Are corgis good with cats?

Are Corgis Good With Cats? (What You Need to Know)

So, you’re wondering about corgis and if they’re good with cats.

You’re probably thinking of adopting or buying a corgi.

But you’re not sure if Fido will get along with Oliver.

In this article, we’ll talk about:

  • Safety precautions of allowing a cat and your corgi to interact
  • Different ways to predict if your corgi will accept a cat, or if a cat will accept your corgi
  • How to gauge behaviors and what to look out for when socializing them
  • Signs of a corgi that’ll likely get along with cats (and cats that get along with corgis)
  • Socialization of your corgi to kittens
  • How to introduce a corgi to your cat
  • And other FAQs

By the end of this guide, you should be able to have a solid understanding of whether or not corgis are good with cats, how to get them accustomed to each other, and signs/behaviors to help you out during the socialization period.

And if you have any questions, post a comment below!

Sound good? Let’s get your corgi a new feline friend!

Safety first

Note that behavior between cats and corgis is unpredictable, even for established relationships between the two species.

You should always consult a professional animal behaviorist for advice BEFORE allowing them to interact with each other.

The material here solely is to be used for educational advice and is NOT intended to be a program or substitute any advice of any degree whatsoever for your pets.

Do NOT proceed without consulting a certified animal behavioralist.

Doing so could lead to serious harm, physical trauma, mental trauma, or other consequences to your pets that could be irreversible. You assume complete responsibility and full liability for your actions. Proceed at your own risk.

Corgis and cats can turn on each other in a split second, even if they’re friendly with each other for extended periods.

ALWAYS exercise caution using controlled environments and under 100% supervision with a capable and competent trainer.

Are corgis good with cats? – Corgi and cat compatibility

A corgi sleeping, probably dreaming about cats.
Corgis can be socialized early to be friendly with cats.

Corgis are known to be very protective dogs to their entire family.

They’re not generally one-owner dogs and will bond with all family members equally.

They’re bred for herding farm animals, which is why they make awesome exercise partners or guard dogs to protect the home. So they’ll often round up family members all into one room- it drives them crazy if you’re all separated.

Otherwise, how does this relate to cats?

Because if you adopt a corgi that’s already an adult, you may be bringing home a dog that’s highly aggressive or evasive towards cats.

You don’t know the history of how it was raised, and you don’t know if cats are a positive or negative stimuli to it. This can be a problem.

I already have a cat, but I’m planning to get a corgi

A cute kitten ready to meet a corgi.
Bella may make her new best friend.

If you already have a cat and you’re thinking of adding a corgi to the family, the best way to do this is to adopt or buy a corgi when it’s young.

Early socialization to cats, people, sights, and sounds is critical for a well-behaved corgi.

This breed is known for its herding abilities and strong dominant traits to bark and nip at other animals (including humans) to get them moving.

After all, that’s what they’re bred for. Genes tell a story.

This is why adopting a corgi can be tricky if you already have a cat.

A corgi that never grew up around cats may have an aggressive or frightened reaction when you introduce them to each other.

While it’s not impossible to get the two accustomed, it can be difficult if the dog is older.

That’s why starting with a young puppy (8-12) weeks makes socialization easier to cats, but only if the process is done correctly.

The dog must have a positive experience with the cat or else things can go awry.

Even then, some corgis may never be able to be calm and relaxed around felines as they enjoy the thrill of herding and chasing other species.

And then you also have to consider the fact that cats may also be a wildcard.

Even if your corgi accepts the cat, the cat may not accept the corgi! There’s a lot of factors at play so there’s really no telling what’ll happen.

I have a corgi, but I’m planning to get a cat

Corgi meeting his feline friend.
Corgis may not welcome new cats, but there are always exceptions.

Corgis can be very territorial as they have a protective nature.

After all, they were used to protect entire acres of farmland and herd animals back in Wales.

Because of this, a new cat added to the family may be a threat to your corgi’s existing territory.

And this will cause aggressive behavior from your dog. This makes it difficult to gauge how your dog will respond to the new feline in the family.

And to make matters even more complex, if the cat is still a kitten, the cat may experience a negative reaction to the dog and this can lead to unpredictable behavior. If your corgi is older, territory and behavior patterns are already established.

This is a bad time to add a cat to the family, unless you know your dog has been socialized to cats. If not, they MUST be controlled when they first meet each other.

You already have a routine built with your dog and once the cat starts taking up your precious time together that was once all Fido’s, things can start getting ugly.

Excessive barking, whining, or abnormal behavior are all to be expected.

Do corgis and cats get along?

There is no absolute answer for this and it entirely depends on both the cat and corgi’s personalities. And there’s no way to tell if cats and corgis are compatible.

But the major deciding factor? Early socialization.

Getting a corgi as a puppy is the best time to introduce him to your cat.

When the dog is still young, they’re more accepting of everything.

You could even train your dog to let her be the dominant one in the household! This is the highest chance of success you can possibly get.

Early socialization matters

A frightened corgi.
Your corgi has the best possible chance to become friends with your cat if socialized properly.

