Dogs and cats are shown opponents in movies and that has created a rivalry image in our mind, whenever we imagine a cat and a dog it results in a fight. But is this fact-based? Or is it true?
Also the most common old saying, “stop fighting like cats and dogs” has created a thought like it’s impossible to keep the cat and a dog together.
Well, NO! Cat & Dog can be best friends, being a pet parent you always live-in fear that will my dog and cat coexist?
You might be thinking of either getting a cat if you have a Golden Retriever or thinking vice versa. But…
Are Golden Retrievers good with cats? This question might have disturbed your mind, so here’s a direct simple & straight-forward answer!
Table of Contents
Are Golden Retrievers Good With Cats
Golden Retrievers are even-tempered, intelligent, and easily get along with other pets. Not all dog breeds are good with cats but Golden Retrievers are well behaved and friendly towards cats. They also rank first under the ‘best dog breed for cats’ category on Nylabone.
Pretty understandable right? I hope you got the answer but other than that there is some exclusive information below which will help you to…
- Tips To Introduce your Golden Retriever to a cat.
- How to teach them to coexist?
- What if they don’t coexist?
- And more…
Let’s move on to the next section.
Golden Retriever Personality
Golden Retrievers are popular for their personalities, they are friendly, affectionate, kind, and one of the intelligent dog breeds. They are playful, gentle with children, and tend to get along well with other pets.
They have a cute face and beautiful golden fur which is something unique from other dogs. Goldens try to keep their family and their surroundings safe and happy and easily get along well with kids.
Also ranks number third for top dog breed for 2020 as mentioned on Wagwalking and number third in 2019 as seen on AKC.
Mostly famous because of their personality and that’s one of the reasons I too have Max, an adorable Golden Retriever.
Wait, have a look at this short and cute viral video where a cat is giving birth to her kittens and the relationship between Golden Retriever and a cat.
But will they get along with your cat? If not, then how to introduce him/her to a cat?
How To Introduce Your Golden Retriever To A Cat?
It can be dangerous if you don’t introduce them properly! Either you are bringing a Golden or a cat make sure you know how to introduce them.
Don’t expect that your Golden Retriever and cat will be best buddies from day one. You need to know a proper way to introduce them, here’s a perfect way to introduce them:
For the starting few days don’t let them meet, keep them separate for 3-4 days. Make sure that the new pet you just got must have his vet checkup and be cleared with illness.
Both of them should be kept away from each other in a different room, our goal is that both the pets should get used to each other without meeting face-to-face. They can feel the presence of each other as they can’t see each other but they can hear, smell, and feel.
Feed on the opposite side of a closed door, with each feeding, bring the bowl closer and closer towards the door and continue this until both cat and dog don’t eat calmly right next to the door.
Next comes training, you need to train both of them the basic training, start with basic commands like sit, down, come, no, and many more. Keep the training session short and make sure to give them positive reinforcement.
When to let them meet face-to-face? Well, once both the cat and dog eat their food calmly side by side to the closed door you can let them meet at a common zone in your house. Golden Retriever should be on a leash and let the cat roam wherever she wants, keep the first session short, simple, and calm.
If they behave well give them a treat, and if turn out to be aggressive then divert the attention by throwing the toy or anything that can be possible to make the situation calm.
Most of the time, the meeting can result to be pleasant.
Make this a daily session for them to meet face-to-face and later if they behave well make sure to give them treats. Don’t end the session till they show aggression and don’t let your Golden chase the cat.
Once all is fine you can let both of them in a room, let the leash of your Golden be on him/her so that if he chases the cat you can control the situation.
When you are not there to supervise you can keep them separate.
PRO TIP– Introduce each other when they both are young, this will create an inseparable bond, and introducing them at a young age will give you a higher probability of success in their relation.
How long can it take for your cat to get used to your Golden Retriever? Sometimes they might take a few days and in rare cases, it can take 2-3 weeks to get familiarize.
In a nutshell – Introduce them gradually, reward or punish them according to their behavior.
References – How To Introduce Dog & Cat by Animal Humane Society
How To Teach Your Golden Retriever And Cat To Coexist?
Like we humans, they too have different personalities but most of the Golden Retrievers personalities get along well with cats, sometimes it can’t be the same.
I’ve discussed in detail the personality of Golden Retriever just before the above section, they are kind, intelligent, and the best family-friendly dogs but how can we let the cat and the Golden live together?
Now let’s assume that you have well introduced both of them as I’ve guided in the above section, now there’s a problem that your Golden can chase the cat although after getting familiarize.
To tackle this you need to keep your Golden Retriever’s energy under control, as we all know that a tired dog is a good dog, so to keep your Golden away from chasing the cat, keep your Golden’s energy levels in check.
Give them more physical exercise, chew or puzzle toys, and training so that they can stop chasing your cat.
If your dog is done with the obedience training then you can command your Golden to sit, stop, no, and many more while they are chasing!
Both of them should have their space a different dog-proof area for the cat and a separate bed for your Golden Retriever. Their own space should have their own food, water, litter box, and toys.
As I have read a lot of real people’s reviews mostly 99% of people agreed that their Golden Retriever gets along with the cat. Even one of them said that the Golden takes good care of our cat.
Your dog and cat can coexist, but all it starts if you properly introduce them!
Just curious to know ‘Why Golden Retrievers chases your cat?’ and a complete solution is mentioned just below the preceding section, must give it a read.
What If My Golden Retriever And The Cat Don’t Like Each Other?
