Are Rottweilers Good with Cats?

Are Rottweilers good with cats? Rottweilers have a reputation of being on the meaner, more aggressive side. This can make it challenging to try and have a dog in the same home. After all, it’s a widely popular thought that dogs and cats simply don’t get along, so it would be easy to assume your rough-and-tough Rottie is going to try and go after your kitty. But is this really the situation?

So, are Rottweilers good with cats? Yes, Rottweilers can be surprisingly good with cats. The key is to make sure that your Rottweiler is properly socialized and trained, and that you take the extra time and effort needed to make your dog and cat accustomed to each other. 

It’s a funny thought to think of a fierce Rottweiler and an independent cat sharing a room together, but it’s not entirely impossible. In fact, you might be surprised at how easy it is for these two pets to get along swell. We are going to discuss whether or not your Rottie is a good candidate for a cat in the home, and how you can make sure that they get along.

Why Are Rottweilers Good With Cats?

Now, we can’t speak for every dog or even every Rottweiler. It’s true that some Rottweilers are not going to be fond of cats, especially if they are untrained and not properly socialized. This is mostly due to the fact that Rottie’s are very territorial, so bringing another animal onto their property is going to make them a little antsy.

However, one thing that might put your mind at ease is this- Rottweilers are more territorial when it comes to other Rotties of the same sex. So, even if you hypothetically brought another dog into the mix, but they were different sex, you likely wouldn’t have too many problems, too.

What might shock you is that a lot of Rottweilers have a tendency to be just fine with cats. This can be a hit-and-miss type of situation, though, but for the most part, plenty of Rottweiler owners have found that they can have both pets without issue.

If you want to make sure that your Rottweiler is going to be good with a cat, there are several steps you, as the owner, can take. In fact, there are two major things to remember when trying to bring a cat around your Rottie and vice versa:

• Your Rottweiler must be properly socialized
• Your Rottie should also be trained

With these two things, you should have little to no problems with having a cat and a Rottweiler in the same area. However, you should never toss a cat into the same room as a Rottweiler and expect instant success. It takes time and patience, but the end results are almost always positive.

How to Make a Rottweiler Good With Cats

As we previously mentioned, a Rottweiler that is good with cats is going to be socialized and trained.

Socializing and training your Rottweiler at a young age is best as they will learn from the start and take this knowledge and personality to their adulthood and geriatric stage.

That being said, it’s also ideal to have a kitten and Rottweiler puppy grow up together.

In this way, the Rottweiler and cat will be able to grow up together and they simply won’t know any different. But- we know that this isn’t always the most ideal situation, in fact, most of the time, Rottweilers are brought into the home at a later stage.

What should you do?

1. Socialize Your Rottweiler

Socializing your Rottweiler- whether he’s 6 months old or 3 years old- is important. In fact, socialization is a skill that is going to keep your furry best friend from showing off his more aggressive side. The earlier you can start, the better.

When it comes to socialization, you are going to want to bring them around other people and animals as much as possible and applaud him with good behavior. You should also be very stern and dominant with your dog as he is acting up and showing any type of aggression. Handling his fiercer personality at a young age is not only necessary but easier.

That being said, if you are planning to bring a cat into the family, then you should allow your dog to socialize with cats regularly. Try and find a family member or friend with a cat and allow the two to be together, preferably when the Rottie is younger.

2. Train Your Rottweiler

Training is also massively important when it comes to raising a Rottweiler. Rotties have a tendency to be dominant and independent, and they will walk all over your feet and essentially do whatever they want to do- regardless of your thought and opinion! It’s best to handle this at a young age with proper training.

Training is going to help your Rottweiler be more behaved in general, but in terms of sharing a home with a cat, it will also make sure that your dog can handle himself properly around other animals. If you see your Rottweiler start to become aggressive or try and chase the cat, it will be easier to have him listen to a ‘No’ command when he’s properly trained.

3. Start off Slow

The last thing to remember is that you should always start off slow when introducing a Rottweiler and a cat to the same household. Don’t assume that they are going to hit it off right off the bat- which can happen, but don’t think it’s going to happen immediately.

You are far better off taking things slow. Start off by introducing the cat to the Rottweiler on a leash, just in case he feels a bit feisty. Also, make sure that you introduce the Rottie to the cat and not vice versa. Basically, your Rottweiler is going to be -pissed- if he sees another animal in his space, and you don’t want to start off on the wrong foot.

From there, you can do little bits of greeting and playing until they become more comfortable with each other. Remember- it’s important to go with the pace of your Rottweiler. If he’s comfortable, then you can release the leash sooner than later. If he’s anxious and upset, it might take a little bit longer.

You might also want to consider giving the cat and dog an article of clothing or toy that has the scent of the other animal. That way they get used to each other’s smells and it won’t be so concerning. You should also have a special spot for each animal so they have their own ‘safe space’ to relax and enjoy.

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