Do Huskies Kill Cats? (And What You Can Do About It)

The thing is that dogs and cats cannot tolerate each other well, so in this guide, we will be looking at the question that so many people have been asking, "Do huskies kill cats?"

This question is mostly asked by Husky owners and lovers, but there are some exceptions to the fact that dogs and cats cannot tolerate each other well.

And we won’t only be looking at whether Huskies do kill cats or not, but also at what you can do about it, especially if it is true.

One of the major worries of Husky owners and lovers when bringing a cat home with their Husky is that they always worry about whether they will tolerate each other well or not.

But the truth is, generally, Huskies do not get along well with cats, and this is because they possess a strong prey drive, so I will strongly advise you to also monitor them, especially when they are alone with small animals.

This is to say that there’s a potential risk of harm to a cat if you leave it alone with a Husky, although there’s a way to get them to tolerate each other well.

This is where early socialization and proper training come in, as in this case, they are helpful in that they help a Husky get along with a cat quite well.

Even though Huskies will never see smaller animals as equals, there is still a way to help them get along with smaller animals, in this case, cats.

So, this is to say that you can have a Husky and still bring a cat home, so read this guide through till the end to see whether Huskies kill cats and, if they do, what you can do about it.

Do Huskies Kill Cats?

Going back to the question, the truth is that every Husky is capable of killing a cat, which unfortunately has happened in a good amount of time.

However, you shouldn’t be too shaken or worried about that because this does not mean Huskies go after every cat they cross paths with.

Can A Husky Kill A Cat?

With the main question of this guide being answered and explained, we can now move on to other important related questions, one of which is "Can a Husky kill a cat?"

So, the short answer to this question is yes, a Husky can kill a cat because an average Husky is quite capable of killing a cat.

The Husky breed is very well-known for killing cats, as there are so many cases of this happening to back it up, and this is quite unfortunate.

Why Don’t Huskies Get Along With Cats?

The Huskies were initially bred as sled dogs, and they’ve lived wildly in the cold northern areas, which were in severe conditions.

And, with that being said, in places where the Huskies were bred, food was hard to find, in places like the snowy wastelands of Siberia and Alaska.

So, the Huskies resulted in the hunting of small animals that could be eaten as food due to the scarcity of food in their locations.

To then answer the question, "Why don’t Huskies get along with cats?" It comes down to the fact that Huskies possess a strong prey drive, so it will be quite impossible to quench the desire of this dog breed to hunt down cats.

It is not advisable to leave your Husky alone with a cat unsupervised, as the strong prey drive it inherits from its ancestors can get activated at any time.

This is to say that even though Huskies can tolerate cats, it is still not advisable to leave cats alone with Huskies.

Even though Huskies possess this strong prey drive, they are still one of the kindest dog breeds we have, especially to humans and other dogs.

The desire for Huskies to hunt down cats is their instinct, so we will say it is not their fault, and this desire can be contained through proper training and early socialization.

What To Do About It

So, as mentioned above, this guide will be all about whether Huskies do kill cats or not, and if they do, what can you do about it?

And, since you now know that Huskies do kill cats, which is due to their strong prey drive, what can you do about it?

The Early Adjustment Method

Start Early

This has to do with the early socialization of your Husky with cats. So, since your Husky is a puppy, you have to train it to get along with cats.

It is strongly advisable to begin the proper and effective training of your pooch as soon as it gets vaccinated.

Monitor Introductions

This is the part where you always monitor your Husky whenever it is around small animals—cats in this case.

Leashed Encounters

Before introducing your Husky to cats, make sure it is on a leash, but you should also be careful not to make the leash tight, as this might bring about stress or tension, which is certainly not useful in this situation.

However, make sure you are in control of your pooch and that the interaction of your Husky with the cat and you is healthy and high-yielding.

Off-Leash Encounters

After the leashed encounters, if you observe that your husky is getting along well with cats, you can then move on to off-leash encounters.

You may only proceed with off-leash encounters if your pooch is displaying no negative behaviors towards cats.

Observe For Aggression

Observe whether your pooch starts to use its teeth inappropriately while playing or mouths too much because these are signs of an aggressive dog.

You should stop the play at once if your pooch becomes too rough. Just make sure you remove your Husky and the cat if there’s any sign of tension or stress.

Final Thoughts

Training will only help you contain the strong prey drive of your Husky, and you should also make sure to train your Husky to always listen to you.

There are also other animals such as chickens, sheep, goats, parrots, hamsters, and so on that Huskies can kill.

There are still some other related questions to the main question of this guide that are being asked, but this guide has covered the important details of whether Huskies do kill cats or not and what can be done about it.

So, the thing is, Huskies do not get to tolerate cats naturally. You train them to do so, but still, you have to always supervise your pooch whenever it’s alone with cats or even some other small animals.

This will then be the conclusion of this guide, as the answer to the question "Do Huskies kill cats?" has been answered.

Behavior Husky