# Vizslas and cats



## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

I have a question for those of you that have Vizslas and indoor pet cats. We have 2 cats and our 9 month old V still chases them. She has gotten better in that if they're sleeping on the couch or not moving, she ignores them...but if they jump, run or meow she has to know what they're doing and runs to investigate. We say "Ruby, leave it!" several times a day to keep her from chasing them. 

It's not really that much of an issue. She's never hurt them and I don't think she will. I am just wondering if they'll ever become boring to her?


----------



## RubyRoo (Feb 1, 2011)

It does get better but your V will never get bored. They seem to be more curious than cats! Actually, I think the cats seem to get used to the V. My cats have started to outsmart our Ruby. Ruby will chase my male cat but has learned to just plop down on the ground and then Ruby gets confused and runs past him. It is so funny to watch.

On the flip side, Ruby has learned to art of slapping with her paws at the cats since they do it to her. We have to tell her to stop it because it is a little rough (but hilarious).

I have a 16 yr old female cat that has always been timid. She has been living under the bed in the guest room since the day we brought Ruby home (about 2 yrs). Just in the last few months, she has realized that Ruby won't hurt her and they have been laying in bed together and Ruby licks her ears. It is the most precious thing to see and melts my heart.

Just give it time and all animals will adjust.


----------



## heatherdyanna (Nov 14, 2012)

We have an indoor cat and a two year old V... Things have gotten better, but if he's full of beans, he'll still chase our little kitty around. Other times, he makes a game of pointing at her, but he always gets too excited and happy when he gets close and his tail starts wagging.

I would continue correcting, and hopefully things will get a little more calm... Then again, we're all vizsla owners, so "calm" is relative!


----------



## giandaliajr (Nov 24, 2012)

We have two 5 year old cats (Simba and Nala) and a 18 week old V. When we first brought Berkeley home he was curious about the cats, as they were him. Nothing really happened for a couple days. The cats and Berk mostly ignored each other until Berk started to get comfortable and wanted to play with the furry animals walking around. Now Simba (male) hisses at him every chance he gets, unless Berk is sleeping. Even from across the room if Simba wakes up from a nap he comes out and hisses.

Nala seems to give Berkeley many chances to be nice, she will attempt to walk right past him and then when he starts chasing her she hisses and bats him with her paws (clawless). I think he just wants to play and they don't (they rarely even played with each other before Berk came).

I'm hoping he will learn to ignore them eventually too. Or at least not chase them. Maybe once i get him trained to hunt he will just point at them until i call him back. Or the best case scenario, become best friends! ;D


----------



## Melissa_DT (Jan 9, 2013)

I have a 4 year old cat (Zoey) and a 14 week old pup (Bentley). Bentley loves to chase the cat every opportunity he gets. At first the cat was terrified of this and would hide when Bentley was awake. However now she actually enjoys this play time and they even play wrestle at times (granted this may not last long once his size increases). Sometimes Bentley gets a little too excited and rough for her liking and she will give him a warning swat on his nose and he gets the point. She seems especially fond of him when he's asleep or sleepy and will cuddle up to him and lick his head and ears and Bentley loves it and will return a few licks himself. 

I'm not sure he will ever get bored of chasing her, but Zoey has slowly learned to tolerate him and dare I say- even like him a little!


----------



## Melissa_DT (Jan 9, 2013)

Oh and here's a pic


----------



## NeverGiveUpRAC (Aug 27, 2012)

My cat was everything to me until I brought Cole home. But Angel, my cat was a jumpy cat to begin with and I wanted her to feel completely at home with a bouncing Vizsla puppy around. 

I wanted them to be friends, I didn't want him to chase her. I wanted him to know she was higher in the pack than he was. 

I would feed her first, etc. What I did to make her boring to him was a few exercises I had read about getting cats and dogs to live peacefully.

I would call Angel into my room and when she entered Cole would want to jump off the bed and ??? idk what...so instead I told him to stay and gave him treats. Then I would refocus him onto me. Doing calm things like putting a treat down in front of him and saying "leave it". After a few weeks she could walk into the room without getting hounded. She trusts him so much more now. She isn't afraid. She walks right by him sometimes and I am hoping with time they will be able to sleep together. 

Angel, who is 13, can go running through the room (zoomie like) and he won't get up to chase her. He DOES, however, perk up and way his tail cuz he seems to want to play with her. 

Now, does anyone have an idea of how I can get them to play together? Lol She plays sometimes RIGHT by him, but WILL hiss when he gets in her face. Haha


----------



## Kdwyer915 (Oct 23, 2012)

Milo who is just over 1 year gets along great with my two cats (one is 3, the other is 10). He knows he can play with the younger one, she's tough and gives him a run for his money. He also knows the older guy isn't much for playing an tends to leave him alone.


----------



## RubyRoo (Feb 1, 2011)

Here is daily life with Ruby and Bub. Bub loves to yell at Ruby and at one point in the video he sounds like he is hurt. He is fine and actually taunts Ruby and always comes back for more. Check out Ruby sneaking a kiss as she is the kissing bandit.

http://youtu.be/Mpli8xyUpck


----------



## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

Glad to hear I am not the only one who has a V that still hasn't grown tired of chasing the cats after several months.