Adopt or buy the corgi as a puppy and always use positive, controlled associations when they interact with each other.

Remember that this critical, “magical” period only allows for the first 16 weeks (4 months) of your dog’s life.

After this window expires, it’s very difficult to get your dog accustomed to anything- especially a new household member that’s an entirely different species.

If this isn’t an option for you (maybe the corgi is older), it’s not impossible.

You can inquire about the history of the dog:

  • Has he previously been raised around cats or other animals?
  • Has socialization work been done already?
  • Does he have a submissive or docile personality?

If the answer is a resounding “no” to all, you can still try by setting up a controlled environment and using best practices to introduce your corgi to your cat.

Even if you adopt a corgi that’s on the older side, it can still be perfectly happy with a cat companion.

There are examples of this all over the ‘net:

Depending on the corgi’s personality, he may accept the cat and become best friends and do everything together, just like you see in the movies.

So don’t be discouraged if you plan on adopting an older corgi and you have a cat.

Or if you already have an adult corgi and you want to adopt a kitten. It goes both ways.

Rules, tips, and tricks

A corgi that's not good with cats being constrained for bad behavior.
A corgi behaving poorly should be separated from the cat.

There are some tips that definitely help the process of getting the two species to get accustomed to each other.

Like any other habit-building methodology, it’s best to start early in your dog’s life as a puppy.

Even better, get a puppy and a kitten at the same time for the highest chance of success.

Here are some rules to drill into your corgi’s behavior:

The cat is off limits

You should never let your dog chase the cat.

Discourage this behavior by disciplining your corgi at an early age to lay down the foundation and set up good habits.

Don’t allow aggressive behavior

Any signs of aggression that the corgi exhibits should be controlled and assessed.

Find out what’s causing it. Is it something that the cat’s doing? Or is just the corgi’s natural behavior?

See if there’s a remedy to correct it. This can be tricky, so you may need the help of a licensed dog behavioral specialist.

Always use positive association

When the corgi and cat are allowed to play with each other, always make it positive.

Use treats, praise, and rewards for good behavior.

Try to match personalities

A calm, relaxed cat should be paired with a relaxed dog.

Don’t try to match polar opposites because this makes them unfit for each other.

Discourage negative behaviors

Separate them immediately when negative, unwanted behaviors are shown.

This goes for both of them. If your corgi gets too aggressive during playtime, separate them right away. This will teach the dog that “doing this bad behavior ends playtime.”

Corgis are smart dogs and will learn quickly, but you must separate them right when the behavior takes place. They learn by association and the window to show a cause and effect relationship between behavior and consequence only lasts a few seconds.

Know their personalities

You need to know both your cat and dog’s individual personalities.

One may be used to the other’s species from previous exposure, but the other could be seeing them for the first time.

This could lead to preventing unpredictable behaviors by obtaining this knowledge beforehand.

Check the dog’s focus

See where your corgi’s attention is being directed to.

Dogs that are only staring or dead set on watching the cat could be nothing but trouble for you and your cat.

Your dog could be waiting and timing his attack.

Don’t let your dog loose. Use a confined area or secure leash. He could pounce on the cat as soon as you unleash him.

Don’t be fooled by his temporary behavior while constrained on the leash.

After all, corgis are smart and can manipulate their owners, especially first-time corgi owners. The same can go for the cat. Aggressive cats that snarl, hiss, and swipe can be dangerous to your corgi.

See if there are changes in behavior

Check to see your cat’s diet changes.

Eating less could be a sign of stress or illness, which can be because of the dog. If she stops drinking, eating, constantly hides, or shows some other changes in behavior, this is a sign that your cat warrants a vet checkup.

The same goes for your corgi. If he suddenly has a change in diet, exercise, weight, or behavior, you’ll want to get him checked out by a professional, especially if the change lasts more than a few days.

When they first meet each other, changes in behavior is to be expected.

However, ongoing changes that don’t revert to “normal” levels could be a sign of sickness or stress.

Seek a professional animal behaviorist or veterinarian for help.

Watch for danger

Corgis that chase, pin, or lunge at cats already show very negative behaviors. You may never be able to get them to associate with each other.

Snarling, growling and barking are all signs that your corgi would prefer to be alone. The same goes for a cat that growls, scratches, or tries to flee constantly from your dog.

Don’t force things. If it doesn’t work out, then it doesn’t work out.

Mind the chasing

Dogs love to chase, especially corgis. If your corgi chases a cat that constantly runs away, this can be a repeated trigger for the dog to constantly chase the cat away.

You want to stop the behavior right away before he keeps doing it over and over. Cats can also exhibit chasing to dogs, so it’s not only the corgi’s fault.

Only allow interaction within controlled environments

This goes without saying. They should only be able to make contact, play, or otherwise see each other when the environment is controlled.

A “controlled” environment means:

  • You can easily step in and intervene to stop bad behavior
  • Both the dog and cat can easily escape
  • There’s always at least one person supervising their interaction (two if possible- one for each species)
  • This can be done through the use of crates, perches, x-pens, and more.

