Pawscessories is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you.
Learn more.
There are a lot of questions about whether or not a dog can get a cat pregnant.
There has been a history of people spreading rumors of hybrid cats and dogs, often describing them as “half cat-half dog”.
Scams and hoaxes about these so-called “hybrids” have been around for years, with people selling them as pets.
In 1937, a story was released about a Miami alley cat that had given birth to a litter of dogs. But unfortunately, most of these stories that have come out were found to be false.
So, can dogs and cats mate? Can a dog get a cat pregnant?
The answer is no! Dogs and cats cannot mate and have offspring, they are two different species. There is no such thing as a hybrid cat-dog. Dogs and cats are mammals but have entirely different reproductive cycles and organs. A cat nor a dog’s sperm can fertilize the others egg.
However, that still leaves some questions unanswered.
In this article, you’ll discover everything you need to know about dogs and cats mating and some interesting facts about actual hybrid dogs and hybrid cats.
Table of Contents
What’s Hybridization?
The process of two different species reproducing and creating offspring is called hybridization or crossing.
For example, a lion and tiger can mate and produce a real animal called the liger. The liger is an example of a real-life hybrid that actually exists!
Another example is a zebra and donkey hybrid. They can mate and produce an animal called the zedonk or zonkey.
Can Dogs And Cats Hybridize?
Unfortunately no. Dogs and cats have different genetic materials, so they can’t become hybrids.
A lion and tiger can become hybridized because they have very similar genetics. They are closely related to one another.
Dogs and cats are vastly different. It would be like trying to mate two completely different species, like a lizard and a bird.
The only way to get a cat-dog hybrid is through careful genetic engineering in a laboratory, which has been done before.
Can a Dog Get a Cat Pregnant?
No, dogs cannot get cats pregnant.
Dogs and cats come from two different families of species, each with different reproductive cycles.
A dog’s sperm cannot fertilize a cat’s egg and vice versa. In other words, they are not compatible with reproduction.
Interbreeding between different species, genera, and families is possible. However, the more genetic diversity between them, the less likely it is to happen.
Dogs and cats come from entirely different families. Dogs belong to the Canidae family, and cats the Felidae.
In addition, cats have 38 chromosomes while dogs have 78. This is a significant indicator of why these two animals cannot mate.
The only way to get a cat-dog hybrid is through careful genetic engineering in a laboratory.
Can Dogs And Cats Mate?
No, a dog cannot mate with a cat. However, that won’t stop your dog from trying to hump your cat.
While your dog may be humping your cat out of excitement or dominance, they will not actually be able to mate.
Cats and dogs do not share a compatible number of chromosome pairs or genetic materials needed to interbreed.
They have vastly different DNA and are unable to correctly reproduce. Only the same species with compatible genetics can mate and produce offspring.
Can a Dog Give Birth to a Cat?
No, a dog cannot give birth to a cat. For one, it’s impossible for this to occur since they cannot mate.
A cat cannot impregnate dogs.
Secondly, if dogs and cats could reproduce, the resulting offspring would not be a cat or a dog. Instead, it would be considered a hybrid and completely different animal.
So it’s impossible for a dog to give birth to a cat.
Can a Cat Give Birth to a Dog?
No, a female cat cannot give birth to a dog. To begin with, because they are unable to mate, this can’t happen.
Furthermore, if the offspring were produced by dogs and cats, it would not be a cat or a dog. Instead, it would be recognized as a hybrid with distinct characteristics.
Therefore, a cat can’t give birth to a dog.
Can a Female Dog Get Pregnant by a Male Cat?
No, a female dog cannot get pregnant by male cats.
A male cat would need to have similar DNA to get a female dog pregnant.
Unfortunately, this is not the case as they have different chromosomes.
Why Can’t Dogs Get Cats Pregnant?
A male dog cannot get a female cat pregnant because they are too genetically different.
This makes them incompatible when trying to reproduce. Thus, a male dog’s sperm cannot impregnate cats.
When dogs breed, they are only compatible with other dogs or genetically similar animals.
Below we will cover some of these other animals dogs, and cats could actually produce hybrids with.
What To Do If Your Dog Is Mounting Your Cat?
If your dog likes to mount cats, you’re not alone.
Dog mounting can happen for several reasons. It could be out of excitement, dominance, or even as a way to relieve stress.
While it’s not harmful, it can be annoying for you and your cat.
So what should you do if this is happening?
First off, we need to determine the route cause. Here are the main reasons a dog will hump:
- Sexual
- Overstimulation
- Dominance
- Attention seeking
- Stress response
- Medical condition
These reasons can help you determine why your dog might be humping.
If you can determine the route cause, you can stop this from happening.
Here are a few things you can do to stop your dog from mounting your cat.
