walk.

One day the late JRT spotted a black cat sitting outside the front gate to a cottage. We'd seen this cat out and about for years. The JRT bustled enthusiastically at the end of the lead, but was most put out when the cat didn't run away, but it sat and simply stared him out. He deflated completely, and sauntered off whistling that he hadn't ever been expecting that it would run away from him ?.

Moving forwards, and the same black cat has now moved in with us (one former owner has died, and the other is in a care home) and she rules the roost! Initial introductions were done with the current JRT on a long line, and the current JRT also deflated once she realised that this cat was not running away and was the boss!

They are great buddies now, though.

 

[HorseyTee]

My lot all get on great.
The dogs aren't particularly fussed about the cats at all, and offer them great respect.
The cats all seem to absolutely adore Simba though, they'll flop over his paws and rub all over him.

Unknown cats still awaken their chase mode though but if a cat stands it's ground they just have a sniff then leave it be, if it runs they think the chase is fun, but I'm very confident they'd never actually hurt one.

 

[EllieBeast]

Ours get on like a house on fire. The cat thinks he’s a dog. The Dalmatian thinks she’s a cat, the GLP just loves everyone.

Ivy (GLP) and Simon the cat play like puppies, but all 3 clean each other and curl up together.
Both of the dogs are very respectful of other cats they meet, friendly to those that they know and avoid the ones they don’t.

 

[lozzles]

They definitely know their cat versus strange cats. Our golden retrievers used to choose to share a bed with the cats but the cats were very much in charge. Totally soft with their own cats but would still have tried to chase a cat they met that wasn't theirs

 

[GSD Woman]

My cat has gone missing. I've been letting him out in the back garden when we're, the dogs and I, are out there. He's always come in with us or I would hear him meow a few minutes later and let him in. Wednesday night something spooked him and he didn't come in. I searched for him and finally gave up, thinking he would be at the door in the morning. No such luck.

I've taken the dogs with me a few times to look for him. They were no help. I've looked on my own and have my neighbors looking for him. I'm afraid something like an eagle or large owl got him.

Sorry, not really dog related but I am sad. The dogs don't seem to miss him.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

So sorry to hear this. Such a worry when they go missing, fingers crossed here that he comes home ok.

 

[Spiritedly]

My dogs and cats have always got on well but since we lost our GS in December the cats seem to have adopted the spaniel! Both dogs used to share a (very big) basket but now we often see a cat snuggled up with him and in the evenings I usually share the sofa with the dog and 3 cats. Even our boss cat is now friendly with the dog.

 

[GSD Woman]

Rudy woke me up a little after 1 this morning. When I turned on the back flood lights before I let the dogs outside there was Spike! He had caught something, I hope a baby rabbit, and was tormenting it like cats do. The dogs and the cat were so happy to see each other. Spike was nosed from stem to stern and the dogs were rubbed all over. Spike came inside and didn't want to play with his favorite toy, just to be loved on.
When I went back to let the dogs in Freddie was eating the remains of whatever Spike had caught.

 

[Nasicus]

Fluffy Cat likes to grab Small Dog by the face and clean her eyes and ears. Small Dog invites this and absolutely loves every second of it. D*ckhead Cat is disgusted by the entire thing.

 

[Cloball]

The westie and Missy the missing misgendered cat get on like a house on fire and often play and go for little walks together. The cat used to be a great hunter in their youth and used to bring rabbits into the garden which the dog would finish or let mice loose in the house that the terrier would get. The westie was brought up by cats though and probably thinks he is one, he still like to rush up to and chase other cats though.

 

[oldie48]

We no longer have a cat but when we did the two BTs treated him with a mixture of fear and respect, if they were lying on the dog sofa, they would move out of the way for Monty, although in this pic Barney looks rather put out!

 

[PurBee]

my gsd and male cat are play mates mostly, but the cat can get a bit vicious. The gsd is wary when the cats in predator mode!
The other day the cat pounced on the gsd’s head while she was resting - all 4 cat limbs wrapped around the gsd’s head - dog said ‘no i dont like that’ very swiftly….i caught it happen out the corner of my eye, couldnt believe the brass balls of the cat! Gsd went to sulk in her bed after that…poor girl!