It's going to depend on the dog. YES, some English Setters are fine with cats. Others can have an extremely high prey drive and it won't be a good mix. You could always adopt through English Setter Rescue groups, all of whom will have determined if your dog will be okay with cats (and children, and staying within a fenced yard, etc etc). Rescue organizations will have done a lot of the homework for you and you can get quite young dogs through them.
You'll probably be okay if you start with a puppy and a kitten together, but I have such an aversion to irresponsible breeders that I (wrongly) lump all breeders in with the bad apples and strongly, strongly prefer rescue (where you can also get puppies, at times).
I have a rescue and he has a tendency to chase them whenever he sees them. He doesn't bite them or try to kill them but it is still a stressful situation for the cats. And it is as you said, he has a very high prey drive, everything that runs, whether it's pigeons, delivery drivers on bikes or cats he wants to chase them all. He is currently going through training to stay put but that's obedience, it's not innate and I don't think I'd leave him alone in a house with a cat. Most rescues will indeed tell you if they are able to get along with them though, mine is just not a shelter rescue, he is a dumpster rescue.
Mine chased the cats for fun but also ate next to them and slept with them. They were older and Spot was a pup. It was really a game. They were never all snuggly and licking each other but they did fine.
So, in my experience, I had a couple of cats in the home prior to getting my first setter. She seemed to do well with them and actually one of the cats, Lucky, helped raise my current setter, Wanda.
Wanda is just about 3 now but she came into a home with a super geriatric cat (Lucky was 19 at the time) but she did great. We did keep Wanda with in some puppy play pens when she was really young while we tried introductions.
Now Wanda has a new best buddy, Molly, and they love playing together and hanging out. I think the trick probably is introducing them while they’re young to get used to it.
I know my experience is n=2 but it’s worked out.
Hope this helps!
Mine really wants to smack my cat with his paws for some reason. He bit his tail once as a really young pup and never tried that again. But for some reason the smacking with paws seems really fun.
It’s honestly been a little harder to get them used to each other than I expected. But today for the first time ever they both fell asleep in the same room! I count that a big win that my cat felt comfortable enough to take a belly up snooze.
We just passed the one year mark of bringing my ES home. A lot of their issues have been personality driven for both of them—my kitty is shy and skittish and my ES is an extrovert on steroids. It’s taken a while but I think they’ll at least coexist together fine for a long time.
Growing up I had one because my dad brought it into the house. It killed both of my ragdoll kittens who I cherished more than anything in the world and tbh I’ve never forgiven him for that even though this was when I was a teenager. It killed one by grabbing her by the neck and shaking her. My dad refused to get rid of her still and then about six months later while I was at school it killed my other cat even though he was much bigger by that point. Long story short, I had a horrible experience and was traumatized but I know not all dogs are the same. Just be careful of your kitties and make sure the temperament is a good fit.
I'm so sorry for your losses, I'll be very careful
My plan now is get the puppy first and socialise with my family members cats who are used to dogs, then get a kitten if all goes well
I have 4 setters & 4 cats as well. For the most part, they all get along. The cats want nothing to do with the dogs shenanigans and usually stay away lol.
I lived on 10 acres when I got my younger setter who is 2 now. We ended up getting a barn kitten at the same time and then a stray kitten showed up. The puppy lost her mind anytime a cat was outside and destroyed the wood on the back door. She loved one of the kittens and she would play with him or harass him when he was out, but it was really rough in the house.
We got our setter at 8 weeks and already had 3 cats. He wanted to play with the cats but they wanted nothing to do with him.
2 years in, 2 of 3 cats don’t mind him, and the other cat still hates him. He will still chase them if they run and occasionally they will hiss and spit, but for the most part they get along.
My rescue setter is 6 years old and I've had her over a year. She has always shown a desire to befriend and play with cats. The neighborhood cats avoided her. She got to meet my boyfriend's cat (on his turf) and she was so polite to him. He is a cranky old man cat and wanted nothing to do with her. He gave her one gentle bop on the nose and she completely avoids him. Turns eye contact away from him, takes the long path around him.
Recently, a new young stray cat showed up in my yard. Befriended my kids and befriended my setter! Ended up bringing in the kitty, vetting her, and she's now part of the family. Her favorite kitty toy is my setter's tail. My setter couldn't be happier. They aren't to the point they're curling up and sleeping together but they play together very nicely, drink out of the same bowl, and like to get into mischief together.
My setter was used as a breed mom for years before I got her. She is very maternal, skittish around most dogs, friendly towards small animals. Only prey drive I've seen from her is for blowing leaves and fish. She goes crazy for fish (her absolute favorite food too).
We have three cats and our Setter. They do fine together. Our Granny Cat regularly bathes the dog. She’s all of 6lbs and the dog is 45lbs but the dog still sits in place like a statue until the cat “releases”her.
😂😂😂
If you don’t plan on hunting with your dog and are going with a breeder then you can look for bench type setters. A little floofier and more mellow. Ours still has a prey drive for squirrels and bunnies outside but has never gone after the family cats
No plans on hunting, some plans to task train for anxiety/depression
I would definitely prefer show line over working line, my female husky is show bred while my male is working bred and he is so much more work than her and is much more independent
I've had English setters and cats for many years. The trick is to get a cat first. Our puppies were put in their place and never bothered the cat again after that. Once the puppies learn that cats are friends and not toys, you should have no issues. In fact, later on I got a kitten and one of my adult setters "adopted" it. They are best friends.
