If you are thinking about adding a corgi to your family, you may be wondering whether or not they get along with cats. Not getting along with cats may be a deal-breaker for you or your family when considering a new pet.
Are corgis good with cats? For the most part, Corgis are great around cats! Corgis are notoriously friendly dogs and more often than not, they tend to get along with cats. There are some instances where certain corgis and specific cats will not get along no matter what.
Thankfully, there are some steps you can take to help your animals cohabitate.
Usually, corgis will get along with cats, unless your corgi has had a bad experience with a cat in the past. Corgis and cats live together in many households across the country and most have few to no problems.
If you introduce them the right way and promote non-aggressive behavior, your cat and your corgi should be able to live together in harmony.
Well at least sometimes. In my case, Cali the Corgi and her kitty really mostly tolerate each other. They will sleep in bed with me, but never cuddle. They will be in the same room but not hang out together.
Your cat and your corgi may not be best friends but, sometimes you don’t have to like your roommates you just need to tolerate them!
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5 Tips for Introducing Your Corgi to Your Cat
Never use the immersion method of dog and cat introduction. Instead of forcing your animals together right away, you should introduce a corgi to a cat slowly, safely and patiently.
Use the following tips to help you initiate the first meetings between your animals. Corgis are larger and strong than most cats, so it is imperative to keep both animals safe.
1. Create a Dog-Free Zone Where Your Cat Can Be Alone, Away From the Corgi.
This should be the first thing you do before you bring your new animal home, whether it is the cat or the corgi. This will ensure that your cat can easily get away from the corgi whenever needed.
Be sure that your cat’s dog-free zone has a litter box, water, food and toys to keep them occupied. Your dog should never have access to this space, even when your animals get along perfectly. Dogs will be curious about the litter box and will try to eat a cat’s food, which can create conflict and isn’t healthy for your corgi.
2. Make Sure Your Cat Has High Areas They Can Jump on If They Want to Be out of the Dog’s Reach.
Sometimes the excitement and energy of a corgi can be too much for a cat. They will need somewhere they can safely jump to so that they do not resort to scratching at the dog. Cats typically will just leave and avoid a confrontation, especially if they become tired or agitated.
3. Keep Your Corgi and Cat Separate From One Another for a Few Days.
You can do this by putting one in a room with a closed door. This is not to punish them, but instead to let them get used to each other’s scent and to understand that the other pet is not going away. Sometimes, this is all your animals will need to get acquainted, other times it will take a little more work.
4. Make Sure That Your Dog Knows Basic Commands.
Cats often won’t be trained like dogs can, so your best bet is to teach your dog some basic commands like sit, stay and lay down. This will come in handy if your dog and cat become too rambunctious with one another. You will easily be able to calm your dog down and deescalate certain situations.
5. Slowly Start to Introduce Your Dog and Cat to One Another.
These meetings should be in a safe-zone area of the house. This means that it is away from any food, bedding or litter boxes. The living room or a common room should work.
For the first few meetings, have your dog on a leash and work on their basic commands. Let the cat roam freely and if the dog appears aggressive or too excited, work to calm them and teach them that they are not to chase the cat. Reward the animals for good behavior after you separate them again.
Continue These Meetings for a Few Days.
Keep your corgi on a leash for these first few sessions and continue to work on the commands to keep your corgi paying attention to you. Your cat should be allowed to move freely about the house during this time.
This may seem harsh for the dog and easy on the cat, but cats do not do well on leashes. Corgis also tend to play more aggressively than cats, so they are the ones that need to be controlled more during these initial stages.
If There Are No Signs of Aggression, You Can Begin Letting Them Loose Around One Another.
You can leave the leash attached to the corgi during these sessions so you can grab it easily if needed. Be sure to not shout or express anxiety during this time. Always make sure your cat can escape to their dog-free zone when needed. For the first few months, keep the animals separated when no one is home, just to keep them both safe.
Can Corgis and Cats Be Left Alone Together?
Eventually, you may be able to leave your corgi and cat alone together. This may take months, and even then you may want to consider setting up a camera to monitor their interactions.
Once you see that they are comfortable with one another and that your cat can escape to safety easily, your cat and corgi should be able to get along, even when you are not there. Also, remember to never leave food out for your dog if your cat is free to roam the house and you are not there. (source)
With Cali and her cat, even a year into their relationship they still have disagreements. While Ms. Kitty will stand her ground, she can always get away as well.
Things to Watch out For
You should always keep an eye out for any aggression that may be brewing between your cat and your corgi. Even as your animals are more comfortable with one another, make sure your cat always has an escape route in place. This will prevent most conflicts.
You may even notice that your cat is the one showing aggression because your corgi is so full of energy. Cats tend to only want to play for short periods of time and may become irritated when corgis are so happy and excited all the time.
What to Do If They Do Not Get Along
If you find that your corgi and your cat do not get along, you can try slowly reintroducing them again. Pay attention to their actions and try to see what the issue seems to be. You can try to remove any stressors, including food or toys, that seem to be causing issues.
Is your dog chasing your cat?
Since corgis were originally bred as herding dogs, they naturally have an instinct to chase. This may cause them to harass your cat. In this case, you need to work on their commands. You need to be able to teach them that chasing a cat is unacceptable behavior.
Does your dog get overexcited and annoy your cat?
In this case, again, you should work on your dog commands. Tell them to stop and lay down when you ask them to do so, and whenever you notice that your cat is getting annoyed. Also, make sure your cat can easily get away from your dog whenever they want.
Final Thoughts
For the most part, corgis and cats should be able to get along and live together in harmony. There may be some hiccups along the way, and you may need to implement some training, but in the end, you should be able to amicably introduce your animals and encourage them to get along.
Many times, cats and corgis become best friends and love one another! Just take your time and stay patient, and your animals should be able to live amicably in the same household.