Quite a few Pom owners would like to have a cat besides their pooch.
However, do Pomeranians get along with cats?
Read on to find out the answer.
You’ll discover:
- Why cats and dogs are NOT natural enemies.
- 3 common myths about cats and dogs debunked.
- Simple techniques to introduce your Pom to your cat (make sure to check out the ‘door technique’).
- And more…
Table of contents
Do Pomeranians get along with cats?
If your Pomeranian has been raised with a cat since both of them were little, they will get along. At that time they can quickly adapt to each other and bond. If you’re introducing two adult animals, there are techniques to determine if the Pomeranian and the cat are compatible.
Before bringing a Pomeranian to the cat or vice versa, it’s important to remember that both species communicate differently.
With the tips in this article, you’ll learn how to recognize both what your Pom and cat are telling you.
You’ll also learn how to introduce them to each other in a safe environment for the best results.
Myths about cats and dogs debunked
Have you used the saying ‘fighting like a dog and a cat’ recently?
While there is some truth to it, it is not valid for all breeds of cats and dogs.
Some canines simply get along better with felines than others.
Pomeranians are one example of these.
Let’s look at some of the most common myths that we’ve never given much thought of before:
#1: Cats and dogs are natural enemies
You probably remember some cartoons from your childhood in which hunting dogs chase after cats.
Well, if it wasn’t for the chase, these shows probably wouldn’t have been that much entertaining.
The cartoons reflect reality for cats that roamed free in the neighborhoods and dogs that were in yards.
It’s understandable that a dog would chase an unknown cat away from its territory.
The good news is that they’re surely not an indication of how the cat-dog relationship will be in your home.
Due to domestication, cats and dogs will not perceive each other as threats especially if they’ve grown up in the same territory.
#2: Cats are self-sufficient and prefer to be alone
Cats are friendly creatures and are more social than you think. That’s why they can make a great animal friend to your Pom.
People usually perceive cats as antisocial.
What most pet owners wouldn’t think about is, that cats are very selective. It’s not like cats don’t want to receive and give attention. They do but like to choose when that happens.
These furry friends are often content with their own company. They also need love and affection though. Their personalities vary.
You can either have a quiet and shy cat or a very energetic and expressive one. Depending on the personality, your cat might want to spend more time with you or alone.
Sometimes cats like to observe activities and not to participate in them.
#3: Only dogs are trainable
Dogs are known as these lovable creatures that are eager to please their owners. This makes it easy to train dogs to walk on a leash, housebreak them and teach them cool tricks.
Cats are not so much involved in pleasing because they’re more independent. They too can be trained to go in the litter box and use the scratching post.
What’s neat is that you can train both your Pomeranian puppy and cat to respond to a clicker. The clicker is used to reinforce positive behavior.
Whenever the animal does something you want them to do, you use the clicker and give a reward.
The idea is that the cat and the Pomeranian puppy will learn to associate the clicking sound with rewards.
Cat vs. dog communication
After puppies and kittens are born, they learn how to behave thanks to their mothers and litter.
That’s the time when mother dogs teach their puppies what behavior is acceptable and what not. Pomeranian puppies also learn bite inhibition which is very important in their interaction with other pups.
The kittens’ Mum teaches them about hunting, toileting, and interactions with others.
After the Pomeranian puppy and the kitten are taken away from their biological families, they will behave differently. That’s understandable and you can ease the canine-feline communication.
In time the differences in their body language and general behavior will stop confusing them.
When communicating with you, your Pomeranian puppy and cat could be very vocal. That’s how they get your attention. From there on, you should observe their behavior on a daily basis to be able to decode it.
Cat language
One particular action that is used to display love from your cat’s side is blinking constantly and closing its eyes. A lot of people mistake this for tiredness.
It’s not. If your cat is lying beside you on the bed or couch, with its eyes closed, it means it’s enjoying your company. It’s also an indication of trust.
This is your cat’s way of saying ‘I’m comfy around you’.
Happiness
If you’re lucky enough to pet a cat and it starts purring, it surely is a sign of happiness.
In other cases, however, purring could be caused by the cat being injured or is in pain. This could happen when a cat is giving birth or nursing her litter.
Some experts believe this is because cats purr with a certain vibration level that helps heal the bones. When the frequency is higher, purring could also help heal tendons and ligaments.
Affection
When your cat comes to you and rubs its head along your legs, and then pushes its head into you, it’s a sign of affection.
What might come as a surprise is that this also shows ownership. This is like saying ‘I love you and you are mine!’
