Are Shiba Inus Good With Cats?

So you are looking to get a Shiba Inu dog at this time?

This is a great decision, but you also have to wonder,

“Are Shiba Inus good with cats”?

That’s a good question, mainly because many people who want a dog tend to have a cat as well.

And as we already know, dogs won’t always play well with other pets, especially when it comes to a cat, to begin with.

You want to keep in mind about Shiba Inu because they are one of the friendliest dog species that you can find out there.

But here’s the interesting thing:

Not all cats are OK with this, and that’s where the differences between the two species will stand out. That doesn’t necessarily mean all Shiba Inus will be bad with cats, but most of them will.

So if you do want to have a Shiba Inu and a cat, you have to treat this cautiously.

These dogs are known that they take on the world, and they strive to be the best they can do.

However,

Shiba Inu does tend to have a bossy attitude. And that will most likely keep other animals away from them.

That’s why Shiba Inu dogs aren’t that popular if you already have another pet.

Here are some facts about Shiba Inu that will help you decide if it is the right dog for you:

Shiba Inu History

Shiba Inu is known for being a basal breed from Japan.

It predates the emergence of modern breeds. It appeared before the 19^th century.

The first time people saw and raised Shiba Inu was mostly in hunting villages.

Hunters mostly used them for hunting rabbits and birds, a small game.

The Shiba Inu will live anywhere from 12 to 15 years, sometimes even more.

They lived in mountainous areas, but more and more people adopted them as time passed because they were a pleasure to raise and keep around.

Many people don’t know that the Shiba Inu nearly became extinct during World War II.

This mostly came from a combination of food shortages and a distemper epidemic.

That epidemic nearly wiped Shiba Inus from the face of the earth, but thankfully, that did not happen.

The first Shiba Inu raised in the US was born in 1979, so this is still a fairly new breed for people in the US.

Nowadays, Shiba Inus are extremely popular worldwide and are among some of the 50 most popular breeds in the world!

Shiba Inu Are Great Runners

The reason behind that is simple. They are hunters at their core, and so are cats.

They have this in common, among other traits.

So even if you keep the Shiba Inu as a pet in your home, their instinct is to browse locations, explore worlds and have fun all the time.

However, if you keep this dog as a pet, you must have a leash.

If not, he will go and wander around all the time.

Not that’s anything wrong with it. Instead, you must know what happens and how to tackle that potential problem.

Since they are good at running, you will find it difficult to train them.

They still retain that bossy attitude as a dominant dog.

This means it can be difficult to impose respect on a Shiba Inu.

Even if it’s not the simplest thing to do, you need to give it at least a shot and try it out yourself.

It will be a great opportunity to consider, and the results will shine in the end if you do it correctly.

They Drop Their Entire Undercoat 2 Times Per Year

Believe it or not, the Shiba Inus are a double-coated breed, which means they drop the undercoat a few times per year.

And that means you will have a lot of dog hair on the floor.

It’s a bit problematic for some people, but you will get used to it as time passes.

These are not the types of dogs that have very thick hair.

So even if there’s a bit of dog hair on the floor, it won’t be that much, to begin with.

Learning how to handle maintenance tasks for this pet might take a bit of time.

But it will be worth it, and that’s exactly what you need.

If you’re feeling adventurous, check out my interesting article about Shiba Inu Pros and Cons.

Are Shiba Inus Loyal?

The thing to consider about any dog is whether they are loyal or not.

And in the case of Shiba Inu, things might seem a bit hard to figure out.

Although this is a rather dominant breed, they are known for being very loyal.

They like the idea of being with you and exploring the world.

But as we mentioned earlier, you do need a leash.

Provided that you pay him the attention he needs, you might even be able to train the dog quite easily.

It works exactly how you would expect, and it will be worth it in the end.

Speaking of that, these are very active dogs.

As we mentioned, they are hunters and always tend to run a lot.

So if you have a Shiba Inu, you can expect them to take you around the park repeatedly as you take them out for a walk.

It’s an excellent workout for you, but they also need it.

What About Shiba Inu Intelligence?

One of the reasons why Shiba Inu might be good with cats is that this breed is very intelligent.

Granted, it’s dignified and proud too, but at the same time, you will rarely find impressive and uniquely intelligent situations when it comes to pets like this.

So it makes a lot of sense to have a dog that understands cats and plays well with them.

Even if it’s somewhat rare to see something like this, it’s a unique situation for sure and something that you will want to check out and explore again and again.

Will There Be A Battle Between Your Shiba Inu And Your Cat?

You will notice right away about the Shiba Inus that they are very possessive.

They tend to chew just about everything they can put their teeth on.

This might even include your cat.

You do need to punish them if that happens.

That’s why the first encounter between a Shiba Inu can be a bit strange because the two species are not co-existing in nature in any way.

You need to distract the Shiba Inu and reinforce the right behaviors to avoid any possible problems.

That said, you want to feed them separately, at least for a while.

You will also see that the Shiba Inu will sometimes end up chasing your cat and even a few battles.

Again, the predator instinct might get the best out of them, which can be a problem initially.

The trick here is to raise them together; in that case, the Shiba Inu will even be friends with cats.

The main problem why Shiba Inu is not great with cats most of the time is that the prey drive is instinctive for them.

They will see cats as prey, and you can rarely do something about it.

Some proper training will be essential, so knowing and understanding how to handle the situation is just as crucial now.

On the other hand, some Shiba Inus are better with adult cats rather than kittens.

Either way, you can’t leave the two alone until you see the reaction and what happens.

It will be very hard to figure out the exact situation, which is why monitoring is a priority.

It’s quite problematic to leave them unguarded, as it can end up being more of a problem than anything else, so try to consider all of that as much as possible.

Should You Get A Cat If You Already Have A Shiba Inu?

More often than not, the answer will be no.

You don’t know how your pet will react in the first place, but since Shiba is a dominant breed, you can expect them to take control and even fight the cat.

There are circumstances where Shiba Inus will be the ones that end up agreeing with cats and having fun with them.

But they can also fight. It differs from one dog to the other.

This is why you can try to take him on a walk and approach cats in the park. This will give you a good idea of what you can expect.

Conclusion:

Having Shiba Inus and cats can be a double-edged sword for many people.

Sometimes it will be great; other times it will not be that good.

You have to find the right way to handle such a situation, and once you do that, you will be more than ok.

That being said, you can experiment with approaching cats in the park, as we mentioned above.

The only way Shiba Inus are great with cats is if you raise both of them early on.

If your Shiba Inu deals with cats from puppyhood, he will see it just like another dog and not make any difference.

But usually, Shiba Inus are not perfect for houses that already have cats in them!

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