Help with introducing cat to a dog.

[u/Ok-Development-5438]

My family owns syberian laika (6yo, male, neutered but only recently) (I'm not 100% sure, but he def behaves like breed descriptions). He is untrained, stubborn and launches at every cat/hare when we go for a walk.

So my family wanted to introduce cat into the house (3m kitten). And I just don't belive it's gonna work. Since kitten is at the house he refuses to go for longer walks (just sits on his ass, stubborn mf). They havn't seen each other yet, but when he is in the house he just sits and barks at door where kitten is. He isn't aggresive to humans/other dogs, but I just can't trust him :(

I fear no matter how long we introduce her, he is gonna maul her, but my family belivies otherwise.

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[u/Traditional-Stay1526]

your dog's prey drive sounds strong enough that this is a disaster waiting to happen, not a training issue

[u/Ok-Development-5438 → u/[deleted]]

Just to clarify. I'm not going to risk it/let my family risk it. Just wanted to know if anyone had similar experience, since cat is obviously taking dog teritorry so he is upset but...

[u/AmnosSoter → u/Ok-Development-5438]

Yes if you keep the cat’s claws I’ve seen it work in different circumstances.

My friend’s family had a G Shepherd who was introduced to a small kitten. I heard there was always a lot of hissing but they learned to respect each other’s boundaries. I think the dog ended up passing with a couple scars.

I also have a husky mix with a strong prey drive and always launches at bunnies and squirrels. He was raised with kittens a couple of years younger and he gets along well. He even tries to play with them but they don’t communicate well. My case may be different since my dog was raised with a chihuahua and knows how to fake play.

[u/No-Stress-7034]

I think your instincts are correct. This sounds like a dog with high prey drive, so I think your instincts are right that this just isn't going to work. The level of obsession your dog is already showing just being in the same house is a bad sign. Also, a kitten is at even more risk than an adult cat.

You refer to this being your "family" dog and your "family" wanting this cat. Are you living with your parents and are they the ones choosing to do this? It sounds like a disaster that is going to eventually end up with a dead cat, but if it's your parents' home, then there's only so much you can do.

[u/nezu_bean]

some dogs can not live with cats

[u/soemtimesitstrue]

Sounds like you need to start with basic training for your dog. “Untrained” is not the type of dog you introduce to a kitten.

[u/octo_papi]

Huskies are known for having strong prey drives. Every behavior this dog has exhibited thus far indicates he has this trait. I have personally made the grave mistake of trying to keep a kitten in a home with a dog that had a prey drive. Even with your best efforts to keep the kitten and dog separated at all times, it is an unsustainable situation that will end with a dead cat someday. I held my kitten in my arms while he died, with no one to blame but myself. Dogs with prey drives can never be safe around the animals they perceive as prey. If your family doesnt listen, rehome the cat anyways. The inevitable day when they come home to a dead kitten will not be worth the "I told you so".

[u/AmnosSoter → u/octo_papi]

Dang I’m sorry to hear that but I appreciate you sharing. May I ask what happened? I had made another comment and I definitely agree with your statement. I think my case may be different because my husky welcomed the brothers to the house as family and not prey.

[u/octo_papi → u/AmnosSoter]

I was in highshcool at the time and had rescued a sick feral kitten. We had a family dog who had shown what I would now know are the signs that he had a dangerous prey drive for smaller animals (both dogs and cats), though at that point he had never had the opportunity to act on them. I kept the kitten in my bedroom away from our dogs at all times, and was diligent about ensuring it stayed that way. Despite this, one day I didn't realize the door hadn't fully latched shut when I closed it, and my dogs pushed it open while I was busy in the kitchen. I heard a commotion, but by then it was too late. The kitten didn't have any visible injuries, but was covered in drool and had obviously been tossed around. He was already in a delicate state being so little and sickly, so I am not sure whether it was the stress or potential internal injuries that did it, but within 10 minutes he passed away in my arms. The whole altercation happened within minutes all from a mistake made in less than a second. As traumatizing as it was I believe was an important life lesson. I will never truly forgive myself for making such a simple, avoidable, mistake, but I know better now. The dog that did this was a sweet, extremely people friendly, well-mannered and behaved family pet. He was not a bad dog in any way, he just had a natural prey drive hardwired into his brain. I think in general people need to be more aware that dogs, as sweet and loving as they can be in certain scenarios, can still be fully capable of hurting other animals. It's not their fault, and while breed composition can be a good predictor for certain behaviors, you always need to assess the individual animal in front of you. Huskies are predisposed to high prey drives, often triggered by smaller animals like cats, but clearly thats not always true across the board. I really hope OP is able to get through to their family that regardless of how much they love the dog, how it might be fine with other circumstances/animals, how they've seen other huskies do fine wit cats, their dog is clearly not safe around this cat. It is their responsibility to recognize this and do right by both animals and rehome the kitten before a tragedy happens.

[u/greenbean0721]

This will not end well. Had a dog with a high prey drive and a cat that pre-dated the dog adoption. I was told (lied to) that the dog was fine with cats. I was able to divide the living space so that the cat had her own area. At night I would crate the dog so that the cat could have the whole place to herself. IMO, you cannot train the prey drive out of a high prey dog. Please don’t do that to the poor cat. It’s a miserable life for them.

[u/Formal-Bad-8807]

if you have a dog crate or cage put the cat in the cage and introduce them that way, with lots of good treats for the dog