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Whippet and Cat

by Sue Scully
(Calgary, AB, Canada)


I have an 11 year old cat, a 7 year old Keeshond/Aussie rescue and a 3 year old Belgian cross rescue.

Our daughter has a 8 year old whippet who is just so sweet. She will be going away for awhile and would like us to look after her.

She loves our dogs, and loves us. We have been using a baby gate to separate the whippet and cat.

My husband and I don't think that it would be fair to our cat taking her unless we can seriously work on "leave it" command. She is an extremely well behaved little girl and is very obedient.

Don't know what to do. Any help would be great. Thank you.

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starstarstarstarstar 		Advice and questions
by: Rachelle

So we are looking for a dog. I came across a whippet. She's just under a year and has experience with cats+dogs. Now we have 3 cats all indoor ages are 3 5 and 11. I've been researching a lot about whipets and I'm concerned about the whole attack thing. The dog hasn't shown any aggression and when she tried to play with the foster homes cat it swipped at the dog and made her yipe and run away. So thoughts? I absolutely think she's adorable and I've hear nothing but good things about her from the foster. This is a very responsible adoption place. I obviously care about all my animals and this dog and I want the best for all. She also would be crated at night until I get home.
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starstarstarstarstar 		MY CAT AND WHIPPET
by: Anonymous

I agree completely with gradual introduction. Also I would never allow unsupervised interaction .........ie: the dog needs to be crated when a human who knows what they are doing/looking at is not present. My cat has the run of the house. She was there first and feels confident. My dog is crated at night. And the door to the room she's in is closed so the cat can't wander by upsetting the dog. All is good, but human caretakers have to be responsible.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Whippets and Cats
by: Elda

Some whippets learn to respect resident cats especially if they are the newcomers.

I suggest you try mixing your pets gradually and with your daughter present at first.

Caution, persistence and small steps are your allies in this complicated situation.

Good luck!

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Whippet vs. Wife's Cat

by John Walker

I'm retired and my grown daughters want to give me a 6 month old (fixed) male whippet.
My wife has a house cat (fixed male) about 5 or 6 years old, it never leaves the house.
Are my wife's cat and my christmas present going to cohabitate or am I looking for a divorce?

ANSWER:

Whippets and cats can be a difficult mix but in your situation you have a good chance to have your puppy and avoid a divorce.

Your wife's cat is already the master of the house and the whippet puppy may learn to respect that.

I would suggest that before taking any decision, you find out with the breeder if the whippet had any chance to socialize with cats and how the encounters went.


Good luck with your new pup!

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starstarstarstarstar 		Whippet & Cat Worked for Us
by: DKT

You have to take your time and condition both.

An adult cat that's already established as King or Queen of the premises is most successful but the whippet should never be left off leash and unsupervised with the cat for maybe months or even years.

Don't take chances with your pets.

Crate training for your whippet pup is essential.

Make sure both animals have their own private spaces and their own special time with you.

We are also retired, so this worked well for us.

We couldn't have done it while working though even now we are active volunteers and gone frequently.

Our girls (both spayed) seem to love each other now.

Both were rescues, both adults and the cat was first in the house by a year.

Maybe love is too strong a word but my cat is not declawed and she has never offered to strike with claws at the whippet (only with a flat paw).

Now our whippet goes up to the cat, gives her a big lick and the cat shakes her head like "dog lips, yuck!".

Both now sleep on the bed with us. Good luck!

Other recommendation is to find a positive trainer for your whippet.

It will be a good experience & socialization for both of you.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Cat's vs Whippets!!
by: Jen & Dash

Dash joined our household 3 months ago as an 8 wk pup.

We have 2, 9 year old cats (Slinky & Malinki) who don't go out much and are quite nervous & not very sociable (we love them very much but they joined a house with no children and are now living with 4 young girls!!).

It is proving a challenge. Firstly we left the cats to their own devices keeping Dash away and they have gradually accepted he's here to stay.

Malinki is coping, when Dash got too close he spat & lashed out with his claws, no injuries but Dash now gives him a wide berth, however, Slinky is much gentler & relies on being able to jump out of the way.

We are trying hard to train Dash but it's taking time & he really wants to befriend Slinky!

Feliway plug ins are definitely helping the cats stay calm.

I wouldn't not have Dash, he's bought a huge amount to the family but it is very hard work & you can't leave the cats at all.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Whippet and Cat in the same household
by: Deb

We have a 4 year old Whippet rescued one year ago. Already had a house cat. Both spayed, both adults. Cat is NOT declawed.

We worried a lot about the combination, prey drive, etc., etc. Never had a bit of problem. BUT.....and it's a big but. It depends on the personalities of both animals.

