Do Yorkies get a long with cats? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

TrishaE · 06-29-2010, 03:50 AM

I am new to this site. I am a Maltese girl. I owned my Maltese since she was 8 weeks old. I love that breed. However, I wanted to get a companion for her. I knew I wanted to rescue a dog because so many dogs have no homes. I ended up rescuing a Yorkie from a lady who really did not need to own a dog. She rescued her from a shelter.

Anyway, I spend a lot of time at my mom's house...she has a cat. My Maltese (Maddie) gets along well with cats and so do my brother's dogs (rat terriers). But the Yorkie (Gracie) does not at all. She paces the entire house looking for the cat. even when she smells her she starts to pace. I can't tell if she is nervous or in attack mode. The cat has gotten her a few times in the nose...but she continues to want to "get" the cat. When the cat runs away, Gracie won't try and get her she stands close to her and barks. I don't know what to do. Will they ever get along? Any ideas?

BaxtersMommy · 06-29-2010, 03:55 AM

We have two cats and the yorkies are always going up to them kissing their face. Most of the time the cats are fine, but some days they are a little moody and they will hiss. The yorkies just don't understand it, they get their feelings hurt. HAHA But, every morning we wake up, the cats and the yorkies are curled up together in the bed. So, they all like each other real well. Cats are funny and some days even I have to stay away from them. lol

stingraylady · 06-29-2010, 04:04 AM

My yorkie and my cat have a 'love, hate' relationship. Ruby(yorkie) just loves to go after Molly's(cat) tail. Molly will usually his or try and swat and then Ruby stands there and barks while Molly stands there and gives the stoic look like "knock it off". Molly has claws, so Ruby knows how far she can push it.

Pixie Girl · 06-29-2010, 04:36 AM

Pixie and our cat Princess get along pretty well together. There at times that they are rolling around on the floor and times when Princess has had enough and will swap her with a paw, but Princess front paws are declaw. So it is kind of a love and hate relationship.

They will nose each other and sometimes I find Princess grooming Pixie.

alyx · 06-29-2010, 04:42 AM

My first yorkie was brought up with a kitten and they remained the best of friends throughout their lives. We had other dogs and cats but these two were very close. It came in handy having a kitten as well as a puppy as it gave the pup something to chew on, lol.

If they're introduced properly they can learn to tolerate each other or even get on absolutely brilliantly and be inseparable like mine were.

Deuce · 06-29-2010, 05:03 AM

My dog and cat have a love/hate type relationship. There hasn't been any blood shed, but I have seen my cat "smack" Rizzo when he gets too rambunctious. Rizzo is constantly trying to get him to play, but the cat has no desire to play with him. However my bf has a kitten that loves to play with Rizzo, everytime I take Rizz to my bfs place with me they just play and play and give us both some time off. Super relaxation time for us, lol, then the get so worn out that we get to sleep in

kdhawks · 06-29-2010, 05:13 AM

My college roommate had a cat and she and my yorkie got along well enough. They didn't "play" much - their relationship consisted mostly of Stella (cat) ignoring Levi and staring at him from high-up places in the apartment, like the top of the entertainment center. They would occasionally chase each other around, but for the most part, Stella ignored Levi and he learned to deal with it.

nana911 · 06-29-2010, 05:42 AM

I don't think the cat/dog issue is not so much breed specific as personality/individual animal specific. My bff has a rat terrier that unlike your brother's really has a dislike for her cats. I have 2 yorkies, a maltipoo and a large mutt, they all get along great with the cats. Just going to be on a case to case basis. The cats cleans the dog's eyes for them..LOL I think if introduced properly and given time yorkie and cat will do fine. Just don't push them.

chachi · 06-29-2010, 05:48 AM

I have a lot of experience with yorkies and cats and I have found that if the yorkie is an adult and the cat is an adult and they don't get along they may never get along. For best results a kitten is best to introduce to an adult yorkie. Mine have always accepted kittens and they cohabitant fine because the kitten grows up with the yorkie

CouversMom · 06-29-2010, 06:55 AM

My first yorkie came after my cats, but my cats were still kittens. They accepted him just fine and even play with him. My second yorkie came and my cats were adults. They seem to ignore her because they feel they are above her. They do get along fine, and there are no issues.

