Some breeds of dogs portray catlike behavior, and husky is one of them. Most times, your husky mimic the actions of your cat due to friendship or cohabitation.
You shouldn't be surprised to see your husky being picky, chasing beams of light, resting on a couch's arm, or having other leisurely behavior.
So, why do huskies act like cats? You ask.
This article enables you to understand your husky's strange conduct, its source, and his relationship with the feline family.
Huskies' behavior resembles a cat's. They have a high standard of cleanliness and are odorless, independent, free-spirited, and picky eaters. His predatory instincts and the cats' running tendency make it hard to get along with them. Husky's catlike habits may result from feline-canine cohabitation or the strong prey drive.
Why Do Huskies Not Like Cats?
There are reasons why your husky may not like his feline canine friend, as explained below.
Strong Hunting Motivation
Huskies are predatorial in nature and can strongly survive. The behavior results from the cold place of origin with food scarcity. Hence, huskies could not predict their next meal's availability.
For that reason, whenever they would see small animals, they had to run after them for food. These traits make it hard for them to relate well with small animals such as cats.
Husky's Jealousy
This breed of dog can be a very demanding attention seeker.
Hence, your dog may be jealous of your paying too much attention to your cat, which is not the case with him.
It's, therefore, necessary to spend quality time with him and make him have no reason to be envious of your little kitty.
Feline Running Habit
Naturally, all dogs like running after small moving things.
Your husk is not an exemption—a cat's tendency to run around triggers his desire to chase. If not properly trained, the husky may pose a danger to your little cat.
Although huskies brought up with other puppies get along, there is generally a need for proper training before introducing a feline company.
Husky's Dominance
During mealtime, your husky may become aggressive towards your cat. Therefore, it's necessary to feed them from different stations to avoid such occurrences.
Things to Consider When Figuring Out Why Your Husky Dislikes Cats
There are several factors to consider when you want to understand your dog's strange behavior toward your kitty.
The First Time Your Husky Became Aggressive With Your Cat
This factor helps in identifying the timing when your dog first got obsessed with your cat. If it suddenly became obsessed with your cat, it might be due to jealousy of you giving it more attention.
Also, it could be due to the husky's dominance over the cat's conduct, like lying at the dogs sleeping place.
Specific Times When Husky Becomes Obsessed With the Cat
If your dog becomes hyper-reactive to the cat when taking meals, then it could be that he is resource-guarding. Therefore, it'll inform you of the need to have them take their meals separately.
If it happens all the time, it may be due to the husky's predatorily nature, or he is just playful.
Your Husky's Age
If he is young, it could be that he hasn't learned to stay calm around your cat. In the case of an old dog, it may be due to dominance, jealousy, and intense prey drives altogether.
How Do You Stop Husky From Chasing Your Cat?
Your husky's strong prey drive makes it hard to stay calm in the presence of your little kitty. Below are five methods you could employ to ensure your cat's security.
Keep Them a Part
This is the most straightforward and quick way of ensuring that your husky stops running after your cat. By separating them, you're able to provide your cat's security and prevent harmful interactions.
You could keep them apart by retaining your cat in a different room or using room dividers to partition the current one.
Nonetheless, in the case of a baby husky, you could first introduce training as it's easier to get along at an early age.
Keep Husky off Other Cats
Besides separating your husky from your little kitty, ensure that he doesn't get used to other cats. If your dog interacts with other feline friends, he might end up chasing them, the habit you intend to get rid of.
Therefore, you should make it impossible for your husk to sneak from your backyard. Also, have him on a leash when taking a leisure walk.
Coach Your Husky
Training your dog to get along with his feline company can be a great idea. Moreover, this training is faster and quick when you have a baby husky.
You could do this in three stages. That is, teach your husky to settle without distraction, then relax with distractions, and finally, to stay when the kitty is around.
In all three stages, reward your husky with treats for his obedience.
Once he can maintain attention on you with the kitty around, reduce the distance between them until the husky has fully relaxed near the cat.
Separate Feeding Points
Ensure your two pets have their meals at distinct locations. There is the possibility of your husky bumping onto your cat's territory during mealtime.
Separating the two eliminates such improper conduct.
A load of Exercises
For proper stimulation, huskies require regular exercises. With inadequate or no practice, your dog becomes over-reactive. This may contribute to his mischievous behavior when cats are around.
The best way to exercise your husky by himself is by training him to play fetch. These short running reduce his excess energy without involving you.
How Do You Introduce A Husky To A Cat?
Due to the husky's predator-mindedness and stubborn behavior, crossing paths with small animals like cats are such a big deal.
For this reason, you need to provide appropriate training for the two to live in harmony. Below are seven tips you could employ to make your husky cat friendly:
Early Introduction
As said, it's usually challenging to introduce an old dog to new tricks. The saying is equally applicable to huskies.
While you may succeed in training your old husky, he might find it difficult to accustom to the little creature. Therefore, it may be a great idea to go for a puppy husky if you are a cat lover and start the training immediately.
Gradually Have Your Dog Accustomed
A baby husky will bring fun to all residents of your house except for your feline family. Your cat might feel threatened by the puppy's presence, and this is where the training comes in.
Hence, start by allowing them to interact for a few minutes under close watch. You then increase the time gradually with increased supervision.
Moreover, allow them to hang around each other as you monitor them. This eradicates the existing tension between your two pets, allowing them to interact freely.
Have Your Husky Exercise Before Meeting Your Little Kitty
Since huskies are notoriously energetic, you may consider having him do some exercises in preparation for meeting his new feline friend.
These exercises consume a significant amount of energy. Thus, your husky will be calm enough to interact with the cat.
Keep the New Friends Separated
Even though you have successfully introduced husky to your kitty, maintain physical distance in essential areas. Such areas include eating places, restrooms, and sleeping areas.
While cats have loud bubbles, huskies are territorial, so separating them can be a brilliant idea.
Keep Your Pets' Stomachs Full
The reason is apparent. If your husky is not well-fed, he may be easily irritable by his jumpy feline canine friend.
Therefore, your dog may consider chasing the poor cat for a meal.
Show Impartiality on Attention Matters
While your kitten friend won't express their need for attention, the dog will. Nevertheless, both cats and dogs will desire to have your attention.
For this reason, plan on having equal playtime for both to avoid your husky becoming jealous and territorial.
Practice Continuous Monitoring
Even though you have put all the above measures in place, it's necessary to continue monitoring your pets. Although your husky and his new pal may seem to be getting along, it's a great idea to keep an eye on their interactions.
Training your husky is the most effective way of ensuring that he gets along with his feline friend.
Conclusion: Why Do Huskies Act Like Cats?
Describing your husky's behavior as catlike is in order. Besides their predatory nature, huskies also have many other characteristics that resemble the feline canines family.
The catlike behavior of your dog may result from cohabiting or mimicking the feline friend's
actions from a distance.
Nonetheless, your husky may not get along with small animals, such as your little kitty, as they have a habit of running around.
Even so, you need not worry. With the correct training and regular exercises, your dog can learn to stay calm around his new company.
