I love all things furry, scaly or feathery so once I live on my own and say goodbye to Herbie, the family pooch, I will want to adopt my own dog that will get along with other animals, specifically cats. In anticipation of this, I did some research on the most feline-friendly dog breeds (and the not-so-feline-friendly ones.)
Feline-Friendly:
Beagle – They were bred as hunters, and do a little chasing in the yard, but are known to be gentle and the best of friends with feline buddies inside the house.
Boxer – These dogs love cats and will wrestle with them, sling their paws around them, and play with them. Just make sure you have a tough cat who wants to wrestle back!
Bichon Frise – Since these little guys are so, well, little, they see a cat as just another friend and playmate!
Golden Retrievers – By far the gentlest dog when it comes to your cat. This breed is known to love families, and to them, your cat is part of the family!
Maltese – These tiny dogs aren’t necessarily friendly with cats, instead, they’ll just ignore them. So if you’re looking for a complete neutrality, go for this breed.
Breeds Not For Your Cat:
Saluki – These dogs are graceful and really quite beautiful, but were bred as hunters that were trained to chase after… guess what… cats.
Smooth Fox Terrier – These little guys are very active and might pounce on your kitty one too many times with their characteristic “high prey dive.”
Schipperke – His hunting skills might be used wrongly on your cat.
Bluetick Coonhound – These guys have instincts to hunt raccoons and small animals, possibly including your cat.
Whippet – These race dogs will chase anything small!
Afghan Hounds – This breed in particular, having been bred to hunts wolves and even snow leopards, has a very strong interest in chasing cats.
Australian Cattle Dog – Another dog with a high prey drive like the Smooth Fox Terrier.
Standard Schnauzer – This little guy has a high prey instinct.
Remember, this doesn’t mean to stereotype these breeds! It’s all dependent on specific personalities, and training. This is just somewhere to start.
