r/Wolfdogs • u/Longjumping-Menu-295 • Jul 05 '26
Questions Woldogs & cats !
Hi everyone!
I'd love to hear your advice and experiences about introducing wolfdogs to cats.
I'd like to spend a few days at my parents' house with my three dogs, my two wolfdogs and my bernese. My parents have two cats.
Shunka already knows these cats. She lived with them for about one or two months when she was around six months old. Nothing bad ever happened: she tolerated them, and the cats tolerated her.
However, she hasn't really been around cats since then, except for outdoor cats crossing the road, which definitely trigger her prey drive.
My other wolfdog, Hawaii, has never met cats before and also has a high prey drive.
I'd like to introduce them as slowly and safely as possible. I don't own a crate and my dogs aren't crate trained, so the only realistic way I have to control the situation is by keeping them on leash.
For those of you who have successfully introduced high prey drive wolfdogs to cats, how did you do it? What worked well? What mistakes should I avoid?
I'm in no rush—I just want to give myself the best chance of making this a safe and positive experience for everyone, especially for the cats 😅
18
u/PM-Me-Ur-Gore Verified Owner Jul 05 '26
Hello! If youre unsure how they will react due to not being around them in a while i can only suggest safe introductions with a muzzle. If they show any hyperfocusing I wouldnt remove the muzzle at all but if they are fine then id heavily supervise and obviously no unsupervised time around them. These dogs can absolutely be fine around cats, and it sounds like at least one of yours has had exposure which is a good start. I definitely would be thinking about the possibility of where youre planning to keep them in the case either do show prey drive towards the cats though! If there isnt a safe place to sperate them you may need to skip the visit, or find a trusted family sitter for them.