Are dachshunds good with cats? This all depends on the situation and the personality of both the dachshund and the cat.
Do you already have a dachshund and want to bring home a cat? Or do you already have a cat and want to bring home a dachshund?
You will need to know if they are compatible…
Are Dachshunds Good With Cats?
Since dachshunds were bred as hunters, their instincts are to chase after other animals.
Dachshunds are also guarded and territorial and can be jealous if another animal is brought into their home.
Not saying all dachshunds will be on guard and aggressive, but you need to be careful before you want to bring home a cat.
You might have seen some YouTube videos showing a cuddly dachshund with a cat, and that can happen. But this depends on the personality of the dachshund and also the cat.
I had one female dachshund that would be cuddly with another dog or a cat, but then had two male dachshunds that would not tolerate another animal in the house.
Can Dachshund Live With Cats?
Are dachshunds good with cats? It also depends on the age of the dachshund. A young puppy dachshund might be more likely to accept a cat, whereas an old dachshund might be a bit more territorial and set in its ways.
I have owned dachshunds for over 28 years now. Even though they are stubborn and suspicious if a stranger enters the house, they are lovable pets.
They can be very jealous as well if you plan on bringing a cat into your home.
Again, this is not 100 percent the case, as it depends on the personality of your dachshund. It is possible to train dachshunds and cats to get along, but sometimes it might not work.
Now if you have a cat already in your home and want to bring in a new dachshund, that might be a bit easier.
Still, it will depend on their personalities as some cats can be finicky and might not accept a dachshund.
Maybe you currently don’t have either and want to adopt both a dachshund and a cat.
Sometimes it naturally won’t happen. You might need some patience and training for them to accept each other.
Are Dachshunds Good With Cats – Depends On The Dachshund Personality
Dachshunds are cuddly and cute, but they can be very stubborn and feisty.
So if you already have a dachshund and want to bring home a cat, you will have to be very careful to see how your dachshund reacts.
Do your dachshund’s ears go back, growls, and show their teeth? If so it might not work as you might have a hard time getting your dachshund to accept the cat.
But if your dachshund doesn’t show aggression and acts curious and sniffs that might be an indication they might accept a cat.
Are Dachshunds Good With Cats – Best Case Scenarios
It might be best if you adopt a cat and a dachshund together. And even better if both the cat and dachshund are young.
This would be the best way to get them to socialize and live together.
Next, the best scenario would be if you have a cat already and then bring a dachshund into your home. Your cat might be more acceptable for your new dachshund to fit into your home, especially if the new dachshund is a puppy rather than an old dachshund.
The hardest scenario would be if you already have a dachshund and bring a new cat home, especially if you have an older dachshund.
As mentioned earlier the dachshunds can be very guarded and territorial. They might not like a strange cat coming into their territory.
Dachshunds are pack animals and they might see the new cat as not part of the pack and could be aggressive towards them.
Are dachshunds good with cats if the dachshund is a puppy?
If you have a dachshund puppy and then want to bring in a cat that might be a workable situation. Your dachshund puppy will have the instinct to chase, but their attitude could be more likely to accept the cat rather than view it as a threat.
You will have to spend time with them to watch over to make sure they don’t get aggressive with each other.
Again, if you have an older dachshund, this could be more difficult as they are more independent and territorial at this stage.
But it isn’t impossible either, as I had one female dachshund that didn’t mind another cat or dog.
Can Dachshund Live With Cats – Find Out About Their Background.
If you are getting a new dachshund puppy you need to ask the breeder about their parents. Did the parents have any history of being aggressive with other animals?
And were the dachshund parents ever around cats, and if so were they okay with the cat?
Now if you are adopting an adult dachshund you want to ask the breeder questions about the dachshund’s background to see if they had any aggression issues with other dogs or cats.
If they were around cats and had no issues then that could be workable for bringing home an adult dachshund to live with your cat.
However, many rescue dogs don’t always have that kind of information.
And since they are dachshunds, they might have that instinct to chase a cat. You have to look carefully at their personality before you consider bringing them home with your cat.
Introducing a Dachshund To A Cat?
Here are some tips on whether you already have a dachshund and want to bring home a cat, or have a cat and want to bring home a dachshund.
1. Choose a spare room where you can have your cat’s bed, litter box, food, and water bowl. Keep this room closed off with a gate so your dachshund can’t go in this room.
This way the cat and dachshund can see each other without your dachshund being able to get into the room with the cat.
2. Let them smell each other’s scent. You can trade their blankets so they sniff each other’s scent. You can also pet your dachshund or cat, then rub your hands all over the furniture. This way they get used to each other’s smell.
3. Before introducing them, take your dachshund out and walk to calm them down. Then bring your dachshund back into the house and keep their leash on.
4. Next, grab a few dog treats and have them in your hand. Then bring your dachshund over to the gate where the cat is in the other room.
5. Now let the cat out of the gate, and let your cat come over to your dachshund. Your dachshund should be by your side and don’t let them move towards the cat.
If your dachshund starts barking or stares your cat down, move your dachshund away.
6. If your dachshund doesn’t bark and behaves well, then reward your dachshund with a treat.
7. Let the cat choose how close they want to get to your dachshund as your dachshund should stay in place by your side.
8. Practice this routine over and over and be patient. Over time they should be relaxed towards each other.
9. Once they seem okay with each other, then you can get rid of the gate to the cat’s room.
10. Once they seemed relaxed you can take the leash off your dachshund, but keep an eye on them until they seem to be okay with each other.
11. Don’t leave them alone in the house unless you are totally sure your dachshund won’t attack the cat.
12. It could take a few weeks or a few months for them to totally accept each other as buddies. It depends on your dachshund and cat’s personality.
13. Since dachshunds are jealous, don’t give the cat more attention than your dachshund.
14. Once they accept each other they may become good friends.
