Buying a Whippet pup... But I have a cat?

i definitely think that although whippets do have a high prey drive, if they understand that the cat is part of the family, it will be ok. i do also think that it depends on the particular whippet, but i think with the proper introduction and with consistent supervision for a while, it could work out.

here's my experience:

personally, i own a whippet, and 2 cats (had the cats first, dog came later). they all get along great. i'll catch the 3 of them together all lounging around together in the living room all the time. but there is a stray cat that wanders around the neighborhood, and he is very interested in it..he looks like he wants to chase it, but never quite does (i think he would if i weren't there :). but i think he sees that cat as more of a "prey" type critter than he does his house cat buddies.

but before i got my whippet, i was worried too. but i wanted a whippet so bad, i wanted to make sure that it would be a possibility to have both. i dog-sit for a friend who has 2 whippets, i usually stay at her place while we watch them, but just to see how it would go i had them stay at my house with me and the cats. they were also just fine with them, which i was impressed with especially because they have never been around pet cats before (they've only seen strays outside). one was completely uninterested, and the other one barked at them once or twice.

it was after bringing my friend's whippets home that i had gained the confidence to bring my own whippet to our home. and they are all doing wonderful together.

Whippets are lovely dogs for the right home. My whippets live in harmony with smaller dogs, a cat and multiple critters (rats and mice). With the proper training and patience a whippet can be completely wonderful around cats and other small animals. If you are planning on rescuing a whippet I would strongly suggest introducing that whippet to a cat before making a final decision - while there are older whippets who are fine with cats, it is harder (not impossible) to teach an older whippet to leave a small animal alone as the prey drive is already developed. If you are planning on getting a puppy I would suggest training it that ignoring the cat completely is the only acceptable behavior. My whippets are in the extreme in that when the cat comes into the room they actually physically turn their head the other way (it's really cute). The best way to do this is whenever the puppy (or adult) shows any interest in the small animal give a firm "no" and then a "down" command and then PRAISE for a wonderful down. Remember that whippets are usually VERY sensitive and rarely, if ever, need a physical correction. Be saying "no" and giving an alternate behavior ("down") and praise you are teaching the dog that completely ignoring the cat is more fun than trying to chase/play with it.

Your breeder will have more tips for you as will your puppy kindergarten trainer.

Buying A Whippet

There seems to be two distinctly different temperament style in Whippets. (I've had three and one of my best friends is a Whippet breeder).

They are either kind and gentle or they are predators. Other characteristics are individual, as in any other animal, but it seems a Whippet is either a hunter or it's not. I have seen a genetic tendency as well in this regard.

My first Whippet had a kitten introduced to his world when he was 2. He never ever hurt the cat and they played together like brothers. He sucked at lure coursing tho, as he had zero prey drive.

My second Whippet I got from a top breeder. I had her less than a year and I returned her to her breeder at a big financial loss, as she tried to kill anything that ran away from her, including my Italian Greyhounds. After hundreds of dollars in vet bills, and having to let the dogs out in shifts, I had enough. I since been told by other exhibitors that her littermates have aggression (predator) issues as well.

My current Whippet does not live with cats at all. When we lived on the farm, she did kill a feral cat who jumped the fence into her yard. But she is so kind and gentle with my Italian Greyhounds, even the babies, that I doubt she would hurt a cat if I invited it into the home and made it clear to her that it was a part of the family.

As your cat is already there, you are ahead of the game. But ask serious questions about the pedigree, see how they were with cats and smaller animals. if your puppy is coming from a strong coursing line, my reccomendation would be to wait for a different puppy. Just based on my own experience, no scientific data to back it up!

Do not forget, a Whippet, like all sighthounds, was bred to chase and kill. It is their nature, it is the reason they existed in the first place. And once a sighthound is on the hunt, your commands mean nothing. They actually close their ears and concentrate on the hunt to the exclusion of all else.

Amelia,

I warn you about this question on here - I mean the answers you will get. Very few people on here understand sighthounds.

It's certainly possible for a Whippet and a cat to get along. It would depend on the specific dog, the personality of the parents, the socialization of the puppy, and the level of prey drive in that breeding. Most Whippets are NEVER safe around smaller animals. Because they are true sighthounds, I would never trust them around my cat.

The second your cat runs, he becomes prey. If your Whippet is even remotely prey driven, he may kill your cat.

However, if your cat is not typically afraid of dogs and doesn't turn himself into prey, and the Whippet has been properly trained and socialized, then you may have a shot at this.

I would find an EXCELLENT breeder of these dogs, one that shows and competes, and then ask her how her dogs tend to do around cats. Ask her if other people that have bought her pups have cats. Ask her about ANY "horror" stories about her dogs and small animals (including squirrels, rabbits, cats, small dogs, etc).

I work with both Italian Greyhound and Whippet rescues. I've heard the horror stories. Be very careful.

GL 2 U.

If the pup is young and it grows up with the cat it should not hurt it some dogs do chase cats in the garden but snuggle up in the house if your puppy is properly socialised with your cat it should become friends I know other people who have owned a whippet and lots of cats and they got along fine. I would buy from a show background rather than a working or racing background as they may have less chasing instinct

Whippets are very skinny, speedy, no longer all that personable, might nicely be somewhat neurotic, and are rather breakable. i understand of two people who truthfully have them, and that they are no longer a regular of mine in any respect - and that i admire canines. they're extra like having mice, and not a puppy mouse, merely mice. you're at an age the place it in trouble-free terms is wise to your mum to get yet another canines - you will quickly be off at school, and not have any time for any canines, no rely how plenty you think of you will. college is a blackout era for pets - your college artwork and the entire journey is plenty extra substantial and soaking up, and faculty isn't any place for a canines. All you elect is for one individual to feed your canines beer or pot, and you have a substantial disaster. no longer suited, so something you get now might stay with mum. THat having been pronounced, you the two might evaluate adopting a retired racing Greyhound - they're humorous as all getout, candy, dedicated canines, and in choose of residences via the masses. They get alongside with different life like sized canines, and are extra often than not person-friendly keepers. somewhat than getting a doggy, you relatively might desire to look into adopting some thing this is already an grownup, and a few thing which will slot in once you're long previous. A Greyhound might desire to handle all that, and is in trouble-free terms a bigger version of what you had in suggestions to start with.

a Whippet will do fine with the cat if it is raised with him/her. We have brought adults into our home with our cat and everything is fine. We have Ibizan Hounds and had a Borzoi in the past. I would not worry about the puppy chasing the cat when it is grown

whippets have a high prey drive, I sold a dobe pup to a vet with a whippet, now she wants another dobe and never another whippet, he kills everything that moves in the yard and as a pup would steal the baby diapers! give your cat a break, stay away from any dogs in the hound group.

good luck.

I don't think you can go by breed alone.... all dogs can have the possibility of becoming a cat chaser but they're much less likely to chase them if they grow up with them. I had 2 cats before I got my puppy and she just great with them. When she was a puppy she was alittle hyper and overly playful with them, but you correct the behavior and they learn not to do it. But.... my dog leaves my cats alone for the most part, but she DOES think other cats outside are something to chase. So don't expect your puppy to not chase ALL cats just because you have one. More than likely he/she will learn to love yours but still chase others.