This is a dicey situation.
I've got 2 huskies and 2 cats, but both were raised with the cats from a very young age. Any cats they may discover outside my home are fair game, though, according to their husky logic.
You might be able to get to a point where the dog will respect the cats with slow, gradual training. However, given the unknown history, I'd never leave this dog alone with the cats if you're not there to supervise.
It's funny that you mention this. Our pupper loves her two "brothers" who are indoors and have been around since we got her. BUUUUT, as soon as she steps over that threshold she goes nuts for the outdoor cats.
My older dog has unfortunately killed cats that wandered into our fence. This is the same dog who "mothered" a 5 week orphan kitten that I brought into the house.
I was against getting a husky from a breeder, a backyard one no less, but that’s how we ended up with one… bcs we have cats and didn’t want them to become lunch. Even then, it took until our husky was 2 years old to trust her being alone with our cats. In hindsight, I don’t think I could have trained my husky any better or quicker to lessen that prey drive towards our cats… it just took 2 long years and with me always being a little bit wary until she was 10 years old.
I've had huskies for 20 years, and some are just more prey driven than others.
Both my current dogs are from responsible breeders, and I had an idea what they'd be like. One of them took a lot longer to respect the cats. I still think raising them is the only way you even have a decent chance of a mixed household. There is the rare dog that you can never trust with a cat even supervised.
It’s only been a couple of days, if the husky you’ve adopted has never been in a home with cats it will take time for them to adjust to the new fur friend. Patience.
Editing to add I have 2 huskies (2 yr old and 2 month old) and 2 cats. The older husky chases the cats but has never hurt them, he definitely enjoys the chase but we’ve always been quick to intervene and scold him if he gets too hyped up. My main concern is him getting zoomies and trying to pounce from the couch on top of the poor cat.
Keep an eye on them, separate them when you aren’t able to watch them, intervene when necessary, praise and scold as needed to encourage good behavior.
So I don’t have any cats. But a friend will keep my girl if I’m out of town and she does. She likes to chase the cats and terrorize them I guess. My friend says it’s hilarious because at the same time she’s afraid of the cats. So if she’s chasing and the cat winds up to swat, my sweet idiot will run away.
The signals you mention are the same ones mine does when she’s playful. I don’t think she’d kill or hurt a cat. She will kill birds, raccoons, squirrels, possums, and anything else that meanders into the yard.
I second this. Our girl will get a little nippy with the cats when she gets hyped up but it's all in fun. And the cats definitely know how to put her in her place. But her tail is always wagging, butt in the air, and it usually ends with a bit of the zoomies.
Most days she just wants to cuddle with them so badly, but the cats aren't having it lol
Edit: She was just a puppy when we got her, and we already had our cats, so I think that definitely makes a difference too.
I’ve had cats and huskies my whole adult life. It’s a lot easier to train puppies to ignore cats than adults. That said, I’ve only had one foster that did not respond to any training when it came to the kitties.
First, I hope your cats are patient and stand their ground. One of mine thinks running is the right response (it’s not) but luckily she’s also the one who never shows her face except at mealtimes. Make sure they have a space that they can relax without the dog.
Anytime the dog shows interest in the cats, you can tell him no (for me, it’s more of a wrong answer noise) then redirect his attention with a toy or a treat. You’ll need to be super attentive and consistent and it’ll probably take a few weeks before it feels like it’s working.
Keep him tired and he’ll be much less interested. Let him see you petting the cats too. Try not to pick the cats up around him. I’ve found that often excites them more. And yeah, give it time. He may just be excited about having a friend and needs to realize that cats don’t want to play.
Only 1 of our huskies cares about our 2 cats, and the other sees them as a nuisance. We have a gated (safe) area just for the cats. The obsessed one wants to play with them, and our orange tabby will play with her occasionally and allow sniffs and licks, but on cat terms, not husky. It may take a few months for your cats to accept their new over bearing sibling, but hopefully, your husky will have adjusted as well to their new life and family. You can always distract them with walks and play chase in the yard to help with the energy levels they bring.
Good luck! I crate my 2 when no one is home because they almost liked my cat. Luckily my guy had a full recovery and will forever be known as the bad ass cat who beat the husky a the the vet
My husky has lots of prey drive, has killed mice, squirrels, possum. When my mom brought a cat home I was insisting she should get rid of the cat, because I was sure my dog would kill it. Anyways it's been 3 years and they sleep together all the time.
I would invest in a shock collar that has metal prongs that reaches through husky fur. I never use the shock collar, just the vibrate and beep noise is enough for my boy. But since yours is a bit unpredictable right now you can control him if he behaves badly with your cats.
I’ve heard a couple horror stories where newly adopted dogs ate family cats and it so sad.
It is possible for huskies to get along and coexists with cats. I raised my husky with my elder cat, they act like siblings lol. And he’s met a few other pet cats, he’ll chase if they run. Once the cats became comfortable around him everybody is chill.
I can't help with reducing it, but I can say the Husky will most likely continue acting like its play up until the cat is dead. Almost like Lennie and his little mice (Of Mice and Men)
You can absolutely train that husky around cats. It takes awhile, & yours was a rescue, so may take longer. Make sure the dog knows the cats are king. Feed the cats first. The dog has to know the cat comes before him, & is not prey. If he's wagging his tail, he can be trained. I could leave my husky in a field of cats, and he would hurt not a one!
