Do Shelties Do Well With Cats?

Shetland sheepdogs do very well with cats and other household pets.

Good-natured, social and easy-to-train, Shelties are among the best breeds for households with friendly cats. The dog and cats need a proper introduction at first but, as a rule, they learn to live in harmony and even benefit from each other’s company as a pet community.

It is worth noting that every animal is individual and might have traits not suggested by the breed! Of course, the dog’s environment and the personalities of the cats are also important factors!

HERE IS WHY SHELTIES USUALLY GET ALONG WITH CATS

Shelties Are Easy to Train And Can Learn to Behave Appropriately Around Cats

Shetland sheepdogs are in the top 10 most intelligent and easy-to-train breeds of dogs.

Your Sheltie can acquire simple commands within just a few repetitions and can master complex commands and skills with a little bit of practice.
The dog’s response to commands is prompt, even outdoors or with many distractions.

You don’t have to be a skilled trainer to achieve good training results with a Sheltie.

Shetland sheepdogs’ capacity to learn is important because your dog will understand the rules of behavior around new pets, including cats. Your Sheltie will follow your prompts around household cats, and cats and other animals the dog encounters outside.

Shelties Are Friendly And Eager to Please, So They Get Along With People And Pets

Most Shelties are sweet and friendly dogs. They rarely show aggression and defensive behavior. For that reason, training them to be polite with smaller animals is usually well-received. Any training also reinforces a trait that comes naturally to these pups – they are friendly dogs.

Shelties are herders, so their tendency to chase and herd smaller animals can be easily mistaken for aggression by strangers. It is important to supervise your Shetland sheepdog’s interactions with unfamiliar animals outdoors if your Sheltie acts like a classic herding dog.

Shelties Are Social Dogs And They Like Pet Companions

Having another pet at home, another dog, or a cat is likely going to be beneficial for your Sheltie.

Shetland sheepdogs are prone to separation anxiety due to their interactive personalities and high intelligence, as well as the high need for exercise. Most dog owners have to be away from home for several hours several days a week and Shelties are among the dog breeds prone to separation anxiety.

One of the best solutions for separation anxiety in dogs is to provide a pet community. Shelties, and dogs of other breeds, for that matter, are happier if there are other pets at home to play and cuddle with, or simply to be around as a part of their everyday environment.

POTENTIAL ISSUES WITH SHELTIES AROUND CATS

Strong Instincts

All the traits that are assets for herding dogs on a farm, such as being vocal and even the tendency to herd, are quite prominent in Shetland sheepdogs. These dogs certainly have strong instincts, which means that some of the habits typical for herders could be hard to give up, even with their exceptional working intelligence.

Barking

Your dog could bark at the cat and could be very vocal in general, although Shelties are not as vocal as some other herders, border collies in particular.

Training could produce remarkable results but your dog might still relapse occasionally, so to speak.

Chasing And Nipping

Herding behaviors that are especially hard to control include chasing and, in some cases, light nipping of the ankles of running pets and even young kids. Shelties do need some supervision around cats until the dynamics between the animals are stable and predictable.

Many dogs are entirely desensitized to cats at home but are reactive to cats running around outside, usually unfamiliar cats.

BEFORE INTRODUCING SHELTIE AND A CAT TO EACH OTHER

Teach Your Sheltie Basic Commands

Shelties can learn multiple complex commands, and your dog should know at least the basic ones. Essential commands include short simple words, such as “sit”, “leave it”, “come” and “quiet”. They will help you redirect your dog if there is a need for an intervention.

Knowing and responding to commands will also help your dog know how to behave, which is helpful in complex social situations. The dog is less likely to become anxious if he or she focuses on understanding and following the owner’s command.

Prepare Safe Zones

Make sure the cat has a room where the dog does not go.
- Ideally, it should be an entirely separate room with a litter box, a scratching post, water, a food bowl, and toys.
- You could set up some hiding places in the room to help the cat feel safer.
Your home should have several high areas, such as shelves that your cat can easily escape the dog’s company if needed. Most likely, the cat will not need to escape and hide but cats love having the option.