We took our time, introduced them slowly, kept a leash on the dog for a couple weeks for control...basically never allowed an opportunity for "chase".

Plus we kept on eye on the cat to avoid problems. I do believe because the cat was FIRST & therefore established in her home, that made a big difference.

You can do it...just be proactive.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Whippet vs. Wife's Cat
by: Anonymous

I adopted a 4 year old Collie many years ago, and had two cats in the house who were never exposed to a dog before.

At first what I did was just bring the dog in the house and let the cats just do their thing, which was hide!

They were under the beds and couch anywhere they could go.

I put the dog away at night out of the cats way, so that they could come out and roam around the house as they did before the dog came to live with us.

Eventually, as time went on, they knew that the dog was there to stay and the dog knew that if he wanted to get around the house he had to be mindful of the cats...it took about 4 months and everyone was out in the open.

After 2 years they all slept together, one cat passed away from old age, the other became even closer to the Collie.

Years went by and my beautiful Collie died at the age of 14, and two months later my last cat passed away, I still remember how cute they looked sleeping together in the dog bed, they ended up really being pals.. :)

Give the cat and your whippet pup some time, don't force the issue, it may be a little stressful for the cat at first but they are all God's creatures, they will get along just fine, just give them the space to do that.

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Whippet / Lab mix and Cat

by Amanda
(PA)

We just adopted a 4 year old dog from our local SPCA. The owner that gave her up said she is a Whippet and Lab mix.

Failure to do homework has gotten the best of us. The dog is fixated on the resident cat. The cat resides in the loft of the house and rarely visits the lower living level since the arrival of the dog.

The dog NEVER seems to forget where the cat is. She will get up from a nap and out of the blue go and stare up where the cat was last seen. We have introduced them and the dog will not chase the cat if we are present.

I am now afraid for the cats life if the dog gets hold of her when we are not home. The dog is capable of watching the cat sitting up on the dresser or desk and not lunging, just watching, but watching intently.

The dog is even capable of allowing the cat to pass by on the floor and leaving her alone. But the dog knows we tell her "no". If the cat were to come downstairs during the day when we are not home maybe she would not be so patient. Any advice?

ANSWER:

Whippets were originally bred to course and kill rabbits. Although they may not be used today as coursing dogs, whippets maintain a very strong prey drive and tend to chase small furry creatures with gusto.

Obviously your dog has a lot of whippet in him and sees the cat as a possible prey. Even if you train him, control of this instinct is not guaranteed.

The best advice I can give you is to take great care not to leave your pets free and unsupervised in the house and never leave them in the yard at the same time.

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starstarstarstarstar 		Whippets and Cats: It's Possible
by: Anonymous

I've fallen in love with a feisty whippet I met in a park. After couple of years, owner let me take her for a walk and eventually I brought her home for a visit - to meet my 5 cats! Most of internet advice was against cats and whippets mingling, but I watch Cesar Milan regularly and know that everything is possible.

So in she walked, saw CC casually lying on the floor just watching her and went into the tense about to start chase squilling stage. I said NO - she pretty much didn't hear it. She attempted a chase, I immediately put her in submissive position on the side, stood above her in dominant position, said a firm NO and applied the (gentle)claw thing around her neck with my hand.

Cesar said that in dog world this means a warning "bite" and if she continues doing what I don't want her to do, I may really "bite". Holding teeth around each other's neck is how dogs/wolves warn each other but it's not itself painful.

I waited til she relaxed then moved off and brought the cat on the bed where she was. She was unsure what to do now. Instinct eventually got the better of her and she tensed up and started squilling again and we immediately repeated the claw thing straight away.

Now she fully understood that the claw is connected to the cats and that I will not accept any messing with the cats. She is a clever girl and didn't need further convincing.

From then on she gave cats respect every time by turning the head away if they come near her. She does not look at them as pray anymore as knows that this is an unacceptable behavior.

I further do not allow her to chase squirrels nor foxes, as this will only feed the instincts and could hurt another animal. So I have been happily mixing them for over 3 years now and left them alone to go shopping on many occasions.

Like Cesar said, it's all about hierarchy with dogs, so once the dog knows cat/guinea pig/other rodent is higher then them in hierarchy, they will only then give them the respect.

Please do not allow your dog to even stare at the stairs where cats will come. This to me is a sign that he is still in the chasing mode, and is considering your cat a game, not a family member he should respect.

As you can see, no violence was involved, just some gentle warning on one day. I hope that you can succeed in getting them to be a happy family and not have a scared cat living in the attic. It might of course take you longer to break now a habit, but I cannot recommend Cesar Milan more.