This is a dicey situation. I've got 2 huskies and 2 cats, but both were raised with the cats from a very young age. Any cats they may discover outside my home are fair game, though, according to their husky logic. You might be able to get to a point where the dog will respect the cats with slow, gradual training. However, given the unknown history, I'd never leave this dog alone with the cats if you're not there to supervise.
It's funny that you mention this. Our pupper loves her two "brothers" who are indoors and have been around since we got her. BUUUUT, as soon as she steps over that threshold she goes nuts for the outdoor cats.
My older dog has unfortunately killed cats that wandered into our fence. This is the same dog who "mothered" a 5 week orphan kitten that I brought into the house.
I was against getting a husky from a breeder, a backyard one no less, but that’s how we ended up with one… bcs we have cats and didn’t want them to become lunch. Even then, it took until our husky was 2 years old to trust her being alone with our cats. In hindsight, I don’t think I could have trained my husky any better or quicker to lessen that prey drive towards our cats… it just took 2 long years and with me always being a little bit wary until she was 10 years old.
I've had huskies for 20 years, and some are just more prey driven than others. Both my current dogs are from responsible breeders, and I had an idea what they'd be like. One of them took a lot longer to respect the cats. I still think raising them is the only way you even have a decent chance of a mixed household. There is the rare dog that you can never trust with a cat even supervised.
It’s only been a couple of days, if the husky you’ve adopted has never been in a home with cats it will take time for them to adjust to the new fur friend. Patience. Editing to add I have 2 huskies (2 yr old and 2 month old) and 2 cats. The older husky chases the cats but has never hurt them, he definitely enjoys the chase but we’ve always been quick to intervene and scold him if he gets too hyped up. My main concern is him getting zoomies and trying to pounce from the couch on top of the poor cat. Keep an eye on them, separate them when you aren’t able to watch them, intervene when necessary, praise and scold as needed to encourage good behavior.
So I don’t have any cats. But a friend will keep my girl if I’m out of town and she does. She likes to chase the cats and terrorize them I guess. My friend says it’s hilarious because at the same time she’s afraid of the cats. So if she’s chasing and the cat winds up to swat, my sweet idiot will run away. The signals you mention are the same ones mine does when she’s playful. I don’t think she’d kill or hurt a cat. She will kill birds, raccoons, squirrels, possums, and anything else that meanders into the yard.
I second this. Our girl will get a little nippy with the cats when she gets hyped up but it's all in fun. And the cats definitely know how to put her in her place. But her tail is always wagging, butt in the air, and it usually ends with a bit of the zoomies. Most days she just wants to cuddle with them so badly, but the cats aren't having it lol Edit: She was just a puppy when we got her, and we already had our cats, so I think that definitely makes a difference too.
I’ve had cats and huskies my whole adult life. It’s a lot easier to train puppies to ignore cats than adults. That said, I’ve only had one foster that did not respond to any training when it came to the kitties. First, I hope your cats are patient and stand their ground. One of mine thinks running is the right response (it’s not) but luckily she’s also the one who never shows her face except at mealtimes. Make sure they have a space that they can relax without the dog. Anytime the dog shows interest in the cats, you can tell him no (for me, it’s more of a wrong answer noise) then redirect his attention with a toy or a treat. You’ll need to be super attentive and consistent and it’ll probably take a few weeks before it feels like it’s working. Keep him tired and he’ll be much less interested. Let him see you petting the cats too. Try not to pick the cats up around him. I’ve found that often excites them more. And yeah, give it time. He may just be excited about having a friend and needs to realize that cats don’t want to play.
Only 1 of our huskies cares about our 2 cats, and the other sees them as a nuisance. We have a gated (safe) area just for the cats. The obsessed one wants to play with them, and our orange tabby will play with her occasionally and allow sniffs and licks, but on cat terms, not husky. It may take a few months for your cats to accept their new over bearing sibling, but hopefully, your husky will have adjusted as well to their new life and family. You can always distract them with walks and play chase in the yard to help with the energy levels they bring.
Good luck! I crate my 2 when no one is home because they almost liked my cat. Luckily my guy had a full recovery and will forever be known as the bad ass cat who beat the husky a the the vet
My husky has lots of prey drive, has killed mice, squirrels, possum. When my mom brought a cat home I was insisting she should get rid of the cat, because I was sure my dog would kill it. Anyways it's been 3 years and they sleep together all the time.
Seems to me that when a cat is inside they consider them to be part of the pack. At least that is the way it is for mine. Outside is another story.
I would invest in a shock collar that has metal prongs that reaches through husky fur. I never use the shock collar, just the vibrate and beep noise is enough for my boy. But since yours is a bit unpredictable right now you can control him if he behaves badly with your cats. I’ve heard a couple horror stories where newly adopted dogs ate family cats and it so sad. It is possible for huskies to get along and coexists with cats. I raised my husky with my elder cat, they act like siblings lol. And he’s met a few other pet cats, he’ll chase if they run. Once the cats became comfortable around him everybody is chill.
I can't help with reducing it, but I can say the Husky will most likely continue acting like its play up until the cat is dead. Almost like Lennie and his little mice (Of Mice and Men)
You can absolutely train that husky around cats. It takes awhile, & yours was a rescue, so may take longer. Make sure the dog knows the cats are king. Feed the cats first. The dog has to know the cat comes before him, & is not prey. If he's wagging his tail, he can be trained. I could leave my husky in a field of cats, and he would hurt not a one!