Answers (3) |
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The same as any other dog, some will chase a cat others will ignore it and my male Komodo grooms our cat (she hates it). Our female Keiko ignores her unless the cat takes a swipe at her first, then she will grab and toss her, but not bite, its a warning. Establish yourself as Alpha and make sure the dog is under your control when you introduce them..more than likely the cat will avoid the dog until it feels safe. They can co-exist, but some dogs are more likely to pursue than others. I have two akitas and two cats that came well after both my dogs, both of whom lived with my prior cat. One dog still chases the cats and the other couldn't care less. An Akita that is new to you should not be permitted around small animals, as they do have a strong prey drive. Once you have established yourself as the leader, you can introduce a cat -- but be careful and do not leave the two unsupervised for the first few weeks (or months, depending on how their "relationship" is progressing). As far as an introduction, let the dog meet the cat outside (in the carrier). Then bring the cat in first to his or her "safe place" that has food and a litter box, and no dog access. Leave the carrier out for the dog to sniff. As the cat is more comfortable with you - bring him out to the dog, who should be on a leash, and have them in the same room. If the dog is calm, let him sniff the "new family member" and trust your gut in how to proceed. All that being said - unless you can keep the two separate for a prolonged period - I recommend getting a full grown cat rather than a kitten. A cat has more common sense. If they are raised with cats they can co-exist. But because they were historically used as hunting dogs they have a higher prey drive then say a lab or golden retriever |
