Are French Bulldogs Good With Cats? How to Improve Relationship
Are French bulldogs good with cats? So, cats and French Bulldogs don’t get along, do they? That isn’t true in my experience since we successfully introduced our French bulldog to our cat in our own house. That doesn’t mean it will be the same for you! We had excellent results, and our French bulldog’s cat disposition was great (at least with our cat!).
Do French Bulldogs and cats get along? French bulldogs get along well with cats as long as the introduction is done carefully and steadily. Although all dogs and cats are different, there’s no reason why an older cat can’t get along with a French bulldog puppy when he’s young.
Do French bulldogs hate cats?
We all know that animals are territorial by nature. A Frenchies territory is his beloved owner in this case. Regardless, there is a widespread belief that dogs and cats are natural enemies; however, this is not always true. The French bulldog is widely regarded as one of the friendliest dog breeds. They are constantly looking for attention and would rather play with cats than be alone at home. On the other hand, we must all acknowledge that each animal is unique and may act differently toward animals of other species. However, by following the guidelines below, you can teach your French bulldog to be friendly to cats.
Things to Do before Your Frenchie Meets Your Cat
You may need to remind your Frenchie of some of the obedience training you gave him earlier in his life if you already had a Frenchie before getting a Cat. It would help if you went over it again to make sure the lessons are fresh in his mind so that he will respond quickly to commands and behave in a specific way when you want him to avoid injury.
It’s also crucial to choose a suitable location for your Frenchie and Cat to meet for the first time. Find a calm and controlled environment for the meeting, such as your home or a friend’s house with a dog-friendly cat, where there are no other animals than your dog and your cat.
How to introduce your French bulldog to a Cat
Prepare your Frenchie first
When another pet is introduced to the household, French Bulldogs who have not been adequately socialized can become extremely jealous. This means that you should begin obedience training and socialization even before bringing a cat home. I will give it a few months to make sure your French is ready for the upcoming changes at home. Preparing your French bulldog ahead of time will save you the trouble of having to break up pet fights. It will also help your dog feel less stressed.
To make it simple, you can do these tips:
- Set up a meet-and-greet with cat owners and their pets
- Let your Frenchie watch cat videos
- Play cat sounds regularly
- Introduce a cat’s scent
- Consider fostering a cat
- Train your Frenchie for basic obedience commands
- Let your Frenchie be around stray cats while leashed
Prepare your home
It would help if you were preparing your home for the cat’s arrival at the same time as you are preparing your dog. During the first few weeks, you must keep the two animals apart. This will allow the cat to adjust to its new surroundings and the dog to become accustomed to the kitty’s scent.
It would help if you did the following to prepare your home:
- Get a cat crate
- Set up baby gates
- Define cat and dog zones to prevent conflicts
- Purchase separate cat supplies; never let them share
- Set up a quiet room for the feline
- Train your dog not to seek the cat zone
Plan the first meeting
Now that your dog and home are both ready, it’s time to schedule their first encounter. This should happen a few days after you’ve brought the cat home. The goal is to get your new kitty to relax before exposing them to new stimuli.
It would help to keep your French bulldog leashed during the first meeting. You should also enlist the help of someone to look after your dog while you focus on the cat. Aside from that, the two animals should be separated but at a sufficient distance to see each other. Please pay attention to your dog’s reaction when it sees the cat. You can also start feeding treats to both the cat and the dog to make the experience more pleasant.
You should intervene if your dog growls or shows other signs of aggression by calling its name. Give your Frenchie a treat as soon as the adverse reaction stops. Your Frenchie will associate the feline with a positive experience if you treat and show the cat simultaneously. This is a good start, but meetings should be kept minimum. Even before one of the pets shows signs of stress, it’s best to end the interaction.
Supervise closer contact
After a few days of seeing each other from a distance, you can start bringing the two animals closer. You can allow your Frenchie to walk toward the cat, but always be in control of the leash. If your Frenchie growls or shows signs of aggression, take it away from the room. Repeat the interaction once both animals are relaxed.
Again, the key here is providing rewards. Give separate treats to both the cat and the Frenchie to continue the positive interaction. Over the days, you can allow both animals to sniff each other. Some cats will lick the other pet right away, which signifies that it’s comfortable and welcoming.
