Introducing a Whippet with a Cat

No matter the misconception, a lot of canines and felines can live together comfortably. Follow these easy to follow actions to learn how to best introduce your Whippet with a cat.

1. Make certain your Whippet knows fundamental commands like ‘sit’, ‘stay’ and ‘down’ prior to meeting.
2. Make a safe space for both your Whippet and cat, where the other animal can not go into.
3. Keep them separated at first, for the very first few days. Ensure both Whippet and feline have had the needed shots.
4. Feed your Whippet and your feline on opposite sides of a closed door. This makes them associate each other’s existence with pleasant things.
5. Once they both can ingest calmly beside the door, start off having meet and greets in a common area of your home. Keep the very first couple of sessions short and calm with your Whippet on a leash. Reward both animals for really good behaviour.
6. Carry on these face to face sessions every day. Make certain to save your pets’ favourite treats for these sessions. If your feline wants to leave, let them, however make certain your Whippet does not go after. Attempt ending the sessions right before any family pet reveals signs of tension or aggression.
7. When they appear like they’re getting a long well, let them spend time in the room together. If any tension emerges, return back to the previous actions and redo them.

Why do Whippets Hate Cats?

Not all Whippets hate cats, some get along with them. When Whippets do hate cats, of the most typical reason is quite straightforward. Like all dogs, Whippets still hold onto a few of the hunting behavioral instincts that they were originally reproduced for. This is why Whippets love chasing all moving items, whether it’s a toy, rodent, or a cat.

Because most felines will flee when they come across, it’s simple to see why they are understood for not being friendly with each other. Whippets actually take pleasure in chasing cats not since they hate them, but primarily because a fast running animal activates a strong, natural instinct to chase overcomes any training or socialisation.

How to Stop Whippets Chasing Cats?

Educating your Whippet to stop going after felines takes time, training and consistency, however the benefit of not needing to stress over them constantly going after is well worth it. Here are the phases of how to stop your Whippet from chasing cats.

1. Keep your Whippet on a leash while loose when your feline is in the same room.
2. Whenever your cat is near to your Whippet, stop what you are doing and get your Whippet’s focus. If he pays attention, provide him a treat!
3. Keep treating your Whippet till the feline goes away. If the feline stays give your Whippet a chew reward or toy so they stay focused on their reward.
4. Regularly repeat the above stages and you’ll see your Whippet instinctively sit and look up to you when they see the feline. Don’t forget to keep awarding them!
5. If they are now immediately looking at you each time the cat is in the space, they’re prepared to be using a longer leash. If they still try to chase after the cat at this point reel them in and return to step 2.
6. Lastly, take the long leash off and enable your Whippet and cat in the same area. At this point your Whippet must know not to go after the cat, but if they do go back to step 5.

How to Stop Whippets Killing Cats?

The very best technique to guarantee your Whippet would never kill a feline is to raise them with cats when they’re a young puppy before 3 months old. At this age, they will generally wish to play with the cats and won’t see them as prey.

If your Whippet has actually eliminated a feline previously, its ideal if you keep them in an open, enclosed space. When taking them for walks try to stop going after dusk and before dawn since that’s when cats are most active and most likely to be wandering the streets.