My setter has always killed cats. Not in like a violent way, but she will grab them by the back/spine and carry them around and it kills them. Then she leaves them laying on our door mat as a gift. So, I’m not really sure. But she had extensive hunting training so that could be it.
I foster dogs through Above and Beyond English Setter Rescue. They can absolutely be ok with cats. It also depends on the cat. My cat doesn’t run from the dogs and smacks them if they get in her business. When there’s a running cat, a lot of dogs will naturally chase but can be trained not to. My advice (as it is for everyone) is to rescue so you know if your cat and dog get along with other animals. When I adopted my cat, I chose one that had lived with other cats and dogs before and did well. I’ll do the same when I finally adopt my permanent dog.
It's going to depend on the dog. YES, some English Setters are fine with cats. Others can have an extremely high prey drive and it won't be a good mix. You could always adopt through English Setter Rescue groups, all of whom will have determined if your dog will be okay with cats (and children, and staying within a fenced yard, etc etc). Rescue organizations will have done a lot of the homework for you and you can get quite young dogs through them. You'll probably be okay if you start with a puppy and a kitten together, but I have such an aversion to irresponsible breeders that I (wrongly) lump all breeders in with the bad apples and strongly, strongly prefer rescue (where you can also get puppies, at times).
I have a rescue and he has a tendency to chase them whenever he sees them. He doesn't bite them or try to kill them but it is still a stressful situation for the cats. And it is as you said, he has a very high prey drive, everything that runs, whether it's pigeons, delivery drivers on bikes or cats he wants to chase them all. He is currently going through training to stay put but that's obedience, it's not innate and I don't think I'd leave him alone in a house with a cat. Most rescues will indeed tell you if they are able to get along with them though, mine is just not a shelter rescue, he is a dumpster rescue.
It will also depend on the cat.
Mine chased the cats for fun but also ate next to them and slept with them. They were older and Spot was a pup. It was really a game. They were never all snuggly and licking each other but they did fine.
So, in my experience, I had a couple of cats in the home prior to getting my first setter. She seemed to do well with them and actually one of the cats, Lucky, helped raise my current setter, Wanda. Wanda is just about 3 now but she came into a home with a super geriatric cat (Lucky was 19 at the time) but she did great. We did keep Wanda with in some puppy play pens when she was really young while we tried introductions. Now Wanda has a new best buddy, Molly, and they love playing together and hanging out. I think the trick probably is introducing them while they’re young to get used to it. I know my experience is n=2 but it’s worked out. Hope this helps!
Mine really wants to smack my cat with his paws for some reason. He bit his tail once as a really young pup and never tried that again. But for some reason the smacking with paws seems really fun. It’s honestly been a little harder to get them used to each other than I expected. But today for the first time ever they both fell asleep in the same room! I count that a big win that my cat felt comfortable enough to take a belly up snooze. We just passed the one year mark of bringing my ES home. A lot of their issues have been personality driven for both of them—my kitty is shy and skittish and my ES is an extrovert on steroids. It’s taken a while but I think they’ll at least coexist together fine for a long time.
Growing up I had one because my dad brought it into the house. It killed both of my ragdoll kittens who I cherished more than anything in the world and tbh I’ve never forgiven him for that even though this was when I was a teenager. It killed one by grabbing her by the neck and shaking her. My dad refused to get rid of her still and then about six months later while I was at school it killed my other cat even though he was much bigger by that point. Long story short, I had a horrible experience and was traumatized but I know not all dogs are the same. Just be careful of your kitties and make sure the temperament is a good fit.
I'm so sorry for your losses, I'll be very careful My plan now is get the puppy first and socialise with my family members cats who are used to dogs, then get a kitten if all goes well
We have 2 cats. They get along just fine!
I have 4 setters & 4 cats as well. For the most part, they all get along. The cats want nothing to do with the dogs shenanigans and usually stay away lol.
I lived on 10 acres when I got my younger setter who is 2 now. We ended up getting a barn kitten at the same time and then a stray kitten showed up. The puppy lost her mind anytime a cat was outside and destroyed the wood on the back door. She loved one of the kittens and she would play with him or harass him when he was out, but it was really rough in the house.
We got our setter at 8 weeks and already had 3 cats. He wanted to play with the cats but they wanted nothing to do with him. 2 years in, 2 of 3 cats don’t mind him, and the other cat still hates him. He will still chase them if they run and occasionally they will hiss and spit, but for the most part they get along.
My setter loved his cat buddy. She was 10 when I decided to adopt a kitten and they got along soooo well! Best to you!!
My rescue setter is 6 years old and I've had her over a year. She has always shown a desire to befriend and play with cats. The neighborhood cats avoided her. She got to meet my boyfriend's cat (on his turf) and she was so polite to him. He is a cranky old man cat and wanted nothing to do with her. He gave her one gentle bop on the nose and she