Are Puggles Good With Cats? Facts & FAQ

If you already have cats in your home and want to add a Puggle to the mix, it’s important to ensure they’ll get along before you bring one home. The good news is that, usually, Puggles get along just fine with cats. In fact, both Pugs and Beagles are among the most likely dog breeds to get along with cats, so no matter which parent breed your Puggle takes after, you shouldn’t need to worry too much. However, keep in mind that every pet will have their own personality and temperament, so just because they’re a Puggle doesn’t mean they’ll always get along with your feline friends! This is where proper socialization comes into play.

Preparing Your Puggle to Meet a Cat

While your Puggle will likely get along great with your cat, there are a few things you can do to help ensure the interaction goes as smoothly as possible. Start by teaching you Puggle some basic commands. Commands, like sit, stay, and down, can make a big difference and deescalate a situation when you need to.

Next, try to ensure you wear out your Puggle a bit so they’re not full of pent-up energy for the first meeting. You don’t want to wear them completely down, but you also don’t want a Puggle bursting at the seams.

Introducing Your Puggle to a Cat

Once you have your Puggle ready to meet your cat, it’s time to make some introductions. Start by introducing both pets to the other’s scent. From there, slowly introduce them to each other, ideally in a neutral location with minimal distractions.

Also, ensure you have control over both pets. That way, if things start to escalate, you can intervene. If you don’t see any problems, you can slowly leave them together more, but if things start to deteriorate, you’ll need to go slower with the introductions.

What to Do if Your Puggle Doesn’t Like Cats

While most Puggles get along just fine with cats, sometimes you end up with a dog that simply doesn’t like other animals. While you need to be careful in these types of situations, often, with a bit of training, you can at least get your Puggle to tolerate them.

The first thing you need to do is desensitize your dog to cats. Put your Puggle in a location where they can see the cat but not get to them, and then reward them when they’re not reacting. Slowly introduce them while they’re on a leash, and if these methods aren’t working, seek out professional help.

Are Puggles Good With Other Types of Pets?

While puggles are generally good with cats, you do need to be a bit more careful with them around other types of pets, especially at first. That’s because they can take after their Beagle parent, which is a classic pack-hunting dog.

Because of this, they don’t always react the best to smaller pets like ferrets and guinea pigs. Get to know them during the first few introductions, and if your Puggle accepts them as a member of the pack, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. However, don’t leave the two unsupervised unless you are 100% confident.

Final Thoughts

While you generally can have both a Puggle and a cat in the same home, you don’t want to take anything for granted when making introductions or getting a new pet. If you have the opportunity to introduce your current before you bring one home, we highly recommend it! If not, you’ll have to work slowly, allowing the two to get familiar with the other’s scent before making face-to-face introductions.

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Featured Image Credit: Mary Swift, Shutterstock