Playfulness
It’s interesting to observe a kitty during playtime. Cats usually play like they hunt with the difference that while they’re hunting they move very quiet and unnoticeable.
Basically, they hide and jump to get the toy.
Sometimes cats squeak in a high-pitched voice which indicates playfulness. Another time when your cat could utter a squeak is to indicate it’s hungry.
Attentiveness
Cats are very aware of their environment even while they’re dozing. Each of their ears can move in a different direction at the same time to capture the sounds around.
If the cat is too alert and focused, it could turn aggressive. It’s hard to tell when this is happening because the cat looks way interested in something.
Aggression
When a cat has a tense posture, tight mouth, and pointed ears, it communicates aggression.
Another indicator is its eyes. Pay attention if they’re wide open and focused.
It’s very common to mistake the fear of a cat with aggression. The difference is, that when a cat is afraid, it hisses.
When a cat is confident that it can overcome the challenge it’s presented with, it’s quiet and showing the above-mentioned signs.
Your cat might display aggression when you try to rub its belly. A lot of animal lovers think a cat’s belly is an invitation for rubbing. Well, not exactly.
When a cat is exposing its belly, it’s because it shows you trust and wants to relax in your presence.
If you rub the belly, you might be tickling the cat and disturbing its peaceful moment.
Fear and submission
You know a cat is fearful when it is attempting to look smaller by cowering down and flattening its ears.
This shows submission. If you see your cat is frightened, give it some space.
It’s sometimes hard to tell if your cat is fearful or aggressive because the two states are often correlated.
If a cat is faced with an unwanted situation and cannot escape from it, it’ll likely become aggressive to defend itself. In an attempt to look scarier, it will arch its back. Contrary to the state of fear, this is supposed to make the animal seem larger.
Reasons for meowing
Meowing is mainly used for the purpose of getting your attention. Its meaning variates.
Meowing is typical for domestic cats. No cats in the wild use this method of communication. It’s likely domestic cats started using this method because humans weren’t that good at deciphering their body language.
If a cat meows, it is probably feeling ignored or unnoticed. Excessive meowing, on the other hand, could mean a female cat is in heat. You need to brace yourself, as this can go on for hours.
Pom dog language
You can recognize how a Pom feels by observing its body language. The key here is not to interpret your Pomeranians actions from a human standpoint.
For example, if your Pomeranian yawns, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s tired. Dogs do this because thanks to yawning they can lower their heart rate.
Just like you could get confused by the actions of your Pomeranian, so can your cat. It’s up to you to be the ‘bridge’ between their communication gaps.
To make sure you’re on the right track, pay close attention to your Pomeranian’s eyes, ears, mouth, body, and tail.
Happiness
Happiness is easily recognizable in Pomeranians. The more excited your Pom friend is to see you, the more it will wag its tail.
The body is relaxed and the tail is up. Plus, you’ll notice that amazing make-you-fall-in-love smile that Pomeranians have.
Note: If your Pom is laying down and its body is cowering or tense, that’s not a sign of happiness.
A big giveaway that your Pom is happy, is that it will want to play. Your Pom will then try to invite you by looking in your eyes, flashing that smile and circling enthusiastically around you.
It’s likely that you’ll see the play bow as well. You know your Pom is using the play bow when its hind is up and the front legs are stretched and touching the floor.
Aggression
Dogs ‘speak’ to each other all the time. The more you watch street dogs interact, or your own Pom with a canine friend, the more you’ll learn to understand ‘dog’.
This is crucial when you’re witnessing a potential aggression-arising situation. Understanding what’s about to happen is how you can prevent it on time.
Dogs show aggression not only through growling but also through baring their teeth and pulling their ears backward.
The pooch’s fur over the spine will be raised. This helps the dog appear bigger and more threatening to the opponent than it actually is. With Pomeranians, it’s hard to tell if their fur is raised because of the long double coat they have.
Keep in mind that if your Pom growls, it’s not necessarily a sign of aggression.
The critical way of evaluating if this is dangerous behavior is to look for all the other signals accompanying this one. Is the body tense?
Is your Pom baring its teeth?
Playfulness
On other occasions, your Pom will use growling during play. By doing this, it’s showing you that you should do the next move – throw a stick or chase the Pom.
When your Pom growls while laying down and its paws are extended, this is for sure an invitation to play.
Fear
Whenever a Pom is feeling fearful, it’ll try to look away from the threat (you or another animal).
The idea is that in this way your Pom appears non-threatening to what is scaring it.
