If you are one of those families that owns both a dog and a cat, you are certainly never bored. Maybe these two pets get along great and have learned to live together. Maybe they are constantly arguing and making you laugh with their actions.
In any case, a certain relationship between a dog and a cat exists, for sure. Have you ever thought about how close a dog and a cat can actually be? Can dogs and cats mate?
If you own a female cat and a male dog (or vice versa), have you ever thought about whether these two animals could have a common offspring? Or is this something completely impossible?
Let’s find out if dogs can mate with cats and what is the actual possibility of this happening.
Can Dogs And Cats Mate?
The only answer would be – no. These two animals cannot have a common offspring.
Dogs and cats are two completely different animals, with different backgrounds, and a different body anatomy. So, there is no possibility of a puppy cat hybrid animal being born.
If you have come across your dog humping your cat, this does not necessarily mean that these two animals are mating.
So, why would a dog hump or mount a cat (or vice versa), if there is no possibility of these two animals mating?
Humping Behavior In Dogs
We are all aware that our pets sometimes show strange behaviors. Your dog may sometimes act like a cat, but this does not make it a cat. So, some behaviors of our pets will not always be completely clear to us but, over time, pet owners get used to this fact.
This is also why there are professional animal behaviorists out there analyzing all kinds of animal behaviors that pet owners are not able to figure out on their own.
Humping is something characteristic and natural to all dogs, so you must have noticed this behavior in your dog many times. Dogs will even hump the air! Before your dog starts humping, you will be able to see some signs like it pawing or licking everything.
Maybe this way your dog is playing with the cat, or this could be a sign of aggression in the dog. Also, together with, for example, high posture, humping might be a way for your dog to show dominance.
Furthermore, humping behavior might indicate a certain health issue in your dog, like urinary incontinence.
Do Dogs And Cats Want To Mate?
There is little possibility that dogs and cats would even want to mate. Different dog breeds have interbred throughout history and, thanks to that, today we have many lovely mixed dog breeds.
There might be many different dog breeds out there, but they all come from the same ancestor and belong to the same animal family named Canidae.
Both dogs and cats are mammals, but they come from two different progenitors. The wolf is the ancestor of all dog breeds, while our domestic cats descended from the African wild cat.
In addition to having differently built bodies, cats and dogs also have different reproductive organs and different gestation periods. Also, cat DNA is different from dog DNA.
Dogs have 39 pairs of chromosomes, that is, a total of 78 chromosomes, while cats have 19 pairs, that is, 38 chromosomes in total.
Why Dogs And Cats Can’t Mate?
A cat-dog hybrid might sound interesting, but let’s be real. How would cats mate with dogs at all?
These two animals are two different species, which means that their mating processes also look different. So, we all know that there are some crossbreeds in the animal kingdom, like a lion mating with a tiger, which gave birth to a liger. Or, donkeys and horses produced a common offspring: the mule.
But, this is not the case with cats and dogs. There is no possibility of creating a dog-cat hybrid.
Let’s take a look at how mating looks in cats and in dogs and what the main differences are.
Mating In Cats
The way cats mate is different from the way dogs mate. Both male and female cats become sexually mature between six and eight months of age. Then the males spend their days in search of females that are in heat.
The first heat in kittens most often occurs when they are around six months old. Cats owners will recognize that the cat is in heat because she will constantly rub against objects and roll on the floor.
If the cat does not mate with a male during the period of the first heat cycle, a second heat will follow after three weeks. Female cats call males to mate with a noisy call, which can sound like a baby crying.
Several male cats respond to the cat’s calls and then the fight for the female begins. This is usually where the real battle happens!
When a female cat is ready for mating, she crouches down, raises her butt, and bends her tail to the side. Mating takes a very short time: male cat’s penis has spine-like growths, which makes mating painful for female cats.
Pregnancy in cats lasts from 63 to 65 days. A cat can have from two to eight kittens in one litter.
Mating In Dogs
Female dogs experience their first heat cycle before their first year of life. It is recommended for mating to be avoided until the female dog has fully developed, both physically and psychologically. Therefore, it would be best for dogs to mate only after their third heat cycle.
The fertile period in female dogs lasts from one to three weeks. Smaller dog breeds can reach sexual maturity when they are about six months old.
On the other hand, larger dogs take a little longer, so some of them become sexually mature at 18 months, or even around their 2nd birthday! Smaller dogs are also fertile more often – their fertile cycle occurs every four months.
Dog owners will recognize that their female is in heat by signs such as approaching male dogs, swelling of their vulva, bloody discharge, and licking their genital area.
Also, there are clear signs that a male dog wants to mate. He will become restless, he will wander in search of a female dog, and you will notice humping behavior in him at all times.
Dog mating looks like a male dog stuck to a female. Mating can last only a few minutes, but it can also last up to an hour. So, you should always keep an eye on your female dog, as sometimes mating can occur during the most ordinary walk!
During mating, it is absolutely not recommended to separate the dogs, as you can seriously injure them in this way.
