Know about huskies and cats
Huskies are known to be playful and affectionate. They are also known for their incredible energy, strength, and their several ancestral instincts. Some of these wolf instincts make it difficult for Huskies to get along with small animals. A Husky would behave well around cats and other small animals if they are raised alone. Otherwise, they would need some special training.
Although, it is definitely possible for Huskies to be friends with cats. With some effort and training, you can ensure a good friendship and adequate safety for both the animals.
Huskies And Cats-A Detailed Guide
Huskies are not naturally cat-friendly. You can only put effort to ensure that they never harm your cat or another small animal. This danger is owed to their natural predatory instincts, independent nature, and their tendency to chase.
Huskies have insatiable predatory instincts
The ancestors of Huskies were utilized by the Chukchi people of Siberia to hunt. Because of such an ancestry, Huskies have an inborn prey drive. Huskies are especially affectionate and friendly towards other dogs. But they need to be looked after when they are around small animals.
Instincts are difficult to control. You can obviously teach your Husky to be more disciplined and less of a predator around other innocent animals, but you cannot trust them blindly. So you may not want to leave your cat alone with a Husky without any supervision.
Huskies are very stubborn
Huskies are especially headstrong, stubborn, and independent by nature. They like to follow their heart and go with their own will. Your Husky might not give up on defining smaller animals as prey and chasing them relentlessly through regular training. They have to be properly disciplined so that they can be reliable around a cat.
You ought to teach your free-spirited Husky to have control. Note that it is of utmost difficulty to train a Husky. So this may require a lot of time and effort. You ought to be consistent in training and make them follow your command in all circumstances.
Huskies tend to chase
Huskies have an innate tendency to chase fast-moving objects. Cats are very swift and sleek in motion. The natural instinct of Huskies drives them to chase after the cat. Your friendly home-bound Husky might not behave as wildly as his Siberian counterparts, but they definitely have the ability to kill smaller animals like wildling hunters.
This chasing action can be very dangerous for your cat. In worst-case scenarios, your cat might suffer an injury or run away. The cat could also injure the dog in self-defense.
Huskies don’t naturally get along with cats
Huskies are well-known for chasing and killing wild animals. You can limit their instinctive prey drive and chasing tendencies with training. But you will always need to maintain caution whenever your Husky is around a small animal.
Huskies are difficult to train
Huskies are a strong-headed and independent breed. It is quite difficult to train them to be obedient and disciplined dogs. It is twice as hard to train them against their natural instincts. You will need to put a lot of effort and time into making them coexist with a cat. Even if you succeed in training them, you’ll always have to exercise caution so that they don’t startle you with an accident.
Huskies can be taught to coexist with cats
Huskies may be wildlings at heart. But they can be taught and trained to live along with a cat in your home. For this to happen, it is essential for your Husky to consider the cat as a part of the pack. The situation would be even more wholesome if your Husky regards your cat as a higher member of the pack. Like this, the dog would respect the cat and never tend to attack.
You would require a lot of consistency, patience, and time to make sure your Husky can live with a cat. The best training methods involve a lot of repetition to ensure that your Husky responds adequately in all circumstances.
Introduce them slowly
You cannot straightaway introduce your cat to your Husky and expect them to understand each other. Their introduction must be properly supervised and controlled. This is not an easy task and it requires a lot of patience. Sometimes, you may require more than a few months to just get your Husky and your cat acquainted.
In any case, you must not take any abrupt or impulsive chances. It could be detrimental to the safety and security of your cat. Cats are especially anxious creatures and they could get very disturbed by the intimate presence of a prowling Husky that wants to attack.
Even after your Husky and your cat have been properly introduced and act friendly, there should be certain escape routes for your cat in case of any emergency. It would be best if you never leave these two alone in the same room. It is best for them to always be supervised because your Husky’s natural predatory instincts could kick in any moment.
Get your Husky professionally trained
Huskies are supremely difficult to train. You must ensure adequate training for your Husky so that they don’t end up injuring your cat. You have to watch them if they seem to be getting too excited. There should be commands that calm them down.
Note that it is very difficult to train a Husky to be cooperative with your cat. This would be especially difficult if your Husky has well-defined hunter instincts. There is no guarantee that proper training will subdue the chase instincts in your Husky. It is recommended that you never leave your Husky alone with your cat even after formal training.
Socialize your Husky
Dogs that are aptly socialized show lesser tendencies of becoming violent or uselessly aggressive with smaller animals. When your Husky is a little puppy, introduce them to as many different cats as possible. Familiarization with cats at an early age will increase the chances of your Husky developing a bonding with your cat.
Start them young
It is difficult to teach new things to an older Husky. Dogs are relatively more impressionable when they are young. If you teach them early on how to be friendly with cats, they are expected to show such behavior throughout life. If you already have a cat, always adopt a Husky puppy and not a grown-up dog.
Exercise your Husky before the introductions
Before you bring your Husky and your cat together at the initial stages, make sure that the dog is well-exercised. Huskies are marvelously energetic and display magnificent energy. They play rough. It is possible for your Husky to accidentally injure your cat while playing. If they have spent their excessive energy outside, there will be lesser chances of them prowling on your cat.
An energetic Husky with spare energy to spend has more chances of chasing your cat than a tired one. So take your Husky for a run so that their meeting with your cat would be safe.
Make sure the Husky is well-fed
Never leave your Husky hungry and craving for food. Huskies are hunters by nature. In the event of a loud longing in their stomach, they might choose to attack your fluffy cat. In fact, both animals should be well-fed so that they don’t display irritable behavior because of lack of food.
Keep your Husky and your cat in separate rooms
It is important to provide ample space for both animals. They should be able to spend some time away from each other. Giving them more time together will not make them like each other more. In fact, it could become a reason for further irritation.
Your cat and your dog must have separate portions in the house to sleep, eat, and play. Huskies are not typically territorial but it is best to take precautions.
Make sure that both the animals get equal attention
Cats and Huskies are both lovers of attention. And both these animals tend to notice when their portion of attention is directed somewhere else. You ought to spend equal amounts of time with your cat and your dog. Otherwise, one of them is bound to get territorial and display jealousy. If the jealous animal is your Husky, your cat could get in trouble.
Always be careful when they are together
It is definitely possible for Huskies and cats to get along. However, you cannot predict the behavior of a Husky since they are naturally inclined to hunt smaller animals. This is why always keep them under your supervision.
Conclusion
It is definitely possible to have a Husky and a cat in the same house. However, always supervise them when they are together. Huskies are hunters by instinct. No matter how much you train them, there always remains a possibility for them to display that behavior.