Dogs Vs Cats: Can Sighthounds Live In Mix Species Homes?

The  short answer? Yes.  When it works, it works.  But when it doesn’t, it  can be disastrous.  Many greyhounds can live in mix species homes, but  it isn’t a universal ability, and unraced (or ‘non-chasing’) greyhounds  are wrongly assumed to be automatically suitable for these environments  due to their lack of racing experience.

Greyhounds  are an ancient breed that have lived alongside humans throughout  history, cherished and utilised for their hunting abilities.  Their  appearance, speed, agility, and skills have remained almost completely  unchanged throughout their expansive history.  They have sat beside  kings and queens and were once only allowed to be owned by nobility, but  along the line as times changed, their ownership became more common to  be used in agriculture to hunt and clear pests.  Over time this  transitioned into racing.  A sport that lives on into modern day.

Despite  being a breed known for their laid back, gentle, quirky, and often  melodramatic nature, greyhounds have history of being used to chase and  kill going back millennia.  That prey drive, their response to sudden  movement and fleeing animals, is a deeply ingrained instinct.  

It  is for this reason that in most cases, greyhounds are not appropriate  to live with cats, or other small creatures, in the home environment.   But there is a great deal that can.

Some  have a higher prey drive than others, but it isn’t their racing success  (or lack of) that should be considered when looking for a hound to join  your feline family.  

It is  almost daily that you’ll see or hear someone suggest getting an unraced  or ‘non-chasing’ greyhound as these are the most likely to be suitable  for mixed species homes.

No.  We don’t agree with this at all.

Just  because a hound doesn’t chase a lure around a track, doesn’t mean they  won’t chase the real thing.  Some are too intelligent for the track, or  they just don’t ‘get on’ with the track.  Maybe their confidence has  been knocked going round a bend and another hound has pushed them into  the rails, or they jump over the middle rail and try to cut the corner.

Greyhounds  retire off the track young for many reasons, and while they can often  be dubbed ‘non-chasers’ in the racing sense, this rarely translates to  being a ‘non-chaser’ in real life.

We  have met a great many unraced litters, ‘non-chaser’ and ‘failed racers’  over the years, and very few of them could be trusted around small  dogs, let alone cats.  Some were massively reactive, one that jumps to  mind wasn’t even good with other large breeds!

Ironically,  we had numerous successful cat-dog introductions with hounds that  retired from glitteringly successful racing careers.

It’s  a hound’s personality and temperament that are important when deciding  whether they are cat trainable…not their racing successes.  But the  cat’s personality, temperament and previous experience living with dogs  is also crucial to the success of having a mix species household.

Cats  are independent, territorial, and can be quite sensitive to changes in  their environment. Their behaviour can vary significantly based on their  individual personalities and experiences.  They will quite often be  wary, or defensive, when a new animal enters their space.  This can also  be exacerbated if the cat has had negative experiences with dogs in the  past.

Introducing any new animal  to the home, greyhound or otherwise, can result in anxiety and stress  related behaviours in a cat such as hiding, aggression, inappropriate  toileting, changes in eating habits or they may straight up just leave  the house and never come back!

If  the cat is flighty by nature, or hasn’t had experience living with a  dog before, a greyhound is very unlikely to be a good fit.  Regardless  of how laid back and cat-trainable a greyhound is, if the cat is timid  and easily stressed, and likely to dart around the house in a panic…that  greyhounds is going to be triggered and they will chase.

If  you have a cat, you need to think very carefully about their needs,  preferences, and personality before considering getting a dog.  If they  are confident, curious, and likely to stand their ground in the presence  of a hound (and possibly even bop them on the nose if over curious),  then it is more likely to be successful.

It  is also important to bear in mind that while some rehoming  organisations with ‘cat test’ a greyhound, this is no guarantee as to  the long-term success of introducing one into the home environment.  It  only suggests that a hound is ‘cat-trainable’, it does not define them  as ‘cat friendly’.

If you can  find a cat-trainable greyhound (they are rare at best!) and feel your  cat will adapt well to having a canine sibling, go ahead and try…but be  prepared to pull the plug if it causes either animal unnecessary  distress.  

To ensure the  successful introductions, you need to create a safe and controlled  environment for the introductions.  You can’t just toss them into a room  together and expect it to go well.

-  Before introducing the cat and hound, do some scent swapping for them  to familiarise.  This can be done by swapping beds or blankets, or  otherwise introducing items that belong to the hound and cat to the  opposite.  This allows become accustomed to each other's scent in a  non-threatening manner.

