Maybe you’re already the proud pet parent of a precious little furball, but you’re longing for more furry love. Or maybe you want to get a guard dog for your house or apartment, but you’re not sure if the canine will fit properly with your finicky feline.
Both those situations beg the question: is there some ultimate dog breed which will suit life with a cat?
Cats and dogs are natural enemies. They have different nutritional needs, different behaviorisms, and you can’t train them to be obedient using the same strategies.
However, this doesn’t mean that cats and dogs can’t get along. On the contrary – you can see plenty of pictures and videos of canines and felines acting friendly and being affectionate towards each other regardless of their predatory instincts and their usual natural intolerances.
Interestingly, some dog breeds are more prone to becoming friends with cats than other breeds.
Here’s our list of the best dog breeds for cats to get along with.
Labrador
Labradors, also called Labrador Retrievers, are the friendliest and most obedient of all canines.
They are the perfect companions for families with children, disabled people, both playful and laid-back pet parents, and of course – feline pets.
A Labrador will almost immediately take up with your kitty. It can be just as gentle, curious, and playful as any cat breed, and best of all – it will not only tolerate the presence of a cat, it will actually enjoy the kitty’s company. The younger the Lab, the easier it will start getting along with the cat. It makes sense – a puppy is less alarming to a small cat than a giant full-grown lab is.
Golden Retriever
In terms of physical appearance and behavior, the Golden Retriever is similar to the Labrador.
If you’re used to grooming your cat on regular basis, you won’t have a problem taking care of one of these large, long-haired canines.
The Golden Retriever is one of the most tolerant, friendly dogs out there. It will play and cuddle with your cat and won’t mind you sharing your time with your feline friend. As with Labradors, cats may be afraid of full-grown Golden Retrievers, so it’s best to adopt a puppy.
Beagle
The Beagle is a small-sized dog bred mainly for hunting down small prey. Nevertheless, it’s among the top best dog breeds for cats.
Beagles make the perfect pet companion for feline creatures. They are extremely intelligent and easy to train, but most of all they are quite gentle and even-tempered. This breed requires far less maintenance than a cat does.
The amiable and excitable Beagle will get along just fine with your lively and curious kitty, as it has a natural instinct to playfully chase anything that comes into contact with it.
Pug
Pugs don’t live up to every pet owner’s taste, but they are suitable canines for cats.
Pugs can either be calm and lazy or playful and childish. Nonetheless, they remain friendly and receptive canines. Unfortunately, as cute as pugs can be, if they get too attached to their owner, they’ll get jealous of the cat.
Another problem which occurs with pugs is unpleasant gassiness, which your cat probably won’t like. But in terms of behavior, the pug is a great friend for humans and cats alike.
Basset hound
Basset hounds were originally bred for hunting, but nowadays they are among the laziest of dog breeds.
These dogs are quite laid-back and even-tempered. It seems like they never get annoyed by anything, including irritating toddlers and extra-curious cats.
If you happen to be the owner of an independent, less sociable kitty, the Basset pup will be an ideal companion for it.
Cocker Spaniel
The Cocker Spaniel is one of the best dog breeds for cats for two main reasons – it’s affectionate and extremely playful at the same time.
These pups are a pain in the neck when it comes to grooming. However, if you can cope with a Persian cat’s grooming, you can definitely take care of a cockerspaniel.
The spaniel is an extremely loving dog – it will snuggle with every member of your family and will treat any feline creature the same way. On the other hand, it also has the energy to jump around and play with the most curious and perky cats.
Inappropriate dog breeds for cats
While it may seem that everything will be fine as long as you introduce your cat to a young, playful, and tolerant puppy, breed actually plays a significant role in the cat-dog relationship. As mentioned above, cats and dogs are natural enemies. While some dogs, regardless of their breed, won’t have a problem befriending a kitten, there are several canine breeds which are quite lethal to felines.
Guard dogs (schnauzers, terriers, cane corsos, and dobermans, to name a few) have one main goal – protect the home and the owner at any cost.
This also means attacking any type of possible menace, including a harmless young kitten.
Sleigh dogs like Siberian Huskies and Malamutes are also ill-tempered and won’t get along with a cat the way a Labrador puppy would.
