hi i have 7 cats all indoor and happy just was thinking of getting a west highland terrier and was wondering if anyone knows how they would get along
my 2 older cats 3 years old got on fine with dogs my others are younger neutered been thinking about a westie or a yorkie not sure but it will be a puppy as think it would be easier bringing something small into the home and the dog will get used to them also was wondering about the cat food and litter trays would there be problems there
It depends on the dog, and on the cats. I have a very active, very playful Maltese and three wonderful cats. Two of my cats love my dog, and one of my cats can’t stand him. Have the cats ever been around a dog? Were you going to get a puppy or an adult? If you have a friend with a small dog, you may want to consider having her bring him over for a "test run", to see how your cats react to him. If properly introduced, there usually shouldn’t be a problem. 
Best of luck!
Do West Highland Terriers get along with guinea pigs?
7 Responses
2010 Feb 12
Given enough time all animals will get along with other animals, but with the terrier i don’t know, sorry
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2010 Feb 12
West highland terriers don’t even get along with other dogs, never mind cats. Its a very jealous breed of dog.
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2010 Feb 12
wow
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2010 Feb 12
Hi there
If you are bringing in a new puppy then it should get along just fine with the cats! although its not guaranteed the cats will particularly like the dog but you will probably find that the cats will keep the dog in its place. Just watch out for swiping cats claws near the puppies eyes. If the cats are hostile to the dog it will learn to keep away from the cats and then you can all live with no problems or you may be lucky and they will want to spend time with each other. My old dog was brought up with our cat. Our cat didn’t really like her but tolerated her. Although my dog absolutely loved our cat! Unrequited love!
yes a puppy is definately the best option. You may have to create a raised space for the cat food as the dog will really want to eat the cat food! We had a samll table that the cat could jump up to eat. not sure what you’d use for 7 cats! Do they all eat at the same time!? you should be okay with the litter tray as well once the dog has been house trained. You can train the dog so it knows not to go in the litter tray if thats what you want. Good Luck!
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Dog and Cat owner
2010 Feb 12
It depends on the dog, and on the cats. I have a very active, very playful Maltese and three wonderful cats. Two of my cats love my dog, and one of my cats can’t stand him. Have the cats ever been around a dog? Were you going to get a puppy or an adult? If you have a friend with a small dog, you may want to consider having her bring him over for a "test run", to see how your cats react to him. If properly introduced, there usually shouldn’t be a problem.
Best of luck!
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2010 Feb 12
I can tell you from experience that this is the best way to bring in a west highland terrier or any dog into a home with cats. Normally in my experience they would not get along, but because our cat was there before the dog was introduced, they sort of tolerated each other.
Hope this honest answer will help with your decision.
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http://www.madaboutwesties.com
2011 Apr 13
We have a Westie puppy and an 11 year old cat. The Westie loves the cat. But the cat doesn’t like the puppy. We have a low pet gate to keep them separate. The cat pretty much stays one the other side of that gate. The Westie would love to see the cat more often.