Brand New Husky Puppy Raised With Cats?

[Tari117]

Hi Everyone,

 

I've been wanting to get a husky since forever, and have done a whole lot of research on them. I'm fully confident on tackling the training of one (having trained dogs before), the amount of exercise she'll need etc, but I'm most concerned about the possibility of the family cats. 

 

I've done a bunch of reading on it, including some on this site, and have found a lot of answers saying Nope don't even try it, and also quite a few saying their husky/ies gets on fine with cats.

The consensus I'm seeming to find is that huskies that have been raised since very young with cats get along fine, while those that are introduced from about a year+ don't work always out so well...

 

I know it's also really dependent on the dog's personality itself, so I wanted to ask you all what you thought and your stories. I have the chance soon to get a husky less than 3 months old, but am doing my best to make the right decision! 

 

If you've had success, how did you introduce the animals? How young was your dog? Any difference between males/females? Any other information you can think of!

 

Thanks so much!

Tari Xxx

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

Welcome to the pack . Well done on doing your research first . I personally wouldn't risk it someone on here had their huskies from pups and not long ago chased their cat and she died, they had grew up with this cat but instinct still kicked in for them unfortunately :-(

[Stormy]

I personally would not ever have a cat with the dogs even from pups but then thats just me and i know there are some memebers on here that do that get on just fine

[Markulous]

We have 5 cats and 4 dogs (+1 foster). The 2 dogs raised with the cats (1 Husky & 1 GSD) are OK with them (but we still wouldn't trust them entirely!). My boy who arrived 3 years ago aged 5 I don't let go near (but he knows he's not allowed), our more recent year old adoptee is relatively unused to them and is kept well away and our 6 month old foster often meets one of them, was initially scared but is now OK but I wouldn't really trust her. The cats can't distinguish between 'good' and 'not-so-good' dogs and ignore them all!

 

So there you have it, a bit of everything! FWIW, my bottom line is that early introduction and growing up together is the best way forward but if a cat runs for any reason, instinct may take over - so never entirely trust them

[DamirNYK]

In my experience, they can be thought to get along, and they can become very good friends with YOUR cats, at the same time you can be sure they'll chase every other non familiar cat.

 

In my case, Kira came onto the cats "turf", they were here first, plus she was a year and a half old. At first they didn't trust each other, it was a few months long process to get them to get along, and had to be supervised! Nowdays, they are completly cool with each other. They even sit next to each other while we eat, begging for food, which I though will never be possible.

 

Now, Kira is a calmer type of husky, but a friend has a really true typical husky that suits to every husky prejudice you can think of and, could you believe it, his best buddy is an old cat too. Again, it's just that one cat, every other is a free chase. Once, that cat got hurt pretty bad (we think he got run by a car) and Rim (the husky) did something beyond believe, he took care of him like a mom would take care of his child, licked his wounds, and was genuinely concerned about his buddy!

 

So it can be done, but, you have to supervise every move they make while together for as long as it takes, before you feel comfortable to leave them alone. After a while they might even become best friends.

 

Check the links in my signature, Kiras topic, and there's a video on my youtube channel with Kira and one of the cats.

[Stranger]

I know this is a difficult subject for a few...my personal experience is

 

Cagney (Cat) was with me 4 years before I got my two boys at 8-9Weeks old. I had a dog previously, but he seriously never had the hunt in him and was old so didn't pay any attention what so ever to her.

 

When I got the boys, Cagney hid upstairs most the time. Now she lives on the living room bay window. She can go up stairs but the boys cant. At night the dogs are put to bed in the crate and she comes down t the window....

 

The interaction they have with her consists of when she is on the sofa with me, they come up and sniff her and lick her and then get bored and go back into their beds...

 

They will chase her, but only when shes left the room...idiots...she loves Kaiden but is un sure of Parker.

 

They both chase cats outside, but never really bother with her...she has plenty of safe places and I never let her out of my sight when they are around, I cant imagine anything would happen, but I prefer to be safe than sorry.

[Emma]

You can raise a husky from a pup and hope it becomes more tolerant towards your pre existing cat and for the most part it probably will. They will likely be fine with each other the majority of the time but then you may find you'll become complacent and start to relax the rules about supervising them together.

This is when you're cats become at the greatest risk because no matter how fine they get on you can't fight or train out instincts completely. There will always be the very real risk that something will trigger off the husky prey drive. So careful supervision at all times really is a necessity. Preferably with plenty of high up spaces and dog free zones for your cats to escape to.

[Danny_Caity]

I don't like cats personally, so I've never had to integrate them into the dogs' lives. This may be the reason they act up around cats, but Nika and Damian HATE cats (Asha loves everything, she doesn't have the brain capacity for hate! )

But honestly, while I'd never trust them totally around cats, same as I wouldn't trust them around rodents, I think it could be done with enough supervision!

 

 - Caity