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So you are likely here because you either have a whippet and are thinking about getting a cat or the other way around. But, you’re not really sure if whippets can live with cats.
Whippets are sighthounds and were developed to hunt small animals. This makes cats an attractive prey for some whippets.
Although some may live peacefully with cats there are some definite concerns you should be aware of.
Can Whippets Live With Cats:
Some whippets can live with cats but others shouldn’t. Whippets are sighthounds that were bred to catch small fast animals like hares. This can make cats instinctively appealing to some whippets. However, whippets trained to get along with cats from a young age can live with cats without problems.
In this post you’ll discover:
- 5 ways whippets and cats can live together peacefully
- 5 dangers with whippets and cats living together (#2 is quite shocking!)
- 8 steps to properly introduce a whippet to a cat
- 6 tips to stop a whippet from chasing cats
- And much more
Let’s dive in…
Table of Contents
5 Ways Whippets & Cats Can Live Together Peacefully
1) Train Your Whippet From Young Age
It’s possible to socialize a whippet into getting along with cats, and it’s much easier when whippets are young
If you are bringing a cat into your family and your whippet is older it might be harder to adapt them to living with a cat.
This is especially true if your whippet is already “set in their ways”.
An older whippet being introduced to cats part way through their life will be much harder to train then a young whippet.
The key when training a whippet to get along with cats is to control their interactions and incentivize good behavior.
This will allow you to let your whippet know when their behavior is okay, and when it’s not.
Anytime they behave well, reward them to let them know they are being good.
If they are getting too rowdy and behaving poorly with the cat, isolate your whippet, and stop them from playing immediately.
The goal here is to make your whippet know that when they play properly there is a reward, and when they don’t they no longer get to play with the cat.
This will help build an association with proper play.
2) Have Areas Of Separation
Your whippet may become annoying towards your cat, that’s why having areas of separation can be helpful.
Some whippets even when socialized from a young age may still pester and bug cats.
So, having a space to separate them will allow your cat to have their space should they want or need it.
Having a gate or blockade preventing your whippet from getting to the cat can help them coexist better.
In some cases, your whippet may get too rowdy and start chasing your cat all over the place.
The separation areas specific for your cat can make things easier when living with both.
3) Whippets With Low Prey Drive
A whippet that has a low prey drive will usually not cause many problems with cats.
You can tell a whippet has low prey drive when they seem calm outside, and don’t really care for chasing down animals.
They may look out of curiosity but their desire to chase and hunt is just not there.
It’s unlikely you will not find many whippets just naturally like this. But there are always exceptions.
Also, if trained from a young age not to care about other animals, this may decrease their prey drive.
4) Keep A Supervisor Around
Whippets and cats can coexist more safely when there is proper supervision around.
Some whippets may be fine being alone but many whippet owners mention this being a no no.
You never know what may happen when you are not watching, so it’s always safest to keep an eye on your whippet and cat.
You may notice your whippet becoming a bit too intense or excited which if you are watching you can control.
If you are not supervising them accidents can happen where a whippet’s instincts turn on and your cat gets harmed.
5) Indoor Cats Are Better
When you have an outdoor cat that runs around in the garden and up on fences, this makes for an attractive hunt for whippets.
This is why it usually works best for whippets and cats to coexist inside only.
Even when a well trained whippet outside can turn on “chase mode” and harm a cat.
Inside is a different story. Whippets know that inside no hunting goes on so your cat is safer.
Some may still turn on “chase mode” inside with cats but you can simply separate them.
The 5 Dangers With Whippets & Cats Living Together
1) A Whippets Natural Instinct
It’s true whippets possess instincts ingrained into their genetics that makes them highly driven to hunt.
They are Sighthounds, also known as “gazehounds”, meaning they hunt primarily with sight and speed, rather than endurance and scent.
This allowed these breeds to be able to detect motion quickly and catch fast agile prey such as deer, hares, bunnies, etc.
It’s important to mention that some have stronger instincts than others.
And it’s quite possible to train a whippet to be less reactive towards smaller animals.
This is much easier to do when you can introduce a whippet puppy to cats and animals from a young age.
That way you can develop a foundation of training around proper play with cats.
2) There Have Been Records Of Whippets Eating Cats
It’s important to note that even with good training and socialization a whippet may attack and kill cats.
As stated in danger #1, some whippets will have a hard time controlling their desire to hunt down animals.
