Cats can definitely be an excellent gaming friend for Border Collies, the smartest dog in the world, but they can also become a chase scene where the cat will not feel confident.
Remember that the Border Collie has great energy by nature and that his herding instinct can also make him look aggressive in front of a more submerged and calm cat.
Are Border Collies Good with cats? If the Border Collie grows up in a cat’s company, they may get along extremely well. There are certain factors to take into account when considering pairing a cat with a Border Collie.
I will tell you about the things to consider next.
Does The Border Collie Get Along With A Playful Cat?
This is one of the main factors to consider. If your cat is playful and mischievous, we can assume that the Border Collie will be good to him.
They have extreme energy and desire to play, look for those who accompany them in the way they are, and want to share with them.
Border Collies need constant challenges to consume their physical and mental energy daily. If the cat helps you do this, both will be a good compliment at home, since the cat will help consume the excessive energy of dogs of this breed.
In this case, they can be good friends and spend stimulating moments together.
However, if the cat is rather withdrawn, does not like to play, or refuses to be chased by the Border Collie, the environment may become tense. And the cat chooses to hide as it will feel afraid of the dog.
The Benefit Of A Companion Cat To A Border Collie
When the cat and the Border Collie get along, you can prevent it from becoming destructive when its owners, at some point, ignore the dog. We know that if they don’t do their daily walks and exercise, they end up taking a destructive attitude toward household objects.
But if you have a cat friend to help you drain, this will increase your chances of being happy, and thanks to the stimulation, the cat will give you.
The cat can become a daily physical and mental companion for him for this breed of dog.
Is It Necessary For The Cat To Be With The Border Collie Since From Puppy?
When the Border Collie is introduced to the cat when he is a puppy, there is a much better chance that they will get along.
You will have the opportunity to naturalize the cat’s presence and adapt to being with it.
When they are puppies, they will be curious and will try to play with the cat, and from there, they will be able to build a beautiful relationship.
In addition, the Border Collie puppy is not yet too strong or large to intimidate the cat irretrievably. Its reactions must always be monitored, but few risks can hurt it.
How Can I Ensure That My Cat Gets Along Well With The Border Collie?
Some prefer to go to the safe and adopt a Border Collie that has already had contact with cats or a shelter that does cat tests.
The only way to ensure that there can be a good relationship is this.
Have them live together for a few days before adopting a Border Collie. I can recommend you to do this. See what the reactions of both the cat and the Border Collie are like and thus intuit the relationship they will have in the future.
What Can I Expect If I Want To Add A Cat To My Home With A Border Collie?
It is very difficult to know how this relationship will turn out. In this case, it is advisable to take the cat to test its reactions because we must know how the dog behaves. Will it be a playmate or a predator?
Recall that the Border Collie has the natural instinct to herd, being genetically connected to grazing. They can try to scamper the cat, which can be a terrifying experience for the cat, or something fun at best.
How Can I Prevent The Border Collie From Chasing The Cat?
One of the most common solutions is to teach the Border Collie that chasing this way is wrong.
We can do this by sending an order with a stern voice and a forceful phrase, which we repeat when the dog tries to chase. By repeating this demonstration, the Border Collie will understand that what he is doing is wrong.
This can work for a cat that lives in the same home, as well as for cats that can be run into on their walks.
Ideally, you can play with the cat in your house, and this can be more like your playmate, but if this relationship does not show up, then we must teach the dog to respect the cat so that there can be peace in the home.
We want to prevent unpleasant and harmful scenes from happening to our pets.
How Is The Border Collie Herding Behavior Towards Cats?
This herding ability can make them try to chase cats around the house.
This does not necessarily mean that they are harmed, but it can condition their behavior. It can have actions such as pinching and running around, which can also affect the cat.
It is ideal if you have a cat at home, to adopt a Border Collie that is less than 12 weeks old.
The idea is that the first meeting of the cat and the puppy is before the Border Collie reaches the age of 16 weeks. It is the best moment to train his behavior to not see the cat as an animal that needs to be grazed.
At this time, you will have the opportunity to teach the Border Collie to play gently with the cat and treat each other as equals.
They will be able to play, and when the dog wants to play with bites or biting attempts with the cat, it will be time to separate them immediately and take action so that your dog understands that it cannot have this behavior.
Use the treat rewards when you see that the Border Collie is positively interacting with the cat until he understands that this is how he should behave with the cat.
What If The Cat Does Not Like To Play Or Be Scamped?
In this case, to prevent the Border Collie from resorting to a grazing attitude. You must take into account that this breed of dog has an overactive behavior that you will have to cover completely.
Each day the owner or household members must meet the required level of exercise that the Border Collie needs.
Their daily walks, which meet at least a total of four hours, with exercises and dynamic games for the dog, should be made without exception.
This is the way to prevent the Border Collie from resorting to cat grazing. If he becomes frustrated or bored, he will retaliate with an aggressive attitude towards objects in the house and can also do it with cats.
You must do what is necessary to calm his energy and stimulate him enough. Remember that when they are puppies, they are even more demanding due to their extreme energy.
As long as you complete this Border Collie socialization process with the cat, make sure the cat has a safe place to get away from the dog if necessary. This will prevent even your cat from being aggressive towards the dog.
Cats Tend To Get Used To Border Collies
If it is true that at the beginning, the grazing behavior can tire an uncomfortable the cat. There are also many cases where the cats usually carry it very well after this process and even have fun. Since they notice a kind of game when the Border Collie starts this behavior.
This is why it is also very important to establish the “Cat Safe Zone” since you can withdraw when you feel that it has been enough playing time.
This continues to be a safe and fun practice for the cat. Taking into account that the Border Collie may not tire quickly and cause the remaining time to become a bad experience for the cat.
This is the key to building healthy dynamics at home with both pets, as they definitely don’t have to be rivals.
Conclusion
Definitely, pairing a cat with a Border Collie can be quite a challenge.
However, it is by far the one that will be worth accepting by visualizing they will become excellent playmates and adventurers.
For the Border Collie, it can be stimulating to be in contact with a cat, and the cat can have a great time also with his company, having fun and playing.
It is simply necessary to take into account the conditions in which this relationship will occur. And you must be willing to educate and train the Border Collie to have limits in its behavior with the cat.
This will help the cat’s safe place so that it escapes from the excess energy that the Border Collie could have.