What should dog owners expect from their female dogs after mating? In almost half of the cases, pregnancy will occur. Therefore, if you do not want your dog to have puppies, it would be advisable to spay her so that there are no unwanted consequences.
A dog’s pregnancy lasts from 59 to 64 days. Learn more about how to recognize that your dog is going into labor soon.
Should You Neuter Your Dog?
Your dog humping your cat might be something you see quite often, and – no – this doesn’t mean your two pets will mate. The humping could be a way for these two animals to play. Or, one of them might be showing sexual maturation.
However, it is still necessary to watch out for this kind of behavior in dogs and cats. It is possible that one of them is injured, especially if you have noticed frequent humping.
If this kind of behavior in one of your pets ever disrupts the normal functioning of the other, it would be good to consider neutering your pet. Frequent humping is one of the clear signs that your dog should be neutered.
Neutering will not completely guarantee that humping will stop, but it will allow the dog to control its urges. If you are wondering whether neutering is a difficult procedure and how long the dog will be in pain after neutering – most dogs feel fine after four to nine days after the procedure.
How To Stop Humping Behavior?
Even after neutering, it is possible for your dog to continue humping the cat. The humping will probably be significantly reduced, but still present. The cat may also try to defend itself from the dog that humps her, which may result in your dog being covered in scratches.
In order to prevent a dog’s humping, you first need to let the dog know that such behavior is not desirable. Keeping a dog and a cat separate sounds like an impossible mission, since both animals are part of your home and we can’t just throw one of them out.
So, let’s see what pet owners can do to stop the unwanted humping behavior.
1. Proper Introduction
All pet owners need to know that it is necessary to socialize both the dog and the cat from an early age to avoid unwanted consequences. You should start with this process from the very moment the dog and cat start sharing a living space.
Introducing a dog to a cat is likely to go better if food is involved! Therefore, they try to get to know each other during a shared meal. Also, use some of our tricks on how to stop dogs from eating cat’s food. You might need this!
Both the dog and the cat will need a certain period to get used to the constant presence of another animal. To begin with, reduce their encounters to a minimum, and gradually increase them over time to test how much both animals are ready to tolerate each other.
2. Determine The Reason For The Humping Behavior
What you must do is determine the exact reason why your dog is humping your cat. Maybe the dog is just bored and is looking for a new activity.
Many of them will try to prove their dominance in this way. But, mounting behavior might also be due to some health cause. For this reason, it would be a good idea to take the dog to the vet for a check-up.
However, in most cases, humping behavior will still be the result of the dog’s sexuality and need for mating.
3. Distracting Your Dog
If you have eliminated all other causes and determined that your dog is humping the cat because it is his mating season, luckily there is something that will make things easier for you. Sex toys for dogs exist, and they work!
Although it may sound strange, these toys can be very helpful in distracting your dog from humping the cat. Also, they will ease his sexual tension.
Sex toys for dogs can really significantly reduce unwanted behavior in dogs, such as jumping on cats. However, this does not mean that this is the final solution to this dog problem. Finally, neutering the dog will certainly be a better and longer-term solution.
Can Dogs Get Along With Cats?
If you own a cat, and you would like a cute puppy to become a part of your household, too, you may be a little afraid of the possibility of a dog humping your cat. We encourage you not to worry, as any unwanted behavior in animals can be corrected with adequate socialization and training.
However, it may also be useful for you to know that certain dog breeds actually get along better with cats. Some of the dogs that can get along very well with cats are Beagles, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Pugs.
German Shepherds can also be good with cats, but only after taking care of the proper introduction of these two animals.
On the other hand, Siberian Huskies are not very good with cats. They have a strong prey drive, so with them, humping behavior, chasing, and showing superiority over cats could be very present.
These are some general facts for which there can always be an exception. Maybe a well-bred Siberian Husky will actually become good friends with a cat, and maybe a Beagle who lacks socialization will show hostile behavior towards a cat.
In any case, we think it is useful for you to have a general insight into the compatibility of certain dog breeds with cats.
Final Verdict
So, what is the final conclusion on the subject: Can dogs and cats mate?
These two animals have a different origin, a different course of mating, and different sexual organs, so there is no possibility of them mating.
Even if, in some improvised situation, there was a way for a dog to mate with a cat, there is no possibility that they could have a common offspring.
You may have wondered if dogs and cats can mate the moment you saw your dog mounting your cat. But that’s just a typical behavior of dogs, and the cat happened to be nearby.
Maybe the dog is looking for a bitch to mate with, maybe he’s playing with the cat, or maybe he’s trying to show her that he’s the boss of the house.
A home that includes a dog and a cat is usually a home where there is always a lot of laughter and fun moments. These two animals, although different, can get used to living together and can actually function very well.
Of course, it is crucial to socialize and train both animals. If you notice that humping behavior is too frequent and too intense in your dog, it would be good to think about neutering.
As we have already concluded, it is not possible for a dog and cat to have a common offspring, but this is not the only concern. You should also take care that your cat is not uncomfortable or even in pain due to your dog’s mounting behavior.
Dogs and cats cannot mate, but they can certainly live in harmony and friendship.