Black Labs are sweet angels-and I am not only the one who is saying it but there are many people who agree with this. Black Labs make good family dogs. They are said to be good with children. But what about cats? Is the bonding between black Lab and cats like as shown in movies? Or they get good chums?
Are Black Labs good with Cats?
Yes, black Labs get along with cats very well if he is well trained. Sometimes if not trained properly they can chase cats and growl at them, making them enemies. So, make sure you introduce them properly and train your Lab to avoid chaos.
How to introduce a Black Lab to Cats?
Introducing a black Lab to cats properly is essential for fostering a healthy relationship. If you are already a cat parent and brought a black Lab to home, here’s how to introduce them to each other:
- Train your black Lab basic commands before meeting like sit, stand, look at me, leave it.
- Set up a personal space for your cat like high perch, cozy nook where your cat can have its own time.
- Keep your black Lab out of the sight of cat for first few days.
- Let them smell each other without looking at each other. You can complete this task by exchanging their beds.
- You can bring them close by giving them food at the same spot as our furry friends enjoy eating.
- After few days when they are aware of each other’s smell, schedule a meeting.
- Make sure you do not force each other to meet but instead you should make each other comfortable and let your cat escape if he wants to.
- Give your lab a treat to keep him calm and distracted. Keep him on a leash.
- What’s your lab’s sign of excitement and joy- like barking, intense staring, whining and wagging tails.
- Watch your cat’s sign of stress like growling, hissing and raised back.
- If one of the pets is becoming too tense, separate them, and calm down the pets.
- Schedule meetings for a short time daily.
- If the cat is approaching towards your lab, sniffing, then it’s a great sign that your cat is getting familiar with your black lab.
- Once they get familiar to each other, increase their meeting time to foster a healthy and loving relationship.
Tips to get success in developing a healthy relationship
- Start while they are young.
- Don’t punish your pets for reacting aggressively.
- Train your black Lab basic commands.
- Be patient.
- Make personal spaces for both your cat and lab
Why do Labradors chase Cats?
Black Labs with their curiosity, playfulness and instincts chase cats. But sometimes if they are unfamiliar to feline nature, it can lead to chasing behaviour. Some other factors that lead to chasing of cats includes boredom, lack of mental and physical exercise and over excitement. A moving cat seems a play time to lab.
How to calm a Black Lab around a Cat?
Black Labs can sometimes get over excited by seeing being a cat around them and it may become difficult to control them. But by following the given tips can help you to make them calm:
- Burn of excessive energy: Energetic black Lab gets more over excited than a tired lab. So, try playing fetch or train your Lab to get rid of excessive energy.
- Teach your Lab basic commands: If your Lab is a new member of your house, try giving training. The training includes giving basic commands like sit, look at me, stay and leave it. This really helps in calming down your black lab.
- Praise or give treats only when calm: When a black Lab is acting calm around a cat, praise or gift treats to him. This would tell him only calm behaviour is appreciated.
Conclusion
Black labs are furballs filled with enthusiasm and love. They are good family dogs and are often advised to new owners by professional. They get good chums with children. And with cats too! But with improper training and eager nature, they often chase cats (Uff..). But at the end of the day, they go well like best friends.
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