Author Topic: Alaskan Malamutes and cats  (Read 12037 times)

Offline marypr2

  • Ankle Biter
  • *
  • Posts: 29
    • View Profile
Alaskan Malamutes and cats
« on: July 13, 2007, 02:14:04 am »
Hi-
Our family welcomed a 7-year old Alaskan Malamute a few weeks ago.  We also have a cat.  The cat and dog currently "reside" in separate quarters...the cat has the front yard and the upstairs, the dog has the back yard and basement.  The first time these critters crossed paths (though I am sure they were aware of each other well before seeing each other), the dog was leashed and she was on the front lawn.  The dog started to lunge , but was easily stopped.  The cat arched her back, had her hair standing straight up and froze.  We moved on with the dog and there was no further hub bub about it.

Since then, we have had the dog on the back deck while opening the door to the house so that the dog and cat could view each other.  They both just did that...looked at each other.  The cat this time did not arch its back, but was frozen.

I would love to know how to get these two critters together.  I think they could be good company for each other.  This cat is actually quite dog-like.  I call and whistle for her to come in at night, and she comes.  She is also quite friendly.....a celebrity of sorts in the neighborhood.

So, do any of you have any ideas about getting these two together?  I was thinking I might want to handle the cat a lot before I go pet the dog and vice-versa so they know I am connected to both of them.  Other than that, I don't have a clue as to how to move this along, or if I CAN move this along.

Thanks,
Mary 

Offline LuvmyMal

  • Paw-meister
  • **
  • Posts: 560
    • View Profile
Re: Alaskan Malamutes and cats
« Reply #1 on: July 13, 2007, 02:21:37 am »
I am going to be honest, all 3 of mine do not like cats and will chase them as it is a rabbit or other small animal. They do wonderful with small dogs, but MOST, and I say MOST malamutes or huskies can not be trusted with a cat. There are some that do fine together, but there are some that do not. If he has never been around a cat, I would not chance it. With rescue, we tell people if they have a cat a malamute is not for them, we always mark them as "no cats" due to prey drive. I hope somone else has a different opinion, but if it were me, I would not let them in the same area. I have seen very few pictures of a husky or malamute with a cat, I do know of some malamutes that live with cats, just never in the same room or area.

chaosndestruction

  • Guest
Re: Alaskan Malamutes and cats
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2007, 04:30:17 am »
Tiki (husky/shep) and Keela (husky,mal, shep) get along great with the kitties. Although Keela chases them sometimes she's easily stop with "Keela Leave It". My cats tolerate her and when she does chase them it's more of an "i want to play" not a prey drive issue she's only 16 months old and has a lot of puppy left.

Arisha (husky, mal) is the one we have to watch, she won't hurt the cats but she will chase them and with her being head strong she won't always listen to "leave it". Our cats are dog smart and know how to deal with the dogs.

Tiki and Keela are both awesome with ferrets and they play with them (under close supervision, never un-attended), but with Arisha we have to have her in the dog/mud room or outside when it's the ferrets play time, she will nip them. Not hard or life threating but one wrong move and it could be hazardous. She only has a real problem with them when they come into the mud room and now has the ferrets trained so that when the dogs are in they leave the mud room alone.

Like what was already stated Mals and Huskies normally have a high prey drive.

Our dogs have been raised with cats since they were pups. So we've had plenty of time to enforce and teach them that cats are part of the family and off limits.

Offline Britz

  • Leader of the Pack
  • **
  • Posts: 466
  • Mommy to Ethan, Kiera and Zeus
    • View Profile
Re: Alaskan Malamutes and cats
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2007, 05:21:30 am »
Well I have to say mine also hated  cats. She was husky malamute x and  She made man  cat  graves in are back  yard.  She never really killed them on  purpose but  she would  chase them  down and  play with them to death. Until she hit 2 then all of a sudden  1 cat that  we had was just  fine and she never  bugged him but hated the rest
~Britainy
~Zeus-Rotti

Offline valgal208

  • Gnawer
  • *
  • Posts: 1
    • View Profile
Re: Alaskan Malamutes and cats
« Reply #4 on: August 22, 2007, 08:52:20 pm »
My Malamute is best friends with one of my cats. They lay together during the day and nap together! The cat (Jenny) even scratches the Malamute's (Diablo) back when he needs it. Diablo likes the other cat too...never had a problem :)

It could be because my Malamute is older...but we also adopted him when he was 8...

Maybe my story can keep you a little optimistic  ;)