Your Sheltie should also have a safe space where the cat does not go. Old dogs, in particular, like having a quiet area where they can rest.

INTRODUCING THE PETS TO EACH OTHER

Young Pets

If you are welcoming both pets when they are very young, the adjustment period should be quite easy. The puppy and the kitten will grow up and mature together. They will teach each other what is appropriate and what is not. The animals’ interactions will be sort of like puppy classes, except a kitten is involved.

Introducing Grown-Up Pets

If the animals are grown up, the introduction may need to be more controlled and structured. At first, you should supervise the two very closely and allow their interactions to become closer gradually.

Keep the Dog And the Cat Separate At First

Your new pet – especially if the cat is the new one – should mostly stay in the safe room where the dog does not go for the first couple of days.

Confinement allows the cat to get to know the immediate environment first and to get comfortable. Once the cat does not appear to be stressed out anymore, he or she can begin to venture out.

Let the Dog And the Cat Have Each Other’s Blankets

Animals like to get to know each other’s scents.

You could let the cat and the dog have each other’s blankets for comfort. Any item the animal spends some time sleeping on would work.

If your pets become familiar with each other’s scents, it could be less stressful for them to meet each other in person.

Create Positive Associations

Give your Sheltie and the cat treats when they can see each other or let them have other rewards your animals respond to well. The idea is for them to associate each other with good, cozy, or tasty things.

Consider Feeding the Cat Before the Dog

When you bring the dog into your home and you begin to let the animals eat in the same room, feed the cat first. Let the dog observe and learn the pattern: the cat eats first but the dog then gets to eat too.

Since Shelties are larger than cats, it is important, for the cat’s safety, that the dog knows that the cat’s space needs to be respected. So, the kitty is fed first but it is all fair in the end and everyone is fed and happy.

Let Your Pets Eat Next to Each Other

This does not necessarily work for every dyad of pets.

If you feel that at least one of your animals is defensive of its food, it may be best to let them each be in the same room but at a distance during meals. The cat’s food could even be on a table or somewhere where the dog cannot reach it.

If your pets do not show much distress during meals, you could move their bowls closer to each other over time. If the dog and the cat eat next to each other without discomfort, that is a great sign.

Allow Supervised Interactions

These are just some general guidelines to structure the first interactions but it is important to read your pets’ cues and adjust accordingly.

Let your pets meet in a neutral zone – not one of the safe rooms.
Keep your dog on a leash and let the cat walk around freely. If the cat prefers to hide, that is fine.
Avoid restraining either pet in your arms.

Ask the dog to sit and reward him with treats for good behavior. Give your cat treats and other rewards, too.
If either animal is anxious or aggressive, calmly distract and redirect them. Return the pets to their safe areas and try again later.

Repeat the Interactions Daily

Your pets might not need much time at all or might need weeks to start liking each other. One of our adopted dogs (likely a half-Berner) joined us from a shelter when she was well over five years old but her interactions with our two cats were very calm from the beginning. So, we allowed them to interact freely within a couple of days.

Save your pets’ favorite treats for the early interaction sessions.
If the cat wants to leave the room, allow him, and do not let the dog chase him.
It is very important to end each session before either the cat or the dog shows any stress or aggression. If the animals look very tense, pause and try again later

Allow Less Structured Interactions

When your pets are used to each other’s presence, allow them to walk around under supervision. You could keep the dog’s leash attached so that you can gain control of the dog if something goes wrong.

Eventually, your pets should begin to accept each other’s presence. Some cats and dogs are very friendly with each other, others learn to tolerate each other at best.

It is going to be important to assess the dynamics between your pets to define the appropriate boundaries, based on how the dog and the cat are acting.

To Conclude

A typical Sheltie is extremely likely to get along with a cat and develop at least some degree of fondness for a feline companion. Cats can be more unpredictable and the cat could be the more complex pet whose moods and preferences need to be tolerated but it depends on the animal.

Read your pets’ cues and adjust the interactions accordingly.