For centuries, man has been of the opinion that dogs and cats cannot get along, thereby stereotyping them as mortal enemies. Do you wonder if it’s different for chihuahuas and cats?, well I do too, and we will be finding that out in this post.
While it could be difficult for other dogs to live with a cat, Chihuahuas and cats can get to be pretty good companions and even learn to protect and love each other, so yes, Chihuahuas and cats can get along but with proper training and introduction.
Personalities of Chihuahuas and Cats
The Chihuahua dog is a four-pound dog with a lot of personality and attitude packed inside of them. Even with their tiny bodies, they have a way of thinking they’re giants and the bosses of the home. Without some ground rules, a Chihuahua might actually start to give orders around the house.
The Chihuahua is a loving and loyal dog that always wants to be around you everywhere you go, which means they could get jealous if they see you paying more attention to your cat. This dog breed is also wary of strangers; they tend to be mistrustful, and this means that Chihuahuas and cats might not get along at the onset unless given some time.
Cats, like dogs, have more than one personality type, like shy, timid, aggressive, social, confident, easygoing, and dominant, meaning they could also be as bossy as a chihuahua. If you have a dominant cat, do not even try or think about bringing another animal into that house, much less a Chihuahua. Things are just going to get messy. A more trusting, easygoing, sociable, and confident cat with training can get along with a socialized and trained Chihuahua easily.
How to introduce a kitten and a Chihuahua puppy
Introducing Chihuahuas and cats early and properly plays a very important role in getting them to live with each other in peace, and just in case you’re having trouble doing this, I’ll be sharing some proven guidelines with you:
Separate Pet Cribs/Crates
Introduce your pets in a crate or a pet crib, with all of their personal belongings, feeding bowls, toys, and so on, and make sure there is a distance between them or barriers to avoid aggression or any other type of negative reaction between them, but in a way where they can always see each other and get familiar with each other, smells and all.
Do this till they start to seem uninterested in each other.
Supervision on meetings:
For your pets’ first meeting, supervision is very important. At their first meeting, separate them with a pet gate so they don’t try to hurt each other.
Also, feed them from a safe distance in a way that they can see each other and smell each other.
At their second meeting, make sure your Chihuahua is on a short leash, and perhaps with time, you can lengthen it. This is to ensure that there are boundaries between them and you can control the actions of your dog towards your cat.
Be aware of their body language and reactions
Please keep an eye on your pets’ energy and reactions; this will help you determine when they no longer see the other pet as a threat (for your dog, watch their stance, tails, and ears; cats will use their tails and ears more frequently). once you’re very positive about this, you can start leaving them alone to bond.
Lastly, do not be stingy. Give them treats for good behavior.
Why do Chihuahuas and cats not get along?
Do not be surprised when you see Chihuahuas and cats in a hot chase or not getting along. Chihuahuas and cats have the tendency to live in peace with each other, but this doesn’t mean they always do, or that achieving this would be easy.
In fact, there are a few things that could stop Chihuahuas and cats from getting along.
Territorial proclivity
As earlier established, the Chihuahua and cat have the tendency to be bossy and aggressive, with one wanting to show the other who the boss is. This is exactly the case if you bring a new pet to the home of an older pet. There might be fights regarding who the home belongs to, or the older pet might just become really aggressive towards the new pet because it doesn’t trust strangers.
Size:
Chihuahuas like to think they are giants and predators, right? but they are still pretty small things. Cats grow 3 times larger than Chihuahuas, and because of this, your cat could possibly see your Chihuahua as prey. Even if they finally get along with each other, cats can still injure Chihuahuas.
Although this might look like they’re just playing and enjoying themselves, your Chihuahua can still sustain injuries from playing with your cat.
Jealousy
Chihuahuas love to be around their owners and want to follow them everywhere. So does the cat. Both pets have the tendency to get jealous if they notice their owner has more interest in the other, leading to more aggression from the jealous one. So if you can’t give the same amount of attention to both pets, you shouldn’t be thinking of getting Chihuahuas and cats to live together.
Age:
The age difference between Chihuahuas and cats is a very important factor to consider, and could be the main reason why they might not get along. Introducing a Chihuahua puppy to a kitten is the best way to achieve cohabitation, but if you decide to bring a kitten to an older Chihuahua or a Chihuahua puppy to an older cat, then I’m sorry, they may never get along no matter the tricks you decide to pull.
7 tips to help Chihuahuas and cats get along.
As we’ve established in this post already, it is possible for chihuahuas and cats to get along, but this depends largely on the role you play and the personalities of your pets.
I’ll be helping you with some tips to make this less difficult for you;
Socialization:
Just like any other dog, chihuahuas need to be adequately trained and socialized to avoid any form of aggression. A well-trained and socialized chihuahua will welcome a stranger cat better, especially when it has been exposed to other cats. He won’t see them as threats anymore.
The point here is to carry out a test to make sure your dog isn’t going to be aggressive towards your cat. Bring home your neighbor’s or friend’s cat, and see your chihuahua’s reaction. Its aggression or calmness would tell you if it is ready or not.
Introduction
Introduce your pets in boxes or crates to avoid them lunging at each other on their first meeting. This helps them get used to the idea of each other in a safe way.
Introduce them at the same age or at a young age:
If possible, get a chihuahua puppy and a kitten as pets. This makes everything easy because, in the process of socialization, your chihuahua is going to register a cat in its environment, and so cats won’t ever be a threat to him, both pets will know the home belongs to them both.
But let’s say you weren’t able to get the pets at a really young age. You have to make sure they’re at least the same age. Don’t try to bring, for example, a young cat to a very old Chihuahua. Things could get ugly real quick because most mature dogs won’t tolerate small pets like they would an older one.
Separate space
You passed the introduction phase in peace. Do not, I repeat, do not put those pets together. Let them make that choice later in their life. Like we said before, Chihuahuas and cats have the tendency to be territorial, putting them together in the same place would just be asking for trouble.
The point here is to let them have their separate belongings; toys, feeders, bowls, and stuff like that; to each their own.
Pay both pets equal/even attention:
Both chihuahuas and cats are very jealous in nature, and jealousy comes into play when they see you paying more attention to one than the other. The trick here is to give them equal playtime so that one does not feel overshadowed by the other.
Remain Calm
It is very important for you to be calm when you want to achieve this because these pets can pick up cues and energy. So do not be nervous, do not get angry, keep calm and give them time.
Incorporate Treats for Good Behavior:
Chihuahuas and cats need love and reinforcement for their actions, so do not be greedy and give them treats and love when they behave. This would make them want to impress you over time. Check out our Best Dog Treats for Training: Get Their Attention and Help Them Learn Fast. A happy pet leads to good behavior, which leads to a happy pet parent!
As already established, it is very possible for Chihuahuas to get along with cats. With The socialization, personality, and proper training of both pets, they could end up being very good friends, but like life, not everything really goes as planned.
Why do Chihuahuas like to chase cats?
Chihuahuas have the natural instinct to chase, and when a chihuahua chases a cat, it’s just following its random instincts. Because of the movement, he picked up, he’ll chase the cat just like he’ll chase a ball.
Chihuahuas chase cats sometimes because they just want to play, or because they really do not want that cat in their space. The only way to avoid this is through proper socialization, so your dog doesn’t ever see cats as threats.
Can a Chihuahua kill a cat?
Well, the answer is yes, but this is very rare because aside from the biting skills of a chihuahua and its claws, they are small in size and even a large chihuahua would not be strong enough to kill a cat its size, so it just depends on the exact chihuahua and cat.
Will my cat hurt my Chihuahua?
The answer is yes. Cats can be territorial and can maim a chihuahua. This can be avoided if you introduce them at a young age and give them time to acclimate.
However, be cautious because your cat can still injure your Chihuahua while they play harmlessly.
Conclusion
Can chihuahuas and cats get along? Well, like what we’ve discussed in this post, it is very possible but largely depends on both Chihuahuas and cats’ personalities, your dog’s level of training and socialization, and the age factor, among other things.
Give your pets some time, and if they aren’t still fine, get them a trainer as soon as possible!!
