Good-natured, playful, and outgoing, there is certainly nothing boring about huskies. If you’re looking to adopt one of these energetic dogs, and you already have a cat (or vice-versa), you’re definitely asking yourself, are huskies good with cats?
Generally speaking, huskies don’t naturally get along with small animals, including cats. Huskies have a strong prey drive and hunt small animals like mice, squirrels, birds, and cats. A husky can sometimes be trained to get along with cats, but you should never leave the two alone.
Huskies were bred to overcome the harsh conditions of the chilly northern regions of the globe. Thanks to food scarcity in these areas, these dogs evolved to hunt any small creature for food.
Do Cats Aggravate The Relationship?
Of course, we can’t solely blame huskies for the bad blood between them and cats. This is because cats, too, tend to create conditions that may awaken the prey drive in huskies.
For instance, when they spot a husky for the first time, cats are likely to spontaneously put out their paws and act brave. They will also hiss and puff and might even pounce on the dog.
Also, cats tend to move away from places where they feel threatened. The relationship between cats and dogs is naturally strained, and cats generally don’t like the presence of a potential hunter in the same environment.
Consider yourself sharing a room with a mountain lion, and consider the amount of fear and anxiety you’ll experience in such a scenario. Cats experience the same and will naturally try to escape from the husky.
And it’s this act of fleeing the scene that doesn’t bode well with the hunting instincts of the husky. It will mistake the cat for prey, and the chase will begin.
Can You Train Huskies To Live With Cats?
Having a husky and a cat in the same household may not always be the best idea. These wolf-like dogs can chase your feline around the house and might even kill it if you aren’t monitoring the situation vigilantly.
With a little care, attention, and training from the start, though, you can help foster a friendly and cordial relationship between your husky and cats.
Even though it can be a daunting task trying to train out inherent husky instincts, you can follow the below tips to help create a lasting, friendly bond between a husky and a cat:
Start Early When They Are Both Young
All experts agree that it’s relatively tough to train a mature dog to befriend a kitten than it is with a puppy.
The best-case scenario is always going to be having a husky puppy and a kitten and raising them together from a relatively young age.
Training the two pets to live harmoniously in your home will inevitably help create a stronger bond.
It is also worth noting that nearly all animals, including cats and dogs, are highly territorial. In this regard, a husky used to enjoying the entire space of your home will probably howl and moan at the sight of a stranger kitten being introduced into their space.
Thankfully, starting with a clean slate will help eliminate pre-established territorial tendencies with the first pet.
Train Them To Co-Exist
If you don’t have the option to bring them home at the same time and younger age, then you’ll have to gradually train your two pets to co-exist.
Gradual training is imperative, and issuing commands to your new pets and integrating them is crucial.
You’ll have to stay calm and watch how each reacts when the two are let loose. Of course, you’ll have to monitor the situation constantly. After all, there are too many horror stories about leaving the cat alone with a dog for just a few minutes.
The best way to create a safe meeting is to put your husky on a leash. This will also make it relatively easy for your kitten to walk into the reach of your husky, which can be otherwise risky if your pup is not on a leash.
Another important thing to consider is how much attention you give them. While the husky requires a lot of your attention and will take up most of your time, you must also give attention to your kitten.
This is because cats can become jealous fast.
By giving your cat some attention, your husky will learn to live with the fact that the cat is now part of the pack.
Give Your Husky Enough Exercise
Huskies have bundles of energy to burn. And your dog will easily get agitated if you lock him up all day.
If you fail to give him adequate exercise to burn out the extra energy, the accumulated energy will ultimately trigger an outburst of aggression. Be that on the cat, your furniture, or your favorite flower bed.
Play some exciting games with your husky, take him out for brisk walks, or even offer a few intense training sessions to get that excess energy drained.
Giving your husky sufficient exercise may help moderate his mood and minimize his desire to chase after your cat.
Keep Your Husky Well Fed
If your husky doesn’t have enough food to feed, chances are high that it will end up searching for alternative food sources around the house, and sadly, it will not spare the cat.
Because of the cat’s smaller size and stature, it could be considered a potential meal.
Keep both pets well-fed. This will avoid any hangry situations.
Practice Positive-Based Training
This means using rewards to train your pets. Offering rewards for good behavior and withholding those rewards for unwanted habits.
Reward your husky when it walks past your cat without any problems. This alters how the husky sees the cat. It will know and understand that every time it ignores the cat, it receives a reward.
Likewise, reward your cat if you see them play nice with your husky.
There are lots of crunchy and tasty treats that you can reward your pets with for acting appropriately.
Provide Your Kitten With Some Escape Routes
It would be best if you also prepared yourself for the worst scenario, which involves giving your kitten an easy escape route.
Once your cat is confined in a corner, it will inevitably retaliate. To avoid this, you may create cat trees and shelves so your cat can easily jump to safety when it feels threatened by the husky.
Ensure it is high enough to be out of reach from your husky pup.
Your cat will feel more comfortable in raised places where they can confidently watch the world around and below during those chaotic moments.
Final Thoughts On Huskies With Cats
If you’re looking to add a husky to your home and already have a cat (or vice-versa), hopefully, this article has helped answer your questions about whether they’ll get along.
Generally, huskies do not get along very well with cats; however, with a little training, they can get used to each other.
It’s best to start when they’re young, but even older dogs and cats can learn to get along.
Ensure your husky is getting enough exercise, use positive reinforcement training methods, keep both pets well-fed, and give your cat an easy escape route if necessary.