How to introduce a corgi to cats

Whatever the situation you have going on, you want to make sure that both your corgi and cat are in a controlled environment.

Even if you’re 100% sure that your dog is properly socialized and accepting of cats, you still don’t know how the cat will react to the dog.

And we’ve all seen plenty of cartoons to know that dogs and cats are polar opposites.

Use a confined environment

Start by using an x-pen for the dog and a perch or tall pen for the cat. They should be within a few inches of each other, but not close enough for them to contact each other (a paw’s length).

Be careful because the cat can scratch your corgi, and your corgi can nip your cat with its long muzzle.

Some people recommend that the cat have free reign with the dog confined to a crate or pen. If you’re sure that they can’t hurt each other, this is acceptable.

The American Humane Society for Pets suggests that the dog be taken to another room to allow the cat to check out the smell of the dog.

Assess their behaviors

See and gauge how they react. They’ll likely be extremely curious. One will assert dominance right away (probably the corgi) and scare the other.

This will go on for a few minutes and eventually they may calm down.

You’ll want to make them “bored” of each other before moving to the next step. This will take several exposures for set time intervals over the course of many days.

Be patient

You can reward them with treats during the process and try to associate it with good emotions.

Your cat should have an escape route so it doesn’t feel trapped. Use a high perch so it has a bird’s eye view, but not too tall where it can jump into the dog’s pen.

Wait for the corgi to get comfortable with the cat

After you’ve reached the point where they no longer express aggressive behavior, you can slowly allow them to touch each other at a paw’s distance.

If your dog or cat exhibits signs of aggression or fear, lower your expectations and go back a step. You must do this or else it can lead to injuries or trauma.

Slowly allow on-leash exploration and interaction between your corgi and cat

Eventually, assuming everything goes right, you should be able to leash your dog and let your cat approach it slowly.

This will be the first time they’re allowed to fully check each other out, but it should still be only under controlled conditions.

Always use a controlled environment

Make sure that the situations you put them in allowing them to escape from each other quickly on their own will.

Don’t force them to make contact with each other. This is a recipe for disaster.

The dog should be kept on a leash and allow the dog to become bored and starts to divert his attention elsewhere.

The cat should also be calm and doing the regular cat routine- such as eating and using the litter box.

Things to watch out for

Here are two critical periods to watch out for.

There are some things you should be especially cautious of when letting your corgi and cat be together.

During feedings

When your dog or cat eats, this can be pretty dangerous if either pet gets nosy of the other’s food or protective of their own.

Some dogs are very aggressive and will resource guard their food. They may bark, snarl, or bite anything that they deem as a threat to their food (even humans), like this corgi:

You should never feed your corgi and cat at the same time, and never in the same room. Don’t let them ever see each other eating.

During play

When your corgi plays with his favorite toy, you may have seen him growl or bark at you when you try to remove it from him.

Maybe something like this:

Never seen it? Congrats. You have socialized corgi that doesn’t resource guard- his toys, at least!

Regardless, if you let your cat in the same room during playtime, the cat may end up getting curious and checking out the dog’s toys. If your dog is aggressive or protective, he may end up injuring your cat. Remember, curiosity killed the cat.

This is why you need to make sure that the cat stays away when you play with your dog. Toys like ropes, tennis balls, bones, and Kong toys should all be kept away from the cat.

Or just keep the cat confined to another room.

The same goes for the cat. When you play with your cat, don’t let your dog interfere. Your corgi may even try to claim one of her toys as his own!

Further reading

Here are some resources you may find helpful regarding corgis and cats:

Corgis can get along with cats

Corgi good with cat.
Corgis can be good with cats.

There are many different variables when it comes to pairing a corgi and a feline companion, but it’s definitely possible.

Just be sure to do your due diligence and ALWAYS use a controlled environment to prevent unnecessary harm, trauma, or negative experiences.

Because of all the possibilities, it makes it difficult to gauge on how your dog will react to the cat. Or how the cat will react to the dog.

But with some patience and repeated exposure (with lots of praise), you just may be able to make it happen. Like a disney movie.

What do you think? Have you had this experience before?

If you found this page helpful, please drop a comment and let me know. Or if you think it can be improved, please do the same!

Corgis are amazing dogs and their ability to tolerate cats only makes them one of the best all-around, versatile, and accepting breeds on the planet!

Thanks for reading!

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Anonymous
3 years ago

Thank you, I have recently been seeking for info about this topic for ages and yours is the best I have discovered so far.

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Ramiro
3 years ago

Dogs are loyal in general, but some of them to run are liable to run off if they see an animal they want to hunt, or prefer to lounge on the couch and let you do your own thing. Corgis were bred to herd sheep and cattle, which means they literally never leave your side. They follow you all over the house, and when you go into the bathroom, they wait outside until you’re done. When they’re little baby corgi puppies, it can be a little annoying because they also tend to gently nip at your heels, which is an instinct they have because that’s how corgis get animals to get back in line when they wander off. But once you train the nipping out of them, the fact that they hang around your ankles all the time feels like true love. And every time they look up at you, it’s with a degree of adoration that you never knew was possible.