If you’re considering adding a canine to your household but already have a cat, you need to find a breed that’s able to get along with felines. If you don’t, you could find yourself with a cat being constantly chased and the two animals fighting like, well, cats and dogs. Plenty of dog breeds are available that get along perfectly fine with kitties, though, so you have options.
One canine that can be good with cats is the Boston Terrier. The best-case scenario would be to raise the two animals together from a young age, but even introducing one of these canines into a home, later on, should be fine (though you’ll have a bit more work on your hands). Here’s what you should know about Boston Terriers and how well they get on with felines, so you can figure out if this pup is right for you!
Are Boston Terriers Good With Cats?
Because this breed is a terrier, it’s not unheard of for them to have high prey drives. And that can lead them to chase after animals smaller than them, including felines. But if you raise your dog and cat together from the time they’re young, you have a much higher chance of this not occurring because the two animals will be used to each other.
However, this doesn’t mean you can’t introduce a Boston Terrier and a cat later in life. It just means you’ll need to introduce the two slowly and carefully, so it might take a bit of time. A careful introduction between the two animals will help them build trust in each other, which will lead to fewer instances of chasing (unless it’s the fun kind of chasing each other around the home!).
But how do you safely introduce a dog and cat?
How to Introduce a Boston Terrier to a Feline
As previously mentioned, the key to introducing a dog and cat is patience. You’ll want to move slowly and in increments. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do this.
- The first thing you’ll want to do is not let your pets meet at all. It might sound strange, but you want to keep your Boston Terrier and cat in separate rooms at first. Each can have time in the main living areas during the day, but not together. What does doing this accomplish? It introduces the animals’ scents to each other. Keep your pets separated for 3–4 days. Watch their behavior to make sure they seem curious about the other’s scent rather than fearful. You can move on to the next step if you don’t see any nervousness or fear.
- It’s time for an introduction—of sorts. You aren’t going to allow your dog and cat to be in the same room just yet, but you are going to let them get a glimpse of each other. How can you do this? One good way is to feed the two animals on opposite sides of a baby gate, as they’ll be able to see and smell each other but not get too close to the other. Or you could let them “meet” each other via a glass door. For this step, it’s a good idea to still have your Boston Terrier on a leash, so it’s less liable to scare the kitty.
- Once your pets seem fine being near each other with a gate or door between them, you can move to same-room introductions. You need to keep your dog leashed for this at first, too! Let your cat roam around the room while your Boston Terrier is leashed, and see how the two animals react to each other. The goal is to have them stay calm while being close to one another or totally ignore the other. If both pets are calm, you can try unhooking your Boston Terrier’s leash, but keep a hand on it! This way you can quickly grab your pup if it decides to rush the cat.
- Keep these first same-room meetings short and sweet. Don’t let your pets be near each other for more than a few minutes at a time. Gradually, as the two become more comfortable with each other, you can work up to longer amounts of time spent together.
- Be patient. You’ll likely have to do the same room meeting scenario several times before your Boston Terrier and cat truly accept each other!
Conclusion
While a Boston Terrier might not instinctively be good with a cat due to its prey drive, it doesn’t mean it won’t get along with a feline. If your Boston Terrier and cat have grown up together, they should be more than fine at getting along. However, if you bring in the dog or cat later on, you’ll need to be prepared to do a little work and have significant patience. You can slowly introduce the two, and over time, your Boston Terrier should get the idea that the kitty isn’t something to chase but rather a friend!
Featured Image Credit: Nailia Schwarz, Shutterstock
