# Would a golden retriever hurt my cats?



## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Welcome to the forum. 

It depends on your pup's personality and your cats-are they used to being around pups or dogs? 

A lot of members have both here and they all get along. You would need to supervise your pup around the cats and you may need to give your cats some time of their own away from the pup.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Because you would be getting a puppy my guess is it would get along with your cats just fine. It would grow up with them. Our last golden was never around cats and he had a huge prey drive. He would of never been able to be around them because he was never around them as a puppy. I don't know how our current golden would do because she hasn't been around them either. Jake once had the neighbors cat by the back of the neck because they let the cat roam.


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## yagmurkirlangic (Nov 5, 2017)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> Welcome to the forum.
> 
> It depends on your pup's personality and your cats-are they used to being around pups or dogs?
> 
> A lot of members have both here and they all get along. You would need to supervise your pup around the cats and you may need to give your cats some time of their own away from the pup.


Thank you for your answer. My cats have never been around pups or dogs, but they are not aggressive and they are quite easy-going. I will supervise them for as long as I can, but after one or two months, I have to leave them alone for a few hours for two-three days a week. Would that create any kind of danger once they are kind of used to each other? Or should I install a baby gate for a room so that the cats can have their own space?


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## yagmurkirlangic (Nov 5, 2017)

Cpc1972 said:


> Because you would be getting a puppy my guess is it would get along with your cats just fine. It would grow up with them. Our last golden was never around cats and he had a huge prey drive. He would of never been able to be around them because he was never around them as a puppy. I don't know how our current golden would do because she hasn't been around them either. Jake once had the neighbors cat by the back of the neck because they let the cat roam.


Thank you so much. I will try to get the puppy as early on as I can, so that he has the time to get used to the cats. By the way, if the dog catches the cats by the neck, would it bite enough for the cats to get hurt?


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

yagmurkirlangic said:


> Thank you so much. I will try to get the puppy as early on as I can, so that he has the time to get used to the cats. By the way, if the dog catches the cats by the neck, would it bite enough for the cats to get hurt?


Luckily for us Jake didn't hurt the neighbors cat. He had a pretty soft mouth. We once had a cat and a little mutt that were best friends. When they were playing I swear the cats head was in the dogs mouth. But the dog never once hurt the cat. We would be sitting downstairs and could hear them running and playing upstairs. The cat would hide behind doors and jump out at the dog. They were hillarious. When the dog died the cat got sick and died shortly after. They both lived to be 17 years old.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

If you're going to be gone for any length of time, I would suggest putting your pup in a crate or in an Xpen for it's own safety to prevent it from getting into things that could be harmful to it such as cleaning supplies, it will also keep your pup from chewing on furniture, electrical cords, etc. 

You can use baby gates, but I still would either crate your pup or put it in an Xpen whenever you're going to be gone. 

I would never leave a pup at home alone without being in a crate or in an Xpen.


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## yagmurkirlangic (Nov 5, 2017)

Cpc1972 said:


> Luckily for us Jake didn't hurt the neighbors cat. He had a pretty soft mouth. We once had a cat and a little mutt that were best friends. When they were playing I swear the cats head was in the dogs mouth. But the dog never once hurt the cat. We would be sitting downstairs and could hear them running and playing upstairs. The cat would hide behind doors and jump out at the dog. They were hillarious. When the dog died the cat got sick and died shortly after. They both lived to be 17 years old.


So sorry for your loss, and thank you for your answer, it was very helpful!


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## yagmurkirlangic (Nov 5, 2017)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> If you're going to be gone for any length of time, I would suggest putting your pup in a crate or in an Xpen for it's own safety to prevent it from getting into things that could be harmful to it such as cleaning supplies, it will also keep your pup from chewing on furniture, electrical cords, etc.
> 
> You can use baby gates, but I still would either crate your pup or put it in an Xpen whenever you're going to be gone.
> 
> I would never leave a pup at home alone without being in a crate or in an Xpen.


Putting the pup in a crate seems like the best option, thank you so much!


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

If your kitties have claws they will put the puppy in it's place. The idea is to avoid the confrontation as claws can be lethal on puppy eyes.
Lots depends on the puppy, most pups will chase a running kitty but a pup bred to work (or hunt) will have a very strong prey drive and be less willing to give up the pursuit. Be prepared to put a harness on your pup and drag a leash so you can stop the chase game. Never correct, just stop the chase with a leave it command (remember they won't know what this means at first) and reward when you have redirected the pups attention.
Most kitties will leap up onto the bed or anywhere the puppy can't reach but you will need exposure to let them get used to the new arrival. When you pup is in the crate they will get curious. This will give everyone time to get used to each other.
This pic is my 4 month old puppy and my two cats. My kitties were dog friendly but we still had a few games of chase.