-  Initially, keep the hound and cat in separate areas.  Don’t force the  interaction until they are both ready.  This is more for the cat than  anything else, especially if the cat has not lived with a dog before.
This  can be achieved using a baby gate, this allows scents to be taken in,  and visuals, without a direct and forced interaction which will cause  stress.   Monitor their reactions closely. Look for signs of curiosity,  fear, or aggression. Positive signs include relaxed body language and  mutual curiosity.  Negative signs include growling, hissing, or lunging.

This  may not work for every greyhound, as they may become overstimulated and  excited in seeing the cat, which may cause frustrations and an  unsuccessful meeting when you allow them into the room.  Care should be  taken, and the situation assessed every step of the way.  If the hound  is very easily overstimulated in just seeing the cat, starts vocalising  or becomes agitated, the introduction should be abandoned.

-  It is essential that the hound is kept muzzled, and on a lead, when  allowing them into the same room.  Start with short, supervised  meetings.  Keep the interactions brief, and positive, for both the cat  and hound by providing treats and praise.
Ensure the  cat has a safe space that they can retreat to if threatened, so keep  the baby gate up, so they can flee past it if needed.
By  keeping the hound on the lead, if the cat does become scared, flighty  or runs, and the hound becomes triggered, you can quickly intervene.

It  is important to bear in mind that a successful integration of a  greyhound, or any sighthound for that matter, and a cat, can take weeks  or even months.  Even the most cat-trainable hound may still get  triggered, over interested, chase or harass the cat.  

This  is especially true in the garden, as your hound may become accustomed  to having the cat indoors, but outdoors it is fair game!  If the cat  starts running down the garden, or up the fence, the hound may become  triggered.  It is also not uncommon for a hound to only be cat-friendly  with the resident cat.  They may still be reactive, or aggressive,  toward unfamiliar cats on walks or that come into the garden.

Similarly,  being cat friendly with the resident cat doesn't translate to being  friendly with cats in friends or other family homes.  Visiting another  home, with a cat, should be done with care, and the hound should be  muzzled and kept on lead.

All  interactions should be closely monitored, and both animals should be  assessed for signs of stress or aggression.  The cat should always have  access to a room that the dog doesn’t, by use of a baby gate.  Try to  avoid forcing interactions, allow them to approach each other at their  own pace.

Once the greyhound and  cat are comfortable with each other, it's important to establish and  maintain boundaries to ensure their long-term coexistence.  Make sure  the cat has access to a separate area to eat and toilet without  disturbance from the dog.  

Be  prepared to have the muzzle on your hound indoors, and in the garden,  for an extended period.  The time it takes for a hound to settle into  it’s adopted home varies massively, but typically it can take 3+ weeks  for them to really decompress, trust, learn and start to show their true  personality.

As their confidence  grows, their behaviour toward the cat may very well change.  You should  never 100% trust your hound around the cat in the initial weeks and  months, and positive reinforcement training should be carried out in  relation to the cat long-term.

They  may start getting the zoomies, and may start exhibiting more play  behaviour, than they did in the initial days, which can both startle and  stress a cat, but also accidentally harm them.  A hound may not be  intentionally aggressive, but greyhounds are all leg and mouth when they  play, and they may become overstimulated and triggered by the cat while  in full play mode.  Cats have been killed by the resident greyhound  long past the settling in period, even accidentally.

You  should always be prepared to intervene if at any point your hounds prey  drive gets triggered, they play too roughly, or the cat is showing  signs of stress.

Introducing a  greyhound, or any dog, to a household with cats takes careful planning,  patience, and a thorough understanding of both animals' behaviours and  needs.  Just because you want a dog, doesn’t mean your cat does.

You  should only pursue adopting a hound if you are truly confident in your  cat’s ability to adjust and cope with their presence, as you may very  well find your cat leaving and never coming home.  No animal is  disposable, or less worthy of a forever home, the cat cannot just be  dismissed in favour of the dog.
They are not a lower  lifeform.  We’ve seen people rehoming their cats, in preference to keep  the dog, even when the cat was there first.  

Just  bear in mind that you need to do what’s best for everyone, and the  success of a mix species home depends on your commitment to making  things work, takin the necessary steps and addressing any challenges as  they arise.  

With the right  approach, greyhounds and cats can not only coexist peacefully but also,  in some instances, form strong, loving bonds.