I would say that introductions are best when both animals are young and can form a bond and understanding.

fifeandshaffer · 06-29-2010, 08:23 AM

I have a cat named madison i adopted from death row about 8 years ago, maddie was never a fan of cats she was born with no legs in the back and cats she lived with were mean to her, but when i got my 2 yorkies as puppies 6 years ago she liked the dogs, the one more than the other, my fife was a little more gentle with her and shaffer was always more in her face but she liked them both, My fife needed to be put to sleep last week and maddie really seems to miss him, she started to sleep in his bed and next to his toy box. I think if the dog grows up with cats he she doesnt know its not normal, like my dogs always thought it was normal that cats dont have legs, when shaffer and fife were at a friends house iwth me who has a normal cat that jumped on the counter both my dogs were in shock. Give it some time with your moms cat, your dog might cone around or learn to ignore or tollerate

Britster · 06-29-2010, 08:30 AM

I don't personally have cats but my dad has 2. One was a kitten and one was an adult when they rescued them from the shelter. Jackson came about a month later at 9 weeks old so he's been seeing the cats since he was young. He will still chase them and bark at them. There is also 2 other dogs there to egg it on so that may make a difference. 3 dogs vs. 2 cats is never good.

Jackson wouldn't ever hurt them but he just loves to chase and bark at them and it's VERY annoying. I would never live with a cat and dog together lol. Too much work and annoyance. The cats stay upstairs pretty much (upstairs is gated off) and if the dogs even hear the cat "meow" they all go running and chasing after them and freaking out.

I will say that Jackson one-on-one with the cats is not as bad. Sometimes late at night, a cat will come downstairs and Jackson just watches her walk and sometimes will hop down, and the cat will rub up against him and he's fine with it. So it just depends.

nana911 · 06-29-2010, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chachi

I have a lot of experience with yorkies and cats and I have found that if the yorkie is an adult and the cat is an adult and they don't get along they may never get along. For best results a kitten is best to introduce to an adult yorkie. Mine have always accepted kittens and they cohabitant fine because the kitten grows up with the yorkie

I never even thought of that. Very valid reasoning. With the exception of the yorkies being puppies when brought in, everyone else were adults when assimilated. The cats were first, when they were adults we brought in the adult rescue, Bear, then the adult re-home Baxter, then the yorkie puppies and everyone does fine. But, I would imagine that kittens would make the transition quicker...

trin7 · 06-29-2010, 08:44 AM

Darwin and Sidney (Bengal cat) have a very weird relationship. They love to play with each other - but surprisingly our 14 year old alpha Bengal cat, rolls on the floor and lets Darwin kind of beat her up and she just takes it. Darwin never seems to bite her and she never slashes at him but somehow Sidney got an infection in her ear and $239 later we don't let them "play" as much anymore. Not sure if this was from Darwin, but she's an inside cat only so we're not sure what else could have caused it. We used to have more cats and Sidney was awful to them, even to her own mom - go figure??

Teegy · 06-29-2010, 12:35 PM

A girl on my street walks her cat every day and Teegy can't wait for her to come out. My friends have a cat Olive, Teegy loves her and she loves to give him a nice back hander. I think well socialized animals will get along with each other no matter what they are.
My neighbours Yorkie Lola, plays with the chipmunks at their cottage. Is that not the cutest thing.

06-29-2010, 03:50 AM	#1
TrishaE YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Norfolk, VA Posts: 1	Do Yorkies get a long with cats? I am new to this site. I am a Maltese girl. I owned my Maltese since she was 8 weeks old. I love that breed. However, I wanted to get a companion for her. I knew I wanted to rescue a dog because so many dogs have no homes. I ended up rescuing a Yorkie from a lady who really did not need to own a dog. She rescued her from a shelter. Anyway, I spend a lot of time at my mom's house...she has a cat. My Maltese (Maddie) gets along well with cats and so do my brother's dogs (rat terriers). But the Yorkie (Gracie) does not at all. She paces the entire house looking for the cat. even when she smells her she starts to pace. I can't tell if she is nervous or in attack mode. The cat has gotten her a few times in the nose...but she continues to want to "get" the cat. When the cat runs away, Gracie won't try and get her she stands close to her and barks. I don't know what to do. Will they ever get along? Any ideas?

06-29-2010, 04:04 AM	#3
stingraylady I found Yorkie love Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Guelph, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,488	My yorkie and my cat have a 'love, hate' relationship. Ruby(yorkie) just loves to go after Molly's(cat) tail. Molly will usually his or try and swat and then Ruby stands there and barks while Molly stands there and gives the stoic look like "knock it off". Molly has claws, so Ruby knows how far she can push it. __________________ Cathy www.furbabyfashionhouse.ca Handmade clothing for your furboys and furgirls.

06-29-2010, 04:36 AM	#4
Pixie Girl YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Byron Center Posts: 515	Pixie and our cat Princess get along pretty well together. There at times that they are rolling around on the floor and times when Princess has had enough and will swap her with a paw, but Princess front paws are declaw. So it is kind of a love and hate relationship. They will nose each other and sometimes I find Princess grooming Pixie. __________________ Pixie Girl & Pixie Dust

06-29-2010, 04:42 AM	#5
alyx Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: UK Posts: 68	My first yorkie was brought up with a kitten and they remained the best of friends throughout their lives. We had other dogs and cats but these two were very close. It came in handy having a kitten as well as a puppy as it gave the pup something to chew on, lol. If they're introduced properly they can learn to tolerate each other or even get on absolutely brilliantly and be inseparable like mine were. __________________ "We are all lying in the gutter, but some of us are looking up at the stars."

06-29-2010, 05:13 AM	#7
kdhawks Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 2,359	My college roommate had a cat and she and my yorkie got along well enough. They didn't "play" much - their relationship consisted mostly of Stella (cat) ignoring Levi and staring at him from high-up places in the apartment, like the top of the entertainment center. They would occasionally chase each other around, but for the most part, Stella ignored Levi and he learned to deal with it. __________________ katy&levi

06-29-2010, 03:55 AM	#2
BaxtersMommy Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 2,362 Blog Entries: 1	We have two cats and the yorkies are always going up to them kissing their face. Most of the time the cats are fine, but some days they are a little moody and they will hiss. The yorkies just don't understand it, they get their feelings hurt. HAHA But, every morning we wake up, the cats and the yorkies are curled up together in the bed. So, they all like each other real well. Cats are funny and some days even I have to stay away from them. lol

06-29-2010, 05:03 AM	#6
Deuce No Longer a Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,717 Blog Entries: 1	My dog and cat have a love/hate type relationship. There hasn't been any blood shed, but I have seen my cat "smack" Rizzo when he gets too rambunctious. Rizzo is constantly trying to get him to play, but the cat has no desire to play with him. However my bf has a kitten that loves to play with Rizzo, everytime I take Rizz to my bfs place with me they just play and play and give us both some time off. Super relaxation time for us, lol, then the get so worn out that we get to sleep in

06-29-2010, 05:42 AM	#8
nana911 threadkillin' 6 pack Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: USA Posts: 1,242	I don't think the cat/dog issue is not so much breed specific as personality/individual animal specific. My bff has a rat terrier that unlike your brother's really has a dislike for her cats. I have 2 yorkies, a maltipoo and a large mutt, they all get along great with the cats. Just going to be on a case to case basis. The cats cleans the dog's eyes for them..LOL I think if introduced properly and given time yorkie and cat will do fine. Just don't push them. __________________ lorelei, wife to gerry , momma to bear , baxter ,baby and bug