Mostly as you read, the chances are higher that your Golden & the cat will get well along and can be best friends, but for a few reasons what if this doesn’t happen?
You need to recognize whether there are any signs in your cat or dog that they don’t like? If the problem is actually with any one of them, like for example the problem is with your Golden Retriever then by training the problem can be fixed, or by calling an expert dog trainer we can fix it.
If the connection between them is not going well you might see these signs in Golden Retrievers:
- Barking, whining, or straining towards the cat.
- Snarling or lunging at them.
- Eyeballs are totally focused on the cat, as they are potentially seeing him/her as prey.
Now if the cat doesn’t like your Golden you might see these signs:
- Ears are pinned back.
- Hissing, spitting, or yowling.
- The tail is swishing back & forth.
If these signs are seen, make sure to start from a clean slate! To avoid this make sure your dog is well trained and properly socialized. Cats normally don’t get that aggressive that a dog might get.
This can help you, Aggressive Golden Retriever: Identify Aggression Signs & Fix it!
Why Does My Golden Retriever Chase Cat?
When a Golden Retriever chases a cat, the reason behind it is that they are following their instincts or they will just chase a cat to play with them.
Golden Retrievers are born of their innate hunting instincts born out of their wolf ancestry. As they were originally bred for hunting they would run for the game and retrieve for their master.
And these days Goldens are bred as a companion dog breed.
But this can be solved, you can either redirect your dog’s attention to a toy, and in this way, both your dog and cat can get settled down.
If the problem persists, you can consider training or outside help. Further training and assistance would be needed to cope with this problem.
Chasing is also a sign that your dog might need more exercise, but most of the time your Golden Retriever will not harm the cat, it’s just a playful side.
To create a friendship you need to train both of them, with proper obedience training and socialization, you can stop these chases.
Suggested – Why are shock collars are used to Train a Golden Retriever? Is It Effective?
List Of Dogs Who Get Along With Cats
Cat and dogs can become best friends. If you have a cat and thinking to get a companion dog breed then by referring to the below list you can go up with any dog breed you wish for, but also don’t forget to get your eyeballs through the next section which will give you the list of dogs that don’t get along with cats!
Which dog breed would be best to get along with a cat? According to Nylabone Golden Retriever stands out to be the number 1 dog breed to get along with cats.
Here’s the list:
- Golden Retriever
- Labrador Retriever
- Pug
- Bichon Frise
- Basset Hound
- Poodle
- Golden Poodle
- Boston Terrier
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Pomeranian
- Newfoundland
- Dachshund
- Dalmatian
- Pekingese
- Shih Tzu
- Boxer
- Australian Shephard
- Maltese Dog
- Papillon
- Collie
And a few more, you can check them out on here, Dogs that are good with Cats by AKC.
Golden Retriever, Beagle, Basset Hound, and pug are the most common.
Must Read – Best Companion Dog For Golden Retriever
List Of Dogs Who Don’t Get Along With Cats
With the correct ones you should also know the breeds that won’t make a companion or best friends with your kitty, or else it can end up with something wrong.
Here is the list of dog breeds that do not get along with cats:
- Whippet
- Afghan Hound
- Akita Inu
- Australian Cattle Dog
- Basenji
- Doberman Pinscher
- Alaskan Malamute
- Jack Russell Terrier
- Norwegian Elkhound
- Rhodesian Ridgeback
- Weimaraner
- Greyhound
- Bullmastiff
- Jindo
And a few more, you can read more about them here, Dogs Breeds That Do Not Get Along with Cats
FAQ
What Are Common Mistakes That A Owner Makes When Owning Both A Golden Retriever And A Cat?
There are a few things to keep in mind so that the relation between your dog and the cat comes out to be the best. But there are a few common mistakes that should be avoided, so here’s the list of common mistakes:
1. Introducing them on the first day, where it takes time to develop the friendship!
2. Leaving both of the pets alone without proper training.
3. Not giving them their personal space, dog-proof space for the cat, and cat-free space for your Golden.
4. Not getting an expert’s help, if you are in a problem with not getting both of the pets together then going for a professional dog trainer can help you.
As it is said ‘learn from mistakes’, so don’t make the mistakes that you just went throw!
Will Golden Retriever Kill My Cat?
Well, if your Golden Retriever is trained well, the chances are quite low. As Golden Retrievers were bred for hunting they can attack the cats in the surrounding. Generally, Golden Retriever is one of the most recommended cat-friendly dog breeds so, don’t worry.
Do Golden Retrievers Hate Cats?
Goldens are one of the family-friendly and gentle dog breeds, they will easily get along with your cat. But it takes time to get along and coexist, so just don’t rush and introduce them. Train them properly and then take your best foot forward to introduce them.
Last month I had just reviewed some best training books for Goldens you can check them here – Best Golden Retriever Training Books
Conclusion
Now I don’t think that your mind will again get disturbed by this though “Are Golden Retrievers good with cats”.
According to my experience, Golden Retrievers are one of the sweet dog breeds and they will definitely get along with your cat.
Introduce them perfectly, and get them together from a young age like during the puppy & kitten phase. And make sure you ask the right questions to the breeder of the pet so that you are sure of the habits of the pet that you’ll be owning.
I hope you got your answer and also learned something informative today! Well, now I would like to hear from you!
What’s your thought and experience on “Are Golden Retrievers Good With Cats” just let me know your opinions in the comments
Recommended Read – Are Golden Retrievers Good Guard Dogs? (Complete Breakdown)
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