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## yagmurkirlangic (Nov 5, 2017)

puddles everywhere said:


> If your kitties have claws they will put the puppy in it's place. The idea is to avoid the confrontation as claws can be lethal on puppy eyes.
> Lots depends on the puppy, most pups will chase a running kitty but a pup bred to work (or hunt) will have a very strong prey drive and be less willing to give up the pursuit. Be prepared to put a harness on your pup and drag a leash so you can stop the chase game. Never correct, just stop the chase with a leave it command (remember they won't know what this means at first) and reward when you have redirected the pups attention.
> Most kitties will leap up onto the bed or anywhere the puppy can't reach but you will need exposure to let them get used to the new arrival. When you pup is in the crate they will get curious. This will give everyone time to get used to each other.
> This pic is my 4 month old puppy and my two cats. My kitties were dog friendly but we still had a few games of chase.
> View attachment 760978


Thank you for your helpful answer. My cats are calm and easy-going generally too, but they love playing chase and fight each other - without hurting each other, of course. I will keep an eye on all of them for a long time so that they can be comfortable with each other, and I will definitely use your advice. Again, thank you so much.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

It shouldn't be an issue if they're raised together and have the proper temperament. They shouldn't have so much prey drive that they'd harm a cat. Especially if they're raised together. My cat came first and then 3 large dogs, 2 of which are goldens. I've also fostered tiny 2 week old kittens and never had any issues.


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## Nate83 (Jul 13, 2017)

Our German shepherd loved the cat we had for a few years, not a golden but she also never grew up with them so it is all in the personality of the dog, Athena comes from a working line. If Angel came across a cat I am getting she would chase cat would swipe once and Angel wouldn't go near it again LOL.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

My girl sure wouldn't hurt a cat - she'd be in heaven if I got one. Shala wasn't raised with a cat, but she loves them (incidentally, she is the older sister of ArchersMom's girl in that photo). Wasn't born in a house with a cat, doesn't have a cat, has a strong prey drive (poor squirrels) but is very sweet and gentle (and sometimes overly enthusiastic) with cats.


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## yagmurkirlangic (Nov 5, 2017)

Thank you all so much for your answers, now I feel better about getting a puppy brother to my kittens!


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

I will tell you this - do not be surprised if your calm easy going kitties get all up in arms about you bringing home a puppy. Our cat was raised with our previous dog. She got along fine with her. Then she (the dog) passed away, and we brought home Noah. She was NOT pleased. She did low growls, left the room, pouted, smelled Noah on us, growled every time she smelled him on us. 

It's a normal process - don't get too distraught about it. Now, I have trouble finding any pictures of Lexi (the cat), without Noah laying beside her in the pictures. She grooms him, he licks her all over her head - so much she has a wet head. She head bumps into him, walks under his belly to get from point A to point B if he's in the way. 

It may take some time, but don't be surprised if your cats react in a way you aren't used to, and don't think it will never work. It will take time, patience, supervision and it will work out. We're about to displease the queen again with a new puppy in the late spring, early summer. I suspect a month or so of her being angry with us for DARING to bring in another interloper - and then she'll love him as much as Noah.


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## wiggles-wags-and-woofs (Aug 24, 2017)

We have two cats as well, a 4 year old and a 9 year old, and were also quite anxious to add a puppy to our family. It took a few months but both cats have adapted just fine. In the beginning, they kept mostly to themselves upstairs (we gated off our upper floor for their exclusive roaming) but many hisses later, our pup was grooming our old boy just last week. He definitely wasn't thrilled about it but he rolled onto his back and took it like a champ!

What worked for us:
- ex-pen/baby gate controlled area when we were not home...no exceptions
- supervised interactions for the first few months (a new pup will need to be supervised 24/7 when not crated so this is kind of a moot point!)
- many high escape points for the cats
- cat food/water/litter box inaccessible to pup
- tons of calm, soothing, praise for positive interactions
- patience, lots of patience!

Both our pup and boy cat are fairly submissive so personalities have complemented each other quite nicely. Our girl cat is a bit more timid and would put our pup in place with a swipe but our pup seems to sense this and leaves her plenty of personal space!

Good luck!!


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## yagmurkirlangic (Nov 5, 2017)

Again, thank you all. I still have 1 and a half months until I bring the puppy home, so I will arrange the house to let the cats have their own space by installing baby gates, cat shelves etc. And also I will make sure that they are supervised at all times. 

I am creating a list of things to do before bringing the puppy home so that they will be able to get used to each other in a comfortable environment. I am adding all of your advices there, thank you very much!!


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## Nate83 (Jul 13, 2017)

Another way you could help the process is to crate the puppy and let it get use to the smells and let the kitties come over and get use to the puppies smell. Some may think this is extreme but it does work.


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## djg2121 (Nov 22, 2015)

yagmurkirlangic said:


> Hi! I want to adopt a Golden Retriever when it's 7-8 weeks old. However, I already have 2 cats living in the house. One of them is 2 and a half years old, and the other is 3 and a half. My cats are not aggressive, and they get along well. They chase each other sometimes, and I thought the dog would join. In that case, would the Golden harm them if it catches one of them? I made research about whether the Golden would hurt my cats, and if they would get along. But I couldn't find the answers I was looking for. So, I would really appreciate it if you can share your experiences with me! I just want to make sure that they won't get to a point where they hurt each other.




I’ve never had a problem with my cats (3 that are now 10,16 and 20 years old) and any of the Golden Retrievers I’ve had over the years. My cats and dogs often sleep together on a dog bed and follow each other around the house. I presently have a 10 week old puppy and a 2 1/2 year old female, and all of my cats are very attached to both the dog and the puppy.

When you introduce your pup to your cat initially, do it slowly, and don’t let the puppy get too inquisitive or excited.
You don’t want your pup’s eyes to get scratched.


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