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Recently, I watched a show about big cat rescuers.  They were raising a baby leopard in a house with two bulldogs and a boxer.  It was interesting to watch how the dogs reacted to the kitten.  The kitten pounced and attacked the dogs and the dogs patiently let him.  When the cat had reached a size comparable to the dogs, then they began to wrestle with him.  It was all very playful and nobody got hurt.  So, can cats and dogs always get along?

When I was growing up, I had a cat and a dog.  They tolerated each other at best.  The cat, Skittles, did not like, the dog, Sadie.  When Skittles was forced to encounter Sadie, she reacted by swiping Sadie across the face.  Even after several years of living this way, Sadie never gave up trying to play with Skittles and Skittles never stopped punching Sadie in the nose.

So, I guess the answer is: it depends.  Probably biggest variable is the cat.  Some cats are very timid with other animals, others are quite laid back.  The best way to assure that your cat will like dogs is to start young.  If you already have a dog and want to get a cat, start with a kitten.  Then the kitten can be raised with the dog and learn to be comfortable around it.

The variablility in dogs is quite lower.  Most dogs get along well with other animals.  One thing to be aware of is the tendency of your dog’s breed.  Unless it has been socialized and trained with cats, a hunting or retrieving dog is probably a risky choice to live with a cat.  Terriers in particular were bred to chase down and kill small, pest-like animals.  While your cat is not a pest, the dog may have a difficult time distinguishing that fact.

If you plan to introduce a dog and a cat, start slowly and safely.  Keep the two animals separate and allow them contact through a fence or baby gate.  Next, let the animals greet each other with the dog on a leash and the cat free, but with a safe place to escape to.  For a month or so, even if the two seem to get along, keep the two in separate rooms or enclosures when you are not around to supervise.  In no time, the two are sure to tolerate each other, if not become best friends.