Dachshund and Cats: 6 Useful Tips to Help Create a Bond!

Dachshund and cats! What an amazing, yet shocking combination! What do you think? Will they get along? Is there any hope for such a surprising mix?

You are probably considering getting a Dachshund, but you aren`t sure if it`s a good idea due to your cat. Or maybe you already have a sausage dog, and your child really wants a kitten. Will they kill themselves? Is there any hope of survival for these two beautiful “creatures?”

Your quest has brought you to us and we are here to offer you answers to some really interesting questions.

Dachshunds & Cats Living Together

It`s a proven fact that cats and dogs can get along. Actually, it was see for some of our canine and feline companions to become really good friends.

Chances are that if a dog was well socialized, they`ll get along just fine with a cat in most cases. Moreover, if a cat and dog know each other from early age, the probability for them to bond in a great friendship is quite high.

There`re lots of factors to take into account regarding whether a cat and Dachshund will manage to get along. The most essential one is their personalities, but also the experiences they had. If, let`s say, your cat has had some ugly experiences with dogs before, they`ll show aggression towards a Dachshund at first, and vice versa.

READ MORE: 9 Questions About Dachshunds That Will Clear Things About This Breed

As already mentioned here, according to a in-depth study at the Tel Aviv University and they later published in the Applied Animal Behaviour Science journal, if two pets are introduced to each other when they are really young, your chances of success are really high.

The study gathered data from around 200 pet owners who either owned a canine or a cat. It involved analyzing and videotaping the behavior of the pets by Joseph Terkel, a well known professor at the specified university, along with his student graduate, Neta-li Feuerstein. – Check this out!

They both found that more than 66% of the homes reported in the survey reported positive relationships between dogs and canines, given that canines were introduced before 12 months of age, while cats before 6 months.

Introduction Phase Is Vital

The phase when you introduce your Dachshund with a cat is probably the most essential. Even we are talking about kittens and puppies, you still need to take it a bit slowly. It`s not enough to assume you can put them together in a room and hope for the best.

Before introducing them to one another, be sure you have a peaceful and relaxing environment. Make certain that both pets are relaxed enough to avoid any tension. Also, they need a few escape routes in case they want to take a break from one another.

READ MORE: 6 Reasons That Highlight Rottweilers Are a Dangerous Breed!

Another factor that can have a vital role is crate training. It`s a lot better to have your canine pal in a crate at first. Take their reaction into account, and then take it from there.

If you notice any aggression signs from your Dachshund, take your feline away and try again the following day. Do this a few times until your dog seems more comfortable around the cat. As soon as you notice signs of improvement, let your canine friend out of the crate.

The entire meeting needs supervision on your part. The peaceful the introduction is for both pets, the better.

Swapping Smells

You have to get your Dachshund used to your cat`s smell and vice versa.

Don`t just wash your hands immediately after brushing your dog or stroking your feline friend. Instead, you can maybe rub the hands over the walls or furniture in the other animal`s space.

Also, you can swap the blankets of each pet to combine their smells as much as you can.

Desensitized Method

The method involves trying to reduce your dog`s reaction to their new feline pal by desensitizing the canine slowly.

Separate the animals and put them in separate rooms having a small gate between them.

Be certain all the supplies they need are in the same room with them, like litter box, pet food and bed.

Let your Dachshund view the cat for a bit, and then have the canine focus on something different, like a sound or their favorite toy.

Reward your dog if they are able to focus the attention on that sound or toy. Throughout the entire day, let your pooch view their new feline pal a few times, but not for too long.

It might prove to be useful feeding each of them at the same time. They might be able to associate the other one with the smell of food. Also, it may help to swap each other`s bedding.

In time, even though it might take days or weeks, they`ll start becoming used to each other! How long? It very much depends on each pet.

Setting the Scene

Successful relationships between Dachshunds and cats are most of the time formed when the cat is the first pet in a household.

Bringing a cat when a Dachshund has established their territory in a home offer more risks than getting a wiener dog to a household where a cat is already present.

READ MORE: Pug Life Span: 5 Ingenious Tricks That May Help Increase It!

For instance, you may let your Dachshund to roam around on your home`s ground floor or choose one of the bedrooms as a space only for the cat. It`s perfectly fine to keep your sausage dog away from climbing stairs if the cat spends their time mostly upstairs, as this may lead to issues in the fragile back of your Dachshund.

Separate Them with a Stair Gate or a Crate

We already mentioned earlier about using a stair gate in the desensitized method. It`s a great idea to block off the way of your cat towards your Dachshund, especially when they don`t know each other that well.

This will allow both the dog and cat see one another, getting the other`s scent, without putting any one at any risk. – Click for more!

Also, using a crate for the dog is a good move if a stair gate isn`t available.

Overall

Dachshund and cats – do you still think they cannot become great friends after reading all what we offered you?

Although not all dog breeds have a “special” desire in cuddling with a cat, some canines have nothing against them. Our sausage dog can be one of those dogs that will bond with a cat if a dog owner knows how to make things happen in this regard.