Desexing
If your dog is not fixed, they might be humping for sexual purposes.
Catch Your Dog In The Act
If you catch them in the act, make sure you let them know this is unacceptable behavior.
Redirect Their Behavior
If your dog is humping due to excitement, you can try redirecting their behavior with a treat or toy.
Minimize Mounting Opportunities
If your dog is mounting for dominance, make sure you are not giving them the opportunity to do this.
Redirect them when the cat is around and keep an eye on them. If this doesn’t work, move them to a quiet area.
Seek Professional Help
If you have tried everything and your dog is still mounting, it might be time to seek professional help.
This could be a medical condition or behavioral issue.
Dog Hybrids With Other Animals
While dogs cannot get a cat pregnant or mate with them, they can breed with other animals.
Dogs can actually produce hybrids with many different dog-like animals.
Here are 4 dog crosses:
Wolf-dog
The wolf-dog cross is one of the most popular.
This is a cross between a domestic dog and a wolf. This can be a mix of most dog breeds and either a gray wolf, eastern wolf, red wolf, or Ethiopian wolf.
The only domestic dogs that would have difficulty breeding with a wolf are toy breeds.
Wolves are much bigger, so the only way this could work would be through artificial insemination.
This hybridization works because wolf dogs are genetically similar and belong to the same Canidae family as dogs.
Coy-dog
A coy-dog is a cross between a coyote and a dog.
This hybrid can occur naturally when domestic dogs mate with coyotes in the wild.
Coy dogs typically have the physical appearance of a coyote. Still, they can have some characteristics of domestic dogs depending on what breed they are mixed with.
Coyotes also belong to the Canidae family and are genetically compatible with dogs.
However, coyotes have different mating cycles than dogs, making the odds of this hybrid cross rare.
Dingo-dog
A dingo-dog is a cross between a dog and a dingo.
This hybrid can occur when domestic dogs and dingos mate in the wild.
Dingoes are wild dogs that are found in Australia. They are similar to coyotes and belong to the Canidae family.
However, their mating cycles also differ from dogs, so this hybrid is rare.
Jackal-Dog Hybrid
The Jackal-Dog hybrid is a cross between a jackal and a domestic dog.
This Canidae family hybrid can occur naturally when free-ranging dogs mate with golden or side-striped jackals.
This often happens in captivity when the two animals are housed together.
Can Dogs Breed With Foxes?
Foxes are not Canidae family members and do not have the genetic material required to mate with a dog.
While foxes are considered canines and fall into the same family as dogs (Canidae), they are still not compatible.
Foxes have a different number of chromosomes than dogs. Dogs have 78 while foxes have between 34-36.
This difference in chromosomes means they can not produce offspring.
Cat Hybrid With Other Animals
Just like dogs, cats can produce hybrids with other animals too.
Here are 5 cat hybrids created with domestic cats:
Bengal
The Bengal cat is a hybrid between a domestic cat and an Asian leopard cat.
Bengal cats have a wild appearance with spots or rosettes on their fur coats. They are also one of the largest domestic cat breeds.
Savannah Cat
The Savannah cat is a hybrid between a domestic cat and an African serval.
The African servals are wild cats with long legs and big ears. They are also the largest of all the wild cats in Africa.
Savannah cats have a spotted coat like the Bengal cat and can be as big as some small dogs.
This hybrid has many physical characteristics, including long legs, big ears, and a spotted coat.
Chausie
The Chausie is a hybrid between a domestic cat and a jungle cat.
The Jungle Cat is a wildcat found in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. They have long legs, big pointy ears, and a long tail.
Chausie Cats have some of the physical characteristics of the Jungle Cat, including long legs and big pointy ears.
Cheetoh cat
The Cheetoh cat is a hybrid between a domestic Bengal cat and an ocelot.
Ocelots are wild cats found in Central and South American rainforests. They have long legs, big ears, and a spotted coat similar to a leopard.
The cheetoh cat looks like a baby cheetah due to their spots.
Highlander
The highlander cat is a crossbreed between a jungle curl cat and a desert lynx.
The Jungle Curl is a domestic cat created by crossing a Bengal and an Ocicat. The Desert Lynx is a wild cat found in the southwestern United States.
Highlander cats have some physical characteristics of both the Jungle Curl and the Desert Lynx, including long legs, big ears, and a spotted coat.
Final Thoughts
So can dogs mate with cats? Can a dog get a cat pregnant?
No, dogs and cats cannot mate. Neither a cat nor a dog can get the other pregnant. This is because they are not genetically compatible as they have different numbers of chromosomes.
In addition, they come from different families of animals, a dog being Canidae and cats being Felidae.
However, even though there are no hybrid cats and dogs, plenty of other cat and dog hybrids are out there!
Other posts you might find interesting:
