We all know that there is a big divide between dog lovers and cat lovers. Dog lovers appreciate the loyalty and companionship that hounds bring while cat lovers will tell you their felines nonchalance style affection is unique to cats.
Are Beagles good with cats? Yes, they can be. With the right socialization, they can be great friends and live in peace with each other.
In this article, we are going to talk about dogs (Beagles in particular), cats, and whether they can co-exist happily.
Not every breed of dog or breed of cat is compatible with each other.
Some pedigree cats should very much be the only pet in the household while some dogs just can’t shake their natural hunting instincts.
Beagles, however, are great companions for both cats and humans. Here is why.
But before we begin if you live in an apartment you should read this article on are Beagles good for apartments.
Table of Contents
Beagles; The History
Beagles come from a long line of hound dogs. These dogs were bred for sniffing out prey and alerting their masters.
While these dogs are great with their noses, they were not designed to chase or physically hunt their prey, rather to help the gunman or hunter find theirs.
Because of this, they do not have a particularly strong chasing instinct.
Neither hyperactive nor sedentary, the beagle has been bred to be the perfect well-mannered pet that will be obedient, easy to train, and helpful to their human owners.
Are Beagles Good With Cats?
Thanks to their good nature and lack of chasing instinct, beagles, and cats get on surprisingly well.
These pooches may well want a good sniff of your feline friend and will probably alert you when they find them curled up on a chair or under the bed.
However, they won’t chase after them when they are playing or torment them when they are trying to sleep.
As long as you properly introduce your cat to your dog and you desensitize their scent, you will have a happy and loving friendship between your pets for life.
Beagles and Cats; FAQ’s
“How do I desensitize my dogs’ sense of smell?”
This is really important when introducing a cat into the home because if your dog is constantly trying to sniff them out it will irritate your cat and frustrate your dog.
Try laying a blanket your cat uses on your dogs’ bed so that the smell of the cat infuses with the smell of himself. As your dog smells this he will become desensitized to it.
“How do I socialize my cat and dog?”
To start with, introduce them when they are both calm (preferably after a walk and when your cat has just woken up).
Monitor them and allow them to smell each other or take a bit of interest. Then separate them after a positive 5 minutes.
Repeat this several times slowly lengthening the positive time.
If one of your pets does something you are not happy with then remove them immediately and try again the following day for a shorter period.
Cats and dogs really can live happily together. So are beagles good with cats? You bet!