Dutch Shepherd Forum

Do any of the forum members here have cats? I know this might sound strange, but I'm just wondering. I've taken interest in a few DS rescues but they end up being no's because they're not compatible with cats. Is the incompatibility an issue because the breed is hardwired for those high energy drives?

I think some people have had success with cats but as far as I've read the vast majority of DS have too high a prey drive.
In my experience my cats knew demon was bad news before demon knew himself! When he was only 6 weeks old my 16 year old girl Petra (a dog veteran by all accounts) was hissing, front legs splayed, ears flat and face crinkled up like satan-cat in full on "come near me and you lose your eyes!!" Mode I hadn't expected that at all because she's so relaxed with my malamute koda (kodas not allowed to maintain eye contact with cats btw)
She was certainly right about demon though, he FREAKS out when he sees cats, barking growling and lunging, they run when they hear him panting down the hall.

i do think it depends on the specific dog ---- AND the specific cat. if the cat goes into aggressive defense or even offence mode at the sight of a any dog, then it probably is not going to work with a DS as he will pick up on that signal quickly. if a cat is dog savvy and remains calm, many DS will do the same and will ignore or, more likely, enjoy the cat's company.

2 of my 3 seem to like cats and respect them as NOT play things. [ 3rd ds has not been cat-tested.] in fact, friends of mine have 2 cats and a DS, but i was unaware that they had more than 1 cat until i got Xander. on Xander's first and only visit there, the 2nd cat made an appearance and introduced himself to Xander. this is especially significant because not even the husband sees this cat --- ONLY the wife and Xander!

it should be noted that a ''no-cats'' designation is almost automatic with any dog that has high prey drive, but it really does depend on the approach a specific dog and cat take to each other.

There have been a few but I think they were more successful with a mix, not a pure DS.

My cat is a bit weird, but then again not so weird. He doesn't approach dogs unless I'm next to them and even then it's only to see if they'll pet him. I brought home a very large E. Mastiff from work over the course of a couple of weeks and on one of the nights Trogg (My cat) just walked right up to the thing without hesitation and rubbed up against her legs. This was the first time I'd let them interact, and the first time he'd seen a dog in years. I've been playing with the idea of just getting a puppy and raising it up with my cat. But there's only one decent breeder nearby (that i can find) and from what I've already gathered she has an extensive waiting list for her puppies, then there's that whole thing where you don't know exactly what you're getting with a puppy.

DS are high prey drive, so if you want a dog and have a cat, it may be best not to get a DS

I wouldn't recommend it. I have a cat, but I've always had dogs so she's use to it. I run and play with my dog 11/2 everyday but he still tries to heard her. they have a song and dance. You really do know what your doing. I do leave them in the house together no problem. That's a lot of training and discipline.

Well I have not had much time to check in here but I can tell you Hauss is a royal pain and I had my Bengal before my son decided to bring him into the house. He was okay at first but age 4 is getting worse. I lock my cat in my room when the animals are to alone in the house. If this is inherent to DS then I would suggest no cats. I also had issues with him and my 15 year old Australian Cattle Herder. He was always attacking him out of the blue for now reason to the point I used an over sized crate to keep my Aussie safe. Sadly, I had to put him down recently. He has always chased after the cat but never as vicious as he acts lately toward it. If I had the money I'd send him out west for training.