All the best
Gee

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Are Whippets Good with Cats?

by Tom
(Cape Cod)

We have two cats, and are considering a whippet. Are whippets good with cats?

ANSWER:

Most whippets will chase cats but some may respect the resident cats especially if they were already in the house before the dog arrival.

Ask the breeder if the whippet you are considering to purchase or adopt has had any previous exposure to cats.

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Is it Possible to Raise a Whippet Dog with Cats?

by Mary
(Ireland)

I would love to have a whippet dog but being aware of the breed's sighthound status I am afraid that my cats will be at risk when they run around the house!

ANSWER:

I didn't have much luck in mixing whippets and cats but the dogs were in the house before the kittens.
I spoke with another whippeteer who told me that in his case (the cat was master of the house before the arrival of the whippet) the puppy quickly learned to respect the resident cat.
Cats and sighthounds are a difficult mix but being the cats already there and the whippet still young, if you introduce them cautiously and under careful supervision you might be able to obtain a balanced and peaceful cohabitation.
Good luck!

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starstarstarstarstar 		cats & whippets
by: Anonymous

I have two cats one 16yrs (she is the boss) and a male 6yrs. I recently introduced a whippet at 6wks. They have taken nicely to each other. The eldest cat put the whippet in its place without any claws and the youngest is playful with the whippet. Hope this helps.

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Whippets and cats?

by Claire
(Melbourne)

I have 2 adult cats and would love to get a whippet but everyone has warned me that the 2 just wont mix as whippets will "instinctively" chase my cats. Do any of you whippet owners have cats?

ANSWER:

Some whippets get along with cats, especially if they were in the house before them and some are just too tempted to chase them.
My advice is that you get a well socialized puppy from a breeder that has cats at home or a dog that has proven to be "cat proof" already.

Good luck!

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starstarstarstarstar 		Whippets & Cats in the same household can be successful
by: Deb

We have a cat and Whippet together...and it's a happy contented home. However, we are only 2 adults. No children to antagonize activity.

Both animals are neutered, both were adults when rescued (at 3 yrs of age) & both have very loving "people" personalities, neither is aggressive.

The cat was part of the family first, so she was well established and felt secure in her home. I will also note, she is not declawed which was a concern for us. I do clip her nail tips back.

In a year of living together, the cat has never offered to claw the dog. She will bat at her once in a while, but only with her paws, never with her claws out.

Important point is both are INSIDE animals (the cat never goes outside), so the opportunities to chase each other were carefully monitored at first introductions, and watched carefully for a couple weeks...the dog was crated when we were absent, to minimize problems.

So much depends on individual animal personalities (and pet owners dedication to eliminating possible problems)....I don't believe there's an easy answer to this question. But wanted to share our experience.

I'm thrilled with the success for our extended animal family.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		whippets and cats
by: Triva Iverson

Our two whippets and eight cats love each other! We got the whippets as puppies - I think that was key. Also, they have had a human around to correct them if necessary every day, all day. The whippets will still chase cats other than their housemates...

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Adopting a Whippet Mix into a Home with a Cat

by Sarah
(NY)

We have met a whippet/pug mix that we are considering adopting. She is a six year old rescue dog. She is very gentle and sweet.

We have a cat, and from what I have read about whippets, owners have to be extremely cautious when they have cats.

Our cat mostly lived upstairs when we had our last dog, she tends to stay away from other animals.

Because the dog we want to adopt is a rescue, we don't know if she has ever lived with cats.

She is currently in a foster home that does not have cats, but her foster mom says that she pulls on the leash if they are out walking and if she sees a cat or squirrel.

I would like some advice as far as how risky it is to have a whippet mix and a cat and also some pointers for introducing them and having them live in the same house if we do choose to adopt her. Thanks!

ANSWER:

The debate about whippets and cats is hot but most whippet owners seem to be have been successful in mixing them especially if the cat was in the house first.

The fact your dog is pulling on the leash when he sees a cat is not significant because whippets often learn to respect the house cat but consider the oustside ones just "game".




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Whippets and cats

by Tanya
(Orlando)

I'm considering adopting a whippet sometime in the future but I am concerned about their high prey drive around smaller animals.

I'm wondering if I would have to be concerned also about about a 25+ lb. Savannah cat (leash trained to walk outside).

ANSWER

Wow! What a kitten!

I don't know much about Savanna cats but the sheer size makes it a quite impressive feline.

I am sure your whippet will be impressed too.

Make sure the whippet has been exposed to cats before and the Savanna cat is comfortable with dogs.

Follow all the usual precautions, don't rush their friendship, give each of them a way out if the situation gets too stressful, supervise your pets and take it easy!

Good luck!

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