Do Goldendoodles Get Along With Cats?

You may ask if you have a cat or other animals. Do Goldendoodles get along with cats? Or maybe you already have a Goldendoodle but wish to adopt a cat too?

This is a question that you should be thinking about before bringing a Goldendoodle into your home.

Today, we will discuss how Goldendoodles react to cats and how to get off on the right foot when introducing new pets into the house.

Goldendoodles are known for their easy-going, loving, and gentle behaviors. They are great family dogs and are lovely with kids of all ages.

Prey Drive

Prey drive is the instinct a dog has to hunt or chase. This prey drive can cause them to become aggressive toward 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 more assertive in hunting.

Stronger working dogs because it helps them focus on the task and improves their hunting skills.

In most dogs, this prey drive causes them not to get along with cats. It’s not that they hate cats; they naturally want to stalk and hunt them.

This prey drive doesn’t always mean they want to kill smaller animals and cats. 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 with high prey drives is never easy, especially with smaller cats and more likely to be hurt by a giant 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.

The Poodle and the Golden Retriever were initially bred as working and hunting dogs. The Standard Poodle typically has a high prey drive.

Hunting Instincts

They chase squirrels and birds alike and sometimes catch a mouse or two.

Golden Retrievers, on the other hand, have some of the lowest prey drives. Though Golden Retrievers are also meant to be bred for hunting, their job is never to hunt down an animal to help kill it.

They were bred for bird hunting. They are instinctive to chase, find, and retrieve, but not hurt or kill.

When you mix the Poodle and the Golden Retriever, the puppies tend to take on more traits from the Golden Retrievers.

This is one of the biggest draws for breeding Goldendoodles. They have hypoallergenic furs 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 its personality, just like people do. These personalities can sometimes stray from the general temperaments of the breed. Cats don’t always accept new pets in the family, either.

Cat’s Views Of Dogs

Cats can be very defensive when they encounter an animal 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 distinct personality that can make them love or hate dogs.

There are a few ways to test whether a dog is 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, you can take a few steps 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 and accept the idea. 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 do not try again. 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 the cat and dog facing each other in a carrier. 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. When bringing your puppy home, give your cat a puppy-free space. It should be a quiet place.

Introducing Them

Cats can get stressed out quickly. This space will be able to let them relax. For the first couple hours of bringing your new puppy home, always watch your pets closely.

Remove them from the situation if it becomes too intense. Watch for any hair standing up, hissing, or growling from 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 a chance to investigate without feeling overwhelmed.

Invest in Kitty Caps or other nail cap options if you are concerned about your cat clawing when threatened.

As a safety precaution, these caps prevent your cat from scratching and injuring your puppy and only on their back claws for defense.

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 goes well, increase the time they spend together, and move on to other areas of the house. Kennel the new pet at night and let the existing pet roam the house.

What’s Next

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 from the case by case, especially since cats can be unpredictable. If you already have a dog and want a cat, you can use these steps.

Just ensure 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.

You could always raise a puppy and a kitten together for better success. 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 want 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 stops you from owning a Goldendoodle and a cat.

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