Do Great Danes Get Along With Cats?

I love cats and Great Danes but recently I was thinking, do the two of them get along? After some searching, I discovered the truth behind Great Danes and cats.

Do Great Danes Get Along With Cats?

Great Danes can get along with cats if they become acquainted with them, but some can be aggressive with cats. Great Danes are usually gentle pets but they naturally like to chase and play with cats.

Although not all Great Danes get along with cats, there are ways to help a Great Dane become friendly with cats. Perhaps the myth that “dogs and cats cannot get along” can be overcome by the Great Danes!

Great Danes and Their Relationship With Cats

Generally, when I think about dogs and cats, I think about the cartoons where dogs and cats do not like each other. It is always displayed on media and television that dogs and cats hate each other, but is that true?

Great Danes are a very friendly breed. Although they are bigger and can easily knock people down, they are friendly and make for great pets. They are, however, still dogs and love to play around with smaller creatures.

Some Great Danes have the natural desire to chase and capture cats. Dogs in their nature want to chase and be playful. Typically, they are not cruel to cats and other creatures on purpose. One of their problems is that Great Danes sometimes do not know their own size.

People who buy Great Danes are surprised to see how big their dog gets, Great Danes can grow all the way up to 28-34 inches tall! Great Danes love to be playful but this can harm other animals because they are so large. Having a cat around, can trigger something inside the dog and make them get playful, even as a huge dog.

It is important that if you own a cat and are looking to get a Great Dane that you take precautions to ensure the safety of both animals. Great Danes will go after cats, especially if the dog is younger, especially in his puppy days. It is normal for them to go after smaller pets and cats but with time they can adjust.

Cats and Great Danes can get along together though, it is possible! Several people have cats and Great Danes that work wonderfully together. Great Danes have the perfect personalities for cats. They are gentle, sweet, and kind creatures.

It also helps when Great Danes are out of the puppy stage. After the first couple of years, Great Danes will calm down more which will be especially good news for your cat.

Great Danes are naturally loving with their owners and they can be the same way with cats. With time and patience, a bond can be formed between the cat and dog. The more time a Great Dane spends time with a cat and small animals, the better.

As they spend more time with smaller creatures, they will become better at learning how to interact with them without hurting them as much. Be prepared for some craziness at first, but as they say, you can fall in love with anyone if you spend time with them and the same can be said for a cat and Great Dane as well.

How to Help A Cat Get Along With a Great Dane

Although Great Danes cannot control their feelings to chase your cat, there are some things you can do to help your cat with dealing with the dog.

Cats typically have a hard time when a new animal or stranger comes into their homes. Cats like to seclude themselves and choose when to love others as it pleases them. A huge canine that goes crazy every time it sees a cat can be a very scary experience for your feline. Cats can be lovable creatures too, but it must begin with gaining trust.

When left in the same room as the Great Dane, providing ways for your cat to escape rooms or have a “safe spot” is a great way to start a relationship. Even if a Great Dane loves your cat, remember that your cat may not like the Great Dane.

If cats have a shelf to jump onto or a special spot that the Great Dane cannot reach, it provides a place where the cat can stay. This helps the cat not feel pressured and an opportunity to observe the Great Dane in order to become more familiar with him.

This also eliminates conflict for the cat. If the cat feels threatened, its’ hair will stick up, he will hiss and could claw the dog. By providing outs and safe spots, it helps the cat stay out of fight mode.

Another way a cat could have an escape route would be to put up gates between rooms or in a hallway. Great Danes are not typically big jumpers despite having big legs.

By putting up a gate, it keeps the Great Dane away from the cat and allows the cat to peacefully have an out. Thus creating harmony for the cat and the Great Dane.

Ensure that the cat remains inside the house. When a new pet comes and the cat manages to get outside, they may run away. New pets can be frightning for the cat.

Outdoor cats who are forced to share their property with dogs may have a hard time with it and they could leave for some time.

How to Help Great Danes Become Adjusted to a Cat

Another way to help The Great Dane mellow out would be to help it understand how to be gentle with the cat. Calming the Great Dane down before bringing the cat into the room will help. Once your dog is calm, bring in the cat, but holding it so that the dog will not go bounding over to it and so the cat will not run away.

Once the two are together with you, you can help your cat remain calm by holding it and have the two close together. Be sure to keep the two calm by reassuring them with kind, gentle words.

By making time to have the two pets sit together, it will help the dog see that he can be calm around the cat and that the cat is not a toy.

It probably is not the best idea to have the pets be alone together at first because the Great Dane can get wild. Be cautious to always be around the two.

Training Great Danes around cats can take time, but with patience and small efforts, the two will become more familiar with each other. Once they are more familiar with each other, it will make the dog want to chew on the cat a little less.

Raise Great Danes With Other Animals

Great Danes will react even better to cats if they grow up around other animals. If they know animals while young, it will not be weird for them to see a cat join them in the house later on.

Although you may not have other pets living with you as you raise your dog, having your dog spend time around other dogs, especially small dogs and other cats will help prepare Great Danes to live with a cat.

Supervision will be needed as your Great Dane spends time with other animals. Like stated earlier, Great Danes are huge in size and often do not understand how much power they actually have.

It is important to also watch them around small children, as they could get knocked down. Not because Great Danes are mean, they just are so big!

Do Great Danes Get Along With Cats?