Ruby (sometimes) tries to be sweet to them by licking their ears. She gets too excited eventually and becomes to rough with her nose bumping. Funny thing -- our cats are not declawed so could easily teach her a lesson and give her a good swat. They do swat her on the nose, but they never stick their claws out!


----------



## Carolina Blue (Sep 20, 2012)

Have the same thing here! Have one that lies down and swats as needed (these two do sleep together when the stars are aligned). The middle cat is like Bub from rubyroo, fritz meows and carries on just to get Kiya to chase him. Third cat has nothing to do with any of this! She stays upstairs for the most part, only coming down when quiet!


----------



## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

I do not own a cat, but we are often over at some friends' place, and they own a big Maine ****. Jasper used to try and chase him. One day he cornered the cat in the basement. We had no idea they were down there. We have absolutely no idea what happened, but ever since that day, Jasper has been very, very respectful of cats. The cat probably puffed up and hissed, and maybe slapped him around. The cat still has his claws, but there were no claw marks on Jasper, so he kept them sheathed. Apparently a big, hissing, slap-happy cat was enough to teach Jasper a lesson. 

They're still pretty interested in each other. Occasionally they approach what looks like playing. It's really, really adorable. Jasper mostly ignores the cat, unless the cat acts interested and starts chasing him around a bit. But if the cat ever gets upset he'll hiss and Jasper will back down. He's honestly pretty afraid of cats when they hiss. He's been stuck in the bathroom for 20 minutes before while the cat laid in the dining room. I had to go rescue him and walk between him and the cat, like I was protective detail. I would like to note that there was at least 15 feet of space between the cat and the bathroom door, and Jasper could have easily walked past without coming near the cat. Chicken!


----------



## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

Ruby has never been exposed closely to cats, my old black lab however was. He used to tolerate all sorts from our cat as kids, from it being a kitten and hiding then pouncing on him etc,, one day it went a step too far though and went to lick his marrow bone and that was when it took it's final breath. I'd never take it for granted now that cats and dogs will be best friends.


----------



## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Willie thinks cats are just unusual squirrels. I think that, in all likelihood, he was never exposed to cats when he was young. Can't be sure about that. Anyhow, I do know that I could not trust Willie, ever, around a cat. It's just one of those things. Since Vizslas have such high prey drive, I don't think you can be too careful. 

p.s. That is a cute little video, RubyRoo! I'm afraid that if it was Willie, Bub would be in grave danger, though. Ruby and Bub seem to be pretty good pals.


----------



## Kdwyer915 (Oct 23, 2012)

Here are my two interacting on a normal day


----------



## ZDOGSMOM (Sep 15, 2012)

Our household is now made up of 2 nearly 12 year old cats and 2 V's. One 3 1/2 and one 14 weeks. The cats, one is a Maine **** that looks like a big ol' fluffy gray bear and the other is a gray tiger stripe who believes she is Queen of the Universe with the attitude to match. Both cats have all their claws.

When Ziva was little she would run after Zachary, the Maine **** cat and hold him down and bathe him! It was quite a sight to behold... and poor Zachary would just lay there and take it until Ziva got a bit more forceful and turned it into a wrestling match. Zoe kitty on the other hand has such a huge attitude .. she will be lovey dovey to Ziva one minute and then want to smack the crap out of her the next. Usually Ziva always gives Zoe kitty a wide berth.

Now that little Miss Izzy has joined the family she finds it so much fun to chase the cats and then try to corner them where she can force some Vizsla love upon them.... as when Ziva was little Maine **** Zachary will tolerate it to a point before he starts to hiss and then head to tall furniture pieces to escape Izzy's exhuberance. Zoe kitty will hiss, spat and growl her displeasure at Izzy ....at which time Izzy will back off of Zoe... but the thing is Zoe will usually then ... tease Izzy by hiding around corners, looking coy, peek around and pull back until Izzy feels the need to investigate and then Zoe swats her!  It really is just a big game they all play with each other... no critter on either side, dog or cat, have ever actually hurt the other.


----------



## ZDOGSMOM (Sep 15, 2012)

Thought I would add one of my photos I have edited of Zachary our Maine **** cat... he is such a beauty and a love bug. As the Vizslas often have many cat like characteristics, the Maine **** Cats have many dog like characteristics.


----------



## RubyRoo (Feb 1, 2011)

ZDOGSMOM said:


> Thought I would add one of my photos I have edited of Zachary our Maine **** cat... he is such a beauty and a love bug. As the Vizslas often have many cat like characteristics, the Maine **** Cats have many dog like characteristics.


So crazy. My cat Bub in the video I posted is a Maine ****.


----------



## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

I've posted this in a different thread before, but here's a photo of Ruby around 8 weeks old, a few days after we brought her home. We were over at my parent's house and she curled up next to their cat. I think it was a day or two later that she realized cats were something she wanted to play with. She hasn't slept next to one since!


----------



## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

One of my ex's (bachelor #2) had a Maine **** Cat named Mia who was just the sweetest cat! He lost her a couple of years ago to old age. What a nice kitty, though... Great personality.


----------



## Vida (Dec 26, 2011)

I have three cats, one is due to have kittens any day.
They get on really well with my dogs.


----------