Repeat close contacts
Once your dog and cat have acclimated to each other’s presence, monitor their close interaction. It’s important to know whether the animals are roughly playing or fighting.
The following are the differences between rough play and aggression:
- Playful bites don’t dig into the skin or draw blood
- In the rough play, no animals are displaying a stiff-legged stance
- Growling is typical for rough play, but it shouldn’t escalate to a rigid stance
- The cat’s fur isn’t raised during rough play
- Neither the dog nor the cat is frozen or directly staring at each other during rough play.
- There are breaks in between rough play.
What to Do If a French bulldog and A Cat Don’t Get Along
It’s unlikely that a French bulldog and a cat will become friends if they’ve never met before.
For the pets to form a lasting bond, you should introduce them early on so that they can get to know one another before making judgments based on initial reactions. The dog should, ideally, have a personality that complements the cat. The bulldog’s approach is likely to scare the cat away if it is aggressive or overly dominant.
However, if your dog is timid or submissive around cats, it may also frighten them.
If your cat or dog becomes aggressive, it’s best to separate them for a few days so they can calm down. Cats are territorial, so if they become aggressive toward your dog, you should keep them apart for at least a few days. Reintroduce the animals after this time has passed by placing them together on a screened porch or behind a door while you are in the room with them.
If this doesn’t work, talk to your veterinarian about putting your cat on medication to help them cope with their anxiety during this time.
French bulldog Temperament
Bulldogs have an amiable personality and often get along well with other breeds. Some adjectives to describe its temperament include affectionate, mellow, and social. They’re also very fun-loving and enjoy the company of their humans. When around other animals, especially cats, they can be friendly or assertive depending on their mood at that moment. They enjoy being around people and don’t mind being held, cuddled, or kissed! This is one of the main things that make them a popular choice as companion pets.
How to improve the relationship of your French bulldog with cats?
Are French bulldogs good with cats? Are French bulldogs good with cats? Here are a few pointers to help you set your French bulldog up for success with the best possible relationship with cats. You don’t want to take any chances with this relationship. After all, even a single scratch from an enraged cat can be fatal to your French bulldog, especially if it has protruding eyes. A French bulldog that decides to attack your cat can be very dangerous. As a result, you want to do everything you can to help these two animals improve their relationship.
Start with a French bulldog puppy.
An adult dog can learn to get along well with cats, but raising your Frenchie from a puppy makes it more likely that they will see the family cat as a friend and family member.
Start with a kitten or known dog-friendly cat.
Some cats may never get along with a dog if they haven’t been raised with 1. Starting with a kitten or a cat known to do well with dogs is your best chance for success.
Keep eating areas separated.
Even the best cat and dog friends may be competitive over their food. Therefore, it is essential to create a feeding place for each and ensure they don’t interfere with each other while eating.
Keep your Frenchie out of the litter box.
There are many good reasons to avoid allowing your French bulldog to get into your cat’s litter box, but one of the reasons is that invading your cat’s space maybe because they fight between them.
Give your cat places to escape from an overexcited Frenchie.
French Bulldogs typically love to play, but they can sometimes be too much for a cat and not understand the body language the cat is sending to back off. Therefore, giving your cat somewhere to escape when your Frenchie is overwhelmed is essential.
Go slowly with the first meeting.
Whether you are introducing adult animals, a puppy, and kitten, or some combination, making the first meeting go slowly is essential. Slowly increase exposure over the first few months until your French bulldog is best friends with your cat.
Please don’t leave them alone together.
Especially at the beginning, it is essential not to leave your cat and dog alone unsupervised. As time goes on and they become great buddies, you may be willing to risk allowing them to be together, but there are always risks in this, and it may be best only to allow them to interact in a controlled environment with your supervision.
Conclusion (Are French bulldogs good with cats?)
Are French bulldogs good with cats? This guide isn’t a magic bullet for French Bulldogs and cats that will work every time in getting your French bulldog and cat to get along. All dogs are different and, just like us humans, have unique personalities. If you already own a cat, you should know her personality and what she is like with dogs. As I said, though, our cat hated dogs, but I think the fact he was a puppy and more petite than she played a massive part in them getting along. Just don’t force things; take things SLOWLY. And hopefully, you will see, just like we did, that French bulldogs can be good with cats.
