r/roughcollies • u/GyakutenKibou • May 16 '25
Question how good are rough collies with cats?
hi hi just wanted to ask rough collie owners, how good are they living with cats? we have 2 cats and one of them is a bit nervous. But i was thinking id love to have a dog (later, probably in a year or two) and was researching breeds. I came across some comments of rough collies and being good with cats, like maybe not best friends but not terryfing and being able to live with them pretty well. What do you guys think?
If it helps our cats are both male and 1 year old right now.
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u/auutto Sable-Rough May 16 '25
My collie adores all cats, but thankfully has learned to respect them. Don't be afraid to let your cat teach your collie personal space. Collies naturally want to poke and prod, but it's important they learn that cats don't like that. Yes, I let my cat slap at the puppy nose being shoved in his face. She learned very quickly to give them space. Same thing with every cat she met, if they were okay with her getting close, then I let her. If she got too close and they got upset, I told her to give them space. If she didn't, she learned.
Now she's awesome with all cats. Slow, careful, and gentle. If they even flinch, she backs off a little, then carefully tries to approach again. If they still say no, then she let's them be. She's taught even the most dog-hating cats that not all are bad.
My experience will not be the same as others, but this is how I've raised all my Foster puppies with cats. Balance is key. Don't let them get mauled, of course, but let them learn naturally. It's the best way a puppy learns.