If you tell your Pom off for something that it shouldn’t have done, he will likely look away or lower its head.
Many people think this is the dog’s way of ignoring them. In reality, this could be translated to something like ‘Please, don’t hurt me. I mean no harm.’ It’s submissive behavior.
If a Pom is too scared, it might start yawning to calm itself down. Or it could begin to drool excessively.
Note: A frightened dog might turn aggressive if it feels it needs to do so. That’s why it’s best to give it some space and remove whatever is causing its disturbance.
Submission
Submission shouldn’t be mistaken for fear. Submission is simply your dog acknowledging who’s in charge.
Your Pom might show you this by rolling on its back and exposing its belly. This is the ultimate ‘I trust you’ message. You can reward your Pom by rubbing its belly and saying ‘good dog’.
If you don’t show your Pom reinforcement of the submissive behavior, the Pom could take submission to greater lengths. An example of this is submissive urination. This means your Pom could urinate after you greet it.
Reasons for barking
Dogs are more vocal than cats. So, there could be a variety of reasons why your Pom is barking.
Some of these include: barking at a stranger entering the house, barking to signal the need to go outside, barking due to playfulness.
Reading tip: 9 Reasons Why Pomeranians Bark So Much
Poms are territorial and will not hesitate to emit a lower-pitched bark to send out the warning. Once Poms have smelled the object of the potential approaching danger, they could stop barking.
If the Pom uses high-pitched barks, this could indicate it has to go outside to do his business.
Or, the Pom could be thirsty, hungry, or maybe wants to play. Whatever the reason, it’s best to first let the Pom outside to make sure it can relieve itself.
Reacting to your Pom puppy’s high-pitched barks to go outside should be a routine. That’s one of the ways you enroll the pup in the potty training process.
If you don’t live in a house with a yard, you can put puppy pads in the bathroom.
Reading tip: How To Stop A Pomeranian From Barking (Click here to read)
Whining
Sometimes, instead of a bark, you’ll hear a whine. Whining is a sign that the Pom feels in need of something – like food or a toilet.
In other cases, when accompanied by other circumstances, it could mean the Pom is in pain. So, watch out and then you’ll be able to identify what your Pom might be trying to tell you.
Howling
Does it remind you of wolves? If so, it’s for a good reason. It originated from them. Howling in wolf packs was used to communicate when two packs were far away from each other.
Your Pom might mistake high-pitched siren sounds such as these of an ambulance or a police car for the howl of other dogs. Then, it will begin to howl, too.
How to introduce your Pom and the Cat
It’s time for that first encounter. It’s best to have the Pom puppy’s place and the cat’s place all set up.
If one of the animals is living in the house for quite some time, it has already established it as its territory. So, remember not to force the interaction between the Pom and the cat.
Whichever animal is the second occupant of the house, don’t forget to pay attention to your first pet.
Although you might be excited to shower the new family member with loads of love and attention, introduce the two pets before indulging in games, etc.
Only time and persistence will teach the cat and the dog to get along with each other. So, the sooner you start by giving them directions, the better.
You don’t want the Pom puppy to surprise the cat by finding it unprepared. It will smell it which will probably pique its curiosity to find the feline roommate. Don’t leave the first interaction to happen while they’re on their own.
Allow your Pom to sniff around the house and get to know it. Start with the room and areas in which it will sleep and eat.
Make sure the puppy is calm before you introduce it to the cat. If the Pom is scared, your kitty will frighten it even more. If it’s overly-excited, the cat might perceive it as annoying.
Make sure the Pomeranian puppy is restrained while meeting the cat. This will help both animals. The cat is less likely to perceive it as an enemy and the puppy will not have the chance to run after the kitty.
What’s super important is that you let your cat and your Pomeranian take their time by getting to know each other. Forcing them is never an option.
Advice on introducing the Pom to your cat and vice versa
- Stay calm. Raising your tone of voice or acting nervous around them can only make them feel anxious.
- Secure a safe area for the cat, so it can retreat to it if the meeting doesn’t go according to plan. This will calm down your cat if it gets scared.
- Reward each positive interaction by giving both of your pets treats at the same time.
- Remember to treat both the Pomeranian and the cat as your children. Meaning – love them and treat them equally.
Techniques to introduce your Pom to your cat
Separate them by a door
This will prevent the cat and the Pomeranian from getting into a fight. It’s advisable to do this with a door that has some space under it.
This way the pets will be able to see and smell each other but not cause each other any harm.