Perhaps your cat darts out down the hallway or in the backyard and your whippet spots this and their instinct kicks in.
This is always a risk when bringing a cat and whippet into the same house.
However, whippets are trainable to get along with cats, it just takes patience, time, and dedication.
It’s much easier to train a young whippet puppy to coexist with cats then trying to change an adult whippet.
3) Unsupervised Interactions
Whippets and cats should never be unsupervised.
The moment you are not watching is when this could go down, and your cat could potentially get harmed.
Many whippet owners with cats say it’s hard to totally relax since they always have to keep an eye on the cat and dog.
With that said, this is not everyone’s experience because many owners have no issues with their whippet and cat living together.
Whippets are individuals, meaning they are all unique and have different personalities.
Some may find it hard to resist the temptation of chasing cats, and others can co-exist without issue.
As a final note, you will know your whippet better than anyone else so overtime you may realize supervision is not 100% necessary.
You may have a whippet without any real desire to chase the cat so this point may not apply to you.
That leads me to my next point.
4) Level Of Prey Drive
Although whippets have a natural instinct for hunting some express more prey drive then others.
If your whippet has a high prey drive and a history of killing other animals this will make having a cat even more difficult.
Now you may have no idea the level of prey drive your whippet has if they are still really young.
The good news is when they are young it’s easier to train them how to properly behave around cats.
5) Outside Interactions
A whippet and cat may get along fine inside but outside, all bets are off.
Inside a cat cannot run around as much and your whippet instinct may be at bay.
Open those doors to the outside world and their interactions may look different.
For one, a cat can now run around, jump up on the top of fences, run through bushes etc.
To your whippet your cat could just become another squirrel that it wants to hunt.
So, it seems that it’s easier for whippets and cats to get along indoors then when both are outside.
And because of this your chances of them getting along is much higher when cats are indoor cats.
8 Steps To Introduce A Whippet To Your Cat
Here is how you can introduce you whippet to a cat:
Step #1 – Make sure your whippet already understands fundamental commands like ‘sit’, ‘stay’. And ‘down’ before the introduction.
Step #2 – When they are first in a house together, keep them separated for a couple days.
Step #3 – Feed your whippet and cat on opposite sides of a closed door. This will help them get to know each other’s smell and associate it with pleasant things (food).
Step #4 – When they can both eat their food calmly by the door, you’ll want them to meet in a common area of your home. You want the environment to be a safe space for both the cat and whippet. No other animals should have access to this space.
Step #5 – When they meet at first, keep these short and calm meetings with your whippet on a leash. Reward both animals for good behavior.
Step #6 – Carry on these interactions everyday. MAke sure to use your pets favorite treats for these interactions. If your cat wants to leave, let them, while making sure your whippet does not go after them.
Step #7 – End sessions whenever one reveals signs of tension or aggression.
Step #8 – When they appear to be getting along well, let them spend time in the room together. If anything happens that looks negative, return back to previous actions and redo them.
6 Tips To Stop A Whippet From Chasing Cats
To stop a whippet from chasing cats they need to have strict recall training. With strict obedience training you can have a whippet who listens to your every command.
This includes not chasing after cats or other animals.
To train your whippet you’ll want to make sure to always have control.
This means leaving a leash on them even when out in the backyard. This will give you control and help when training them to stop chasing cats.
Obedience training takes hard work, consistency, and dedication.
Here are some steps you can take:
- Keep your Whippet on a leash when your cat’s in the same room.
- Whenever your cat is near your whippet, get your whippet’s focus. If he pays attention, provide him a treat!
- Keep treating your whippet till the cat goes away. When the cat leaves, give your whippet a chew reward or toy so they focus on the reward.
- Repeat the above steps and you’ll see your whippet instinctively sit and look up to you when they see cats. Keep regarding them when this happens.
- If they are looking at you each time a cat is around, you can use a longer leash. If they still try to chase after the cat, return to the beginning steps.
- If they seem solid with your training, try it out with your cat and whippet in the same room without a leash. If they pay attention to you and don’t chase the cat, amazing! If they chase, go back and repeat the previous steps.
Other posts you might find interesting:
5 Reasons Whippets Make Great Apartment Dogs + 7 Tips
Can Whippets Be Service Dogs? 5 Ways They Can & Can’t
6 Reasons Whippets Like To Cuddle + 6 Reasons They Don’t
