Do Pomeranians Get Along With Cats? (Explained)

There are dog people and there are cat people. The distinction is clear and each camp is quite defensive about their favorite pet. But then there are people who love both cats and dogs. That’s when problems arise. So what happens when you belong to that last group and your dog is a Pomeranian?

While most Pomeranians usually get along with cats, there are exceptions where they don’t. If they don’t get along, it’s safer to keep them separate. In extreme cases, rehoming one of them might be necessary.

So how do you achieve peace between those two different species? How do you make them get along together and even love each other? It’s not easy, but you can do it. This post tells you all about the complicated relationship between Pomeranians and their feline housemates.

Pomeranians and Cats

Pomeranians, once bred as guardian dogs, may have a strong instinct to chase small, quick animals like cats. Therefore, proper training is crucial.

A Pomeranian, weighing usually between 3-7 pounds, is often smaller than most cats. This size difference might lead a cat to view the Pom as prey, creating tension.

Pomeranians are lively and energetic, always ready to play and run. Such high energy can be overwhelming for a more reserved cat.

Every Pomeranian and cat has a unique personality. This means some Poms get along well with cats, while others might not. It all comes down to their individual temperaments.

Creating the Best Living Situation for a Pomeranian and Cat

Nobody loves a feud going on at their home. Not between humans and most certainly not between a Pomeranian and the cat. So how do you go about defusing the situation and bring the simmering animosity to an end once and for all?

For one thing, don’t keep their living quarters close to each other. Cats are territorial by nature and they eye the Pomeranian with suspicion every time it passes near the cat’s favorite toy, goes to drink from the bowl or takes a nap. So if they happen to share the same room or have their sleeping beds near each other, that creates enormous problems and lots of opportunities for fights to break out.

When you get them toys, make sure each gets the same number of toys and the toys look very much different from each other. This will minimize the chances for issues to rise regarding mistaken toys or even destroying each other’s toys. You’d be surprised the lengths those two will go to to score a point.

Finally don’t pour love over one and ignore the other. Share your love equally between them. Give them the same amount of attention and spend equal time caring for and playing with them. This will make them more accepting of each other and heal the divide.

Preparing Your Cat to Live With Your Pomeranian

Whether you’re introducing the cat as the new pet on the block to the Pomeranian or it’s the Pomeranian which is the newcomer, it’s important to prepare the cat in advance to this important housemate. Good preparation goes a long way to establish peace and create a loving relationship between those two.

It’s important that the cat doesn’t see the Pomeranian as a rival in your affection or care. It’s equally important that the cat doesn’t perceive it as a threat to its territory and food. Giving each animal its own territory to roam free of the disturbance of the other pet is equally crucial.

Bring both animals to the couch and shower them with love the first time they meet. This shows them that you care for them in equal measure. Don’t spring the Pomeranian on the cat like a surprise and hope that the cat will see the funny aspect of it. On the contrary, the cat will see the Pomeranian as an intruder who has no place in this house.

Preparing Your Pomeranian to Live With a Cat

As for the Pomeranian, it too needs some preparation before it can accept the cat. It kind of helps it get its bearings and adjust to a life with a cat in the house. So what applies to preparing the cat to share the place with the Pomeranian also applies here.

It’s true, the Pomeranian is by nature is more accepting of having another pet, especially a cat, in the house. But that doesn’t mean that Pomeranians are not also territorial by nature. Yes, they’re not as territorial as cats, but still.

How to Help A Cat Get Along With a Pomeranian

You should remember to instill the idea that they’re not rivals in your love or attention. You love them both and want them to get along together. So you should reward the cat with treats and petting when it behaves itself around the dog.

But what if the cat antagonizes the dog? Then treats are withheld. And you should explain to the cat why it’s being punished. Saying things like bad cat goes a long way into establishing the rules that the cat shouldn’t cross or break.

Reward and punishment are good ways to reinforce good behaviors and discourage the cat from taking its war with the Pomeranian to the next level. Don’t create opportunities for the cat to get jealous of the dog. So if you have the Pomeranian in your lap and the cat comes along, give it love and attention too.

How to Help Pomeranians Become Adjusted to a Cat

Pomeranians on the other hand, don’t need much encouragement to accept other pets. But when the cat acts up, this confuses the dog and makes them wary and on guard. So it’s important to reassure the Pomeranian with positive feedback that it didn’t do anything wrong.

If the cat slaps the dog, it’s important that you help the Pomeranian heal with treats and petting. This allows it to understand that what the cat did was wrong and that it doesn’t need to retaliate or avenge itself for the insult it received from the cat.

At the same time, you need to make sure that neither pet has a reason to have a grudge or a grievance against the other animal. Rewards should not have a lasting impact. For example, don’t reward the Pomeranian with an expensive toy. This sends the cat the wrong signal as it perceives the Pomeranian as a threat and rival.

Importance of Socializing your Pomeranian

While cats don’t care much for socializing, Pomeranians can’t live alone with the crazy cat all day long. It will just drive them nuts. So to help the Pomeranian adjust and maintain its peace of mind, you need to introduce it to other animals of the same species.

Taking your Pomeranian to the park for some fresh air helps it get the bad vibes that the cat stirred out of its system. It also restores the Pomeranian’s faith in animals once again. When it plays and shares a few hours of fun with other animals that are not trying to get under its skin, that helps it become socially adjusted.

Pomeranians and Other Small Animals

There’s no denying the fact that Pomeranians feel intimidated around other animals especially larger ones. Pomeranians don’t have the physical size to get what they want and they’re not as clever or devious as cats. So their relationship with other small animals in the house can be tense at times.

That said, Pomeranians are known to get along well with small animals that don’t try to get in their way or steal their stuff. There are many stories of strong friendships that developed between Pomeranians and birds such as parrots for example. You might think that those two species have little in common, but they actually get along just fine.

So in summation, Pomeranians are well adjusted pets and friendly enough to accept all animals as friends and housemates including cats. When it comes to cats, you’d need to take necessary steps to ensure that those two pets hit it off and don’t start on the wrong foot.

Rewarding the well-behaved pet is a good way to reinforce a healthy and strong relationship between the Pomeranian and cat.

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