Do Goldendoodles Get Along With Cats?

Goldendoodles are known for their easy-going, loving, and have gentle behaviors. They are a great family dog and are lovely with kids of all ages. If you have a cat or other animals in your home, you may be asking, “Do Goldendoodles get along with cats?” Or maybe you already have a Goldendoodle, but wish to adopt a cat as well? This is a question that you should be thinking about before bringing a Goldendoodle into your home. Today, we will discuss how Goldendoodles react with cats and how to get off on the right foot when introducing new pets into the house.

Prey Drive

Prey drive is the natural instinct a dog has to hunt or chase. This prey drive can cause them to become aggressive to other animals, or to stalk animals that are smaller than them. Prey drive typically is higher in hunting dog breeds. This drive has been bred to be stronger in hunting. Stronger working dogs because it helps them focus on the task and makes them better for the hunting skill.
In most dogs, this prey drive is what causes them not to get along with cats. It’s not that they hate cats, just that they naturally want to stalk them and hunt them. This prey drive doesn’t always mean that they want to kill smaller animals and cats either. It means that their temperament and instincts make them want to chase or stalk cats. Cats, of course, have a high prey drive as well. This prey drive is why we play with feather toys and wands with them. Mixing two animals that have high prey drives is never easy, especially with cat’s being smaller and more likely to be hurt by a bigger dog.
When looking at the Goldendoodle, we will have to take the history of both the Poodle and Golden Retriever into account with prey drive. Both the Poodle and the Golden Retriever were initially bred as working and hunting dogs. The Standard Poodle typically has a high prey drive. They like to chase squirrels and birds alike, and sometimes will catch a mouse or two.
Golden Retrievers, on the other hand, have some of the lowest prey drives. Though Golden Retrievers are meant to be bred for hunting as well, their job was never to hunt down an animal to help kill it. They were bred for bird hunting. They have the instinct to chase and find, and retrieve, but not hurt or kill.
When you mix the Poodle and the Golden Retriever, the puppies tend to take on more of the traits from the Golden Retrievers. This is one of the biggest draws for breeding Goldendoodles. They have the hypoallergenic fur like a Poodle and great loving personality of a Golden Retriever. Goldendoodles are notorious for being great with other animals, including cats. They usually attempt to play with cats or to investigate the new animal that they have encountered.
This temperament does not mean that every Goldendoodle is excellent with all animals. It just means that its genetic disposition makes them more likely to be great with other animals. Each Goldendoodle has it’s own personality, just like people do. These personalities can sometimes stray from what the general temperaments of the breed are. Cats don’t always accept new pets in the family either.

Cat’s Views Of Dogs

Cat’s can be very defensive creatures when they have encountered an animal that they perceive as a threat. They can become aggressive when a dog gets into their personal space. This can make the first introductions hard. If a cat becomes aggressive, it could even trigger the most relaxed dog to become aggressive too. Certain cat breeds can be more accepting and quickly get along with dogs, and each cat has a very distinct personality that can make them love or hate dogs. There are a few ways of testing whether a dog will be a good fit for your cat.

Introducing A Goldendoodle To Your Cat

If you already own a cat and are looking to get a puppy too, there are a few steps you can take to make your cat feel comfortable. These steps will not make a cat love a dog, but it could help them slowly warm up to the idea and accept it. It is also important to never push animals together that will not get along. For the safety of all animals and people involved, if a fight happens separate and does not try again.

1. Before bringing a dog home, take your cat for a meet and greet if they travel well. The neutral grounds will make introductions a little easier because your cat will not feel as if the dog is encroaching on their territory. When making the first introduction, keep both the cat and the dog in a carrier facing each other. If everything seems to go well, let them meet outside the kennels with leashes on. If everything goes well, you can move on to the next step.
2. When bringing your puppy home, give your cat a puppy free space. It should be a quiet place. Cats can get stressed out quickly. This space will be able to let them relax.
3. For the first couple hours of bringing your new puppy home, always keep a close eye on your pets. Remove them from the situation if it becomes too intense. Watch for any hair standing up, hissing, or growling from both the puppy and the cat. Help your puppy understand personal space until your cat has warmed up. Always reward good behavior and separate if a fight has started. At this time, your puppy may be too interested in exploring his new home instead of the cat, which is fine. This gives your cat the chance to investigate without feeling overwhelmed. If you are concerned about your cat clawing when threatened invest in Kitty Caps or other nail cap options. These caps prevent your cat from scratching and injuring your puppy as a safety precaution and only on their back claws for defense.
4. Keep the visits short at first and give your cat a break. Start by introducing them in one common area of the house until all is well. If everything continues to go well, increase the amount of time they spend together, and move on to other areas of the house. Kennel the new pet at night and let the existing pet have free roam of the house.
5. Once you feel that both pets are getting along great and no accidents have happened it is safe to say that your fur babies will be able to be alone together and eventually be two peas in a pod. The time for this to happen will differ case by case, especially since cats can be unpredictable.

If you already have a dog and are looking to get a cat, you can use these same steps. Just make sure that your dog feels comfortable and not like your cat is invading his space. Even the most relaxed and easy-going dogs can become a little territorial. It is always better to take it slow and be cautious.
For better success, you could always try raising a puppy and a kitten together. This isn’t always an easy option for new pet owners, though. Most pet owners feel that litter training and potty training two animals can be a lot to deal with at the same time.
Another option when adding a dog to a home with a cat is to get a puppy. A puppy will be much more forgiving than an adult Goldendoodle and will learn his boundaries with the cat. If you already have a dog and are wanting a cat, adopt a kitten rather than an adult cat. Adult cats are usually set in their ways, and this combination can prove to be volatile.

In Conclusion

Cats and Goldendoodles can get along well in the proper setting. Goldendoodles are intelligent dogs that pick up well on the feelings of others. If a cat wants to be left alone, the Goldendoodle picks up on that and will leave it. Goldendoodles don’t have a mean bone in their bodies. They will likely want to play with your cat until they learn their boundaries. When trained, a kitten can do just as well with an adult dog and vice versa. In proper settings and with precautions, nothing is stopping you from owning both a Goldendoodle and a cat.

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