It’s best for one family member to stay with the cat while you’re with the puppy. This way you’ll have a good idea what are the reactions of both animals.
If the cat becomes upset, there will be someone to comfort it.
This will prevent the cat and the Pomeranian from getting into a fight. It’s advisable to do this with a door that has some space under it. This way the pets will be able to see and smell each other but not cause each other any harm.
It’s best for one family member to stay with the cat while you’re with the puppy. This way you’ll have a good idea what are the reactions of both animals. If the cat becomes upset, there will be someone to comfort it.
If one of your pets refuses to go close to the door, don’t bring it there by force. Let it be and try a different method of introduction.
If either your cat or Pomeranian stretches their paw, it’s okay. As long as the cat’s nails are retracted and it doesn’t intend to hurt the puppy it’s alright.
It’s good for them to touch each other like that because this will lessen the tension between them. It could also ease the first face-to-face meeting.
Crate your Pom
You can crate the Pomeranian if it’s used to a crate. This will help your cat approach it without fear for its life.
Additionally, you might wanna close the door of the room, so that your cat doesn’t attempt to flee the shared space.
Note: This is a method you should use ONLY if your Pomeranian puppy is used to crating. If it’s not and you proceed, you might teach it to associate the crate with negative experiences. Before the Pomeranian enters the crate, it should be calm and happy to do so.
Your pets will perceive the other by what behavior you show to them. Talk softly and calmly and encourage them to get closer to one another.
When both the Pomeranian and the cat seem content, let the Pom out of the crate. Do it with the help of another family member and do leash the puppy.
This way you’ll ensure it doesn’t burst with excitement after exiting the crate, as this can traumatize your cat.
Leash your Pomeranian
If your Pomeranian puppy is leash-trained, then this is a suitable method to use. Also if you have an adult dog that’s already used to the leash.
If the leash works for your Pom, put in on and let the Pom explore the house. If the Pom is in a good chill mood, walk him to the room with the cat.
Let the two animals smell each other between the door before you enter the room. Once this is done and they don’t seem hostile to one another, open the door and introduce them.
Your cat might jump on the higher places of its home but that’s okay. All is fine as long as the cat observes the Pomeranian and doesn’t show signs of aggression.
Besides, your Pomeranian will learn not to jump or chase the cat when interacting. Cats are very susceptible to sudden movements. Keep your Pom on the leash and your cat will appreciate it.
What if the Pomeranian and the cat don’t get along?
Although the advice and techniques in this article might help, they’re not a guarantee your Pom and cat will like each other. As individuals, they might not learn to get along.
When this happens, many pet owners choose to give one of the pets away. This shouldn’t be viewed as a solution. But you could call it an easy way out.
This being said, it’s very rare that a Pomeranian and a cat don’t get along after being properly socialized from an early age. And after they’ve been introduced to each other properly avoiding traumatizing experiences.
If, however, you experience behavioral issues from one side or from both, you should turn to your veterinarian or a professional behaviorist.
A dog trainer or a pet consultant might be able to help you solve this
If this doesn’t do it as well, it’s worth considering finding one of the animals a new home.
If you’ve taken the animal from a breeder, check if you can return them to them. If that’s not an option, don’t worry. Commit to giving the pet the home it needs and will be happy in.
For finding the most suitable home, consult with your vet. You can post in Facebook groups but take extra caution.
Do not give away your cat or your Pomeranian without a questionnaire. Also, it will be great if you do a home check before giving away one of your pets.
Warning: Do not post your exact location on social media. Don’t meet unknown people in your home or nearby.
Is it my fault?
If things don’t work out between your Pomeranian and your cat, don’t beat yourself up.
Sometimes, even though you try with plenty of dedication, things might not go the way you’ve hoped for. Don’t give up just yet.
Try different approaches and don’t be too quick to give up on them.
Still, if your pets are passing each other in the hallway, without attacking each other, that’s more of an achievement. They don’t have to be best buddies. You can perceive this as respect from their side.
Never postpone enforcing rules from the very beginning. From an early age the Pom puppy shouldn’t be allowed to play-chase the cat. If you don’t stop it this can become an issue when your Pom grows up as it will be used to this action.
Dogs are used to chasing cats as an instinct. But training your Pom obedience, you can easily cut the cat chase on demand. Use a simple command such as ‘stop’ or ‘leave it’.
Conclusion
With this info, you can dive in confidently in the new adventure of owning a feline and a canine furry friend!
Be cautious, have fun and don’t hesitate to shoot questions to a dog trainer, your vet or a certified animal behaviorist.