Do Great Danes Get Along With Cats?

Some people love cats as well as dogs. There also exist people who pet both of them in the same house with great harmony. Doesn’t it sound crazy to hear that dogs get along well with cats? Of course, it is. Some breeds like Bulldog, Beagle, Basset Hound, and Collie get along with cats quickly and easily. You can easily pet both cats and dogs side-by-side by choosing these breeds of dogs. Some stubborn breeds also can be bred along with cats by proper training.

Great Danes are known for being so gentle and for getting along with even cats. However, not all Great Danes would easily befriend a cat. It solely depends on how you introduce these born enemies to each other.

Cats and dogs are known to be born enemies. We have seen most of the dogs chasing cats very aggressively. At the same time, they are also capable of living along with each other. If you want to pet a cat and dog in the same house, you must know some tricks and techniques to get along both of them together peacefully. This article will help you with some of the tips for your Great Danes to get along with cats.

How Great Danes Behave Around Other Pets?

Although the breed of Great Danes is known to be very gentle and friendly with humans and other pets, the behavior of each dog may greatly vary. But most Great Danes are easy-going and well-mannered.

In contrast to what we usually believe and see in cartoons, Great Danes are not cruel to smaller creatures around them. They would go after their fellow creatures with an urge to play along. But smaller cats like cats would run and escape seeing the massive size of Great Danes.

The bigger size of Great Danes may frighten other smaller pets like cats. But despite their size, Great Danes are extremely playful and fun to be around. They love to play with smaller pets chasing and catching them. But you should be very careful when you leave your smaller pets around them as Great Danes may knock down them easily by accidents.

Such accidents may be purely unintended but might have occurred of their massive size. Great Danes always tend to forget about their huge size in the spirit of the game. This size unconsciousness of Great Danes would eventually hurt the smaller creatures playing with them.

Great Danes are the perfect breed to live along with other pets. They are gentle, sweet, and kind to other creatures. Great Danes would develop a close and strong relationship with other pets if they are introduced well in the early puppy stage.

However, you are advised to be alert and somewhere around when Great Danes are playing with other pets. Dogs naturally have a prey drive and don’t take chances. Also, dogs are unpredictable and may suddenly become aggressive in certain stressful situations. So, always let them get along under your supervision or somewhere reachable for you.

Great Danes And Cats

As said earlier, Great Danes are gentle and easy-going with cats. But they love to chase after a cat. Great Danes can be playful with cats. but the chances are high that Great Danes would eventually knock out or hurt cats with their massive sized body. But these accidents are really unintended. Therefore, you should be very careful if you have a Great Dane and a cat living side-by-side at your home.

Great Danes can build a real strong relationship when cats are introduced to them from the very beginning of their puppy stage. The earlier they meet, the more they would love each other.

However, some Great Danes may become aggressive at the sight of a cat. Thi aggressiveness may persist for days, months, or even years. The time each Great Dane takes to get along with cats varies depending upon the individuals. Some Great Danes would get along with cats within two days while a few others would take up a long time to accept cats as their companion. Great Danes that have experience spending time with other pets may easily get along with cats. The more the days they spend together, the better their relationship would be.

Apart from all these things, the way you introduce Great Danes and cats has a major role in predicting their future relationship. Their first sight is important. Therefore, you should be very careful, thoughtful, and creative while introducing a cat to your Great Dane. Remember that dogs and cats are born enemies. Their relation can go super-crazy or may become a tragedy if they are not introduced with proper planning.

Introducing Great Dane With Cats

The way you introduce cats to your Great Dane has a major role in their future relationship. Cats are usually too scared and may escape at the site of a massive creature like Great Dane. First of all, don’t force your cat to get along with Great Danes on the very first day you take a Great Dane to your home. Give time for them to accept the presence of another creature at home, maybe in their space.

Forcefully introducing a cat would end up such that the cat runs away. This would trigger your Great Dane to chase up and catch the cat. And it would be the worst introduction you can ever give. They would live up chasing each other in all their future.

Give time to Great Dane as well as to get adjusted with the presence of each other. After a few days, you can bring up your cat gently into the space of Great Dane. Remember to calm down the dog before you bring up the cat. Hold the dog and cat close to each other and gently calm each other. You can cuddle each of them and say kind words.

Repeat the process for few days before you leave them to get along with each other. This would really help to reduce the aggressiveness dogs might have for cats. However, you should always keep an eye on both when they get along. No matter how close they had become in the previous days. Certain situations can encourage the natural prey drive in your dog.

Some Tips To Avoid Conflict Between Great Danes And Cats

• You can use a puppy gate or crate to distance your dog and cat and thus, to avoid conflicts between them.
• Give safe spots for your cat to escape from the prey drive of Great Danes.
• Great  Danes are usually massive in size. They are really tall. Therefore, give a high space for your cat to escape or relax peacefully.
• It is better to never leave both of them alone in the same place.
• Don’t allow cats to reach out to the Great Dane when they are really frustrated and quite aggressive.
• Dogs may become aggressive when they are sick. Therefore, it would be better to stop the cat from going to the Great Dane when it is sick.
• Socializing your dog can solve its encounters with cats up to an extent.

Conclusion

Gret Danes are very gentle with other pets. You wouldn’t go wrong buying a Great Dane as the companion for your cat. However, better not to leave them together without your supervision. But they would really build up a strong bond in time.