06-29-2010, 05:48 AM	#9
chachi I Love My Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 37,147	I have a lot of experience with yorkies and cats and I have found that if the yorkie is an adult and the cat is an adult and they don't get along they may never get along. For best results a kitten is best to introduce to an adult yorkie. Mine have always accepted kittens and they cohabitant fine because the kitten grows up with the yorkie __________________ Chachi's & Jewels Mom Jewels http://www.dogster.com/?132431 Chachi http://www.dogster.com/?132427

06-29-2010, 06:55 AM	#10
CouversMom and Khloe Mae's too! Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Eastern Washington Posts: 14,732	My first yorkie came after my cats, but my cats were still kittens. They accepted him just fine and even play with him. My second yorkie came and my cats were adults. They seem to ignore her because they feel they are above her. They do get along fine, and there are no issues. I would say that introductions are best when both animals are young and can form a bond and understanding. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Michelle- mommy to Couver and Khloe Mae! http://yorkiehavenrescue.com/

06-29-2010, 08:23 AM	#11
fifeandshaffer YT Addict Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: cherry hill, nj usa Posts: 306	I have a cat named madison i adopted from death row about 8 years ago, maddie was never a fan of cats she was born with no legs in the back and cats she lived with were mean to her, but when i got my 2 yorkies as puppies 6 years ago she liked the dogs, the one more than the other, my fife was a little more gentle with her and shaffer was always more in her face but she liked them both, My fife needed to be put to sleep last week and maddie really seems to miss him, she started to sleep in his bed and next to his toy box. I think if the dog grows up with cats he she doesnt know its not normal, like my dogs always thought it was normal that cats dont have legs, when shaffer and fife were at a friends house iwth me who has a normal cat that jumped on the counter both my dogs were in shock. Give it some time with your moms cat, your dog might cone around or learn to ignore or tollerate

06-29-2010, 08:30 AM	#12
Britster Action Jackson ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 17,814	I don't personally have cats but my dad has 2. One was a kitten and one was an adult when they rescued them from the shelter. Jackson came about a month later at 9 weeks old so he's been seeing the cats since he was young. He will still chase them and bark at them. There is also 2 other dogs there to egg it on so that may make a difference. 3 dogs vs. 2 cats is never good. Jackson wouldn't ever hurt them but he just loves to chase and bark at them and it's VERY annoying. I would never live with a cat and dog together lol. Too much work and annoyance. The cats stay upstairs pretty much (upstairs is gated off) and if the dogs even hear the cat "meow" they all go running and chasing after them and freaking out. I will say that Jackson one-on-one with the cats is not as bad. Sometimes late at night, a cat will come downstairs and Jackson just watches her walk and sometimes will hop down, and the cat will rub up against him and he's fine with it. So it just depends. __________________ ~ Brit & Lights! Camera! Jackson! CGC ETD TKP ~ Follow Jackson on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacksontheterrier

06-29-2010, 08:44 AM	#14
trin7 YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: BC, Canada Posts: 554	Darwin and Sidney (Bengal cat) have a very weird relationship. They love to play with each other - but surprisingly our 14 year old alpha Bengal cat, rolls on the floor and lets Darwin kind of beat her up and she just takes it. Darwin never seems to bite her and she never slashes at him but somehow Sidney got an infection in her ear and $239 later we don't let them "play" as much anymore. Not sure if this was from Darwin, but she's an inside cat only so we're not sure what else could have caused it. We used to have more cats and Sidney was awful to them, even to her own mom - go figure??

06-29-2010, 12:35 PM	#15
Teegy Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 2,631	A girl on my street walks her cat every day and Teegy can't wait for her to come out. My friends have a cat Olive, Teegy loves her and she loves to give him a nice back hander. I think well socialized animals will get along with each other no matter what they are. My neighbours Yorkie Lola, plays with the chipmunks at their cottage. Is that not the cutest thing.