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Are Rottweilers Good With Cats?

Are Rottweilers Good With Cats?

Cats and dogs are funny because they are either the best of friends or getting on each other’s nerves. The breed of dog plays a big part in how well cats and dogs get along, leaving people to wonder “are Rottweilers good with cats?

Rottweilers get along very well with cats, as long as the dog has been socialized and trained. If a Rottweiler lives in a household with cats from an early age, it is likely to form a very good bond with them. Even though Rottweilers are big, they aren’t scary to a cat.

Are you curious to know if a Rottweiler is a right dog to adopt when you have a cat? You’ve come to the right page. Today, we’re going to talk about how Rottweilers get along with cats and other small animals. Keep reading to learn more.

Are Rottweilers Good With Cats?

A lot of animal lovers are initially turned off by the idea of bringing a Rottweiler into their home because of the breed’s aggressive reputation. However, Rottweilers are well-behaved dogs who are capable of getting along well with other animals in your household, including cats.

The massive size difference between the two animals doesn’t put a barrier to their ability to become good friends. In order for a Rottweiler to be good with cats, it does need to be trained and socialized. This is one of the many reasons why it’s important to start socializing a Rottweiler, or any dog breed for that matter, at a young age. 

This rule of thumb also applies to cats. If a cat hasn’t been socialized, it will be afraid of the large dog. This could cause it to hide in fear or act aggressively by hissing and swiping. While it’s not impossible for a Rottweiler and cat that haven’t been socialized to get along, it could take more time and work to get them to warm up to one another.

Why Training Your Rottweiler is Important

Each day, dog lovers around the world are proving that the stereotypes about Rottweilers are completely false. Rottweilers are actually very obedient dogs. If the owner puts time into building a consistent training routine, they will have a very well-behaved Rottweiler.

One of the great things about Rottweilers is that this breed has very good self-control. However, owners do have to train their dogs to be able to resist urges when they present themselves.

By nature, Rottweilers have a very strong prey drive and will want to chase animals. Since they are quite large, it’s easy for a Rottweiler to scare another animal that it begins chasing. Since cats get frightened easily, this may result in a bad situation if the dog isn’t trained.

When a Rottweiler has been well-trained, it will be able to resist the urge to chase down cats. This helps the dog get along better with household cats and can also help it maintain good behavior if you bring it along for a visit to another house with a cat. 

Tips For Introducing Rottweilers To Cats

While Rottweilers and cats can get along very well, it does take some time and patience for these animals to form a good bond. If the cat and Rottweiler aren’t used to the other species, they may not want to be friends on the first meeting. They may even scare each other. 

Luckily, there are some things that pet owners can do to prepare for a Rottweiler and a cat to meet for the first time. 

Let Them Get Familiar With Each Other’s Scent

The first meet and greet between a Rottweiler and a cat could go a lot smoother if they are familiar with each others’ scents. Have the cat and the dog each lay on something that will catch their scent. This can be a blanket, shirt, towel, or any piece of fabric.

Bring the fabric that smells like the cat to the Rottweiler and vice versa so the animals can get used to the scent of one another. If you do this a few times before the first meeting, the animals will not be as put off by one another.

Don’t Let The Rottweiler Loose

Even if your Rottweiler is well trained and socialized, it should still remain on a leash for the first few times it’s introduced to a cat. It’s also important that you are using commands with the Rottweiler while it’s in the presence of a cat for the first time so it understands that you are in charge.

Each situation is different. While some Rottweilers and cats may have no issue with one another after the first meeting, others may take several attempts until they are calm. It’s important that you keep the Rottweiler on a leash until you are 100 % confident that it will be obedient around the cat.

Give The Cat a Safe Space

Cats are a lot timider than Rottweilers. While the Rottweiler may be calm and ready to be friends with the cat, the feline may not feel the same way. For this reason, it’s important that there is an area in which the cat can escape. Make sure that you have a quiet room set up where the cat can go to hide, but the Rottweiler won’t be able to follow.

Don’t Meet on the Rottweiler’s Territory

It’s important to think of each animal’s personality when allowing them to meet. Rottweilers are known to be very territorial dogs. If you bring a cat that it’s unfamiliar with to the Rottweiler’s property, the dog may start acting protective and aggressive over it’s property. 

For this reason, it’s strongly recommended to allow a Rottweiler to meet the cat away from it’s property. Rottweilers will act like they’re in charge if they meet at their home. Taking the dog elsewhere will get it to drop it’s guard and be more obedient towards the situation. 

Rottweilers Protect Cats

A properly socialized Rottwelier can get along great with cats. Actually, many dog owners have mentioned that their Rottweiler gets along better with cats than other dogs. When a cat and Rottweiler form a bond, the cat can benefit from it.

Rottweilers are known to be very protective of their loved ones. They are excellent guard dogs and very good at frightening off animals and people they view as threats. 

If you have an outdoor cat, your Rotweiller will act as it’s new bodyguard outdoors. This can bring relief to many pet owners because cats are known to get in their fair share of scraps with animals around the neighborhood. Sometimes ctas will pick fights with animals much bigger than they are, so the Rottweiler can help keep them safe. 

Read Your Rottweiler’s Body Language

While a Rottweiler and cat can be great buddies, it’s important to pay attention to how they are responding to time spent together. This is especially important if they are still new to one another. The Rottweiler’s body language will give you signs as to whether it’s relaxed or feeling stressed/ anxious about the situation.

A Rottweiler’s posture will tell you a lot about how it’s feeling. If it’s in a good mood, you will notice that it has a relaxed posture. This is usually accompanied by a wagging tail. When the Rottweiler feels calm around the cat, it will move gently and act playful or goofy. It may even seem somewhat curious about the new animal.

Yet, if the Rottweiler feels stressed out about the new animal, it’s body language will be different. You will notice that it’s posture is very stiff and the dog’s fur is raised. If it doesn’t trust the cat, you may notice the dog’s ears are pointed back. It may even start to pant or lick its lips excessively. 

Paying attention to your dog’s body language can help to create a more positive situation when introducing it to a cat. If the dog is showing signs of anxiety, you can remove it from the situation. Yet, when it shows signs that it’s calm and the cat seems to be accepting of the dog’s behavior, you can unleash it so the two animals can become friends.

Final Thoughts

Are Rottweilers good with cats? Rottweilers can be very good with cats. While the breed has a reputation for being aggressive, when they are socialized they can be very well behaved around cats. Owners that keep up with the dog’s training and socialization find that their Rottweilers don’t show aggressive traits and behave around people and other animals.

When you introduce a cat and a Rottweiler, the cat is likely to be more afraid and timid than the dog. This is why it’s important to ensure that the cat has an escape route it can take to a quiet area. 

While it may take some time, these two animals are capable of becoming good friends. If you are patient, your Rottweiler will soon become your cat’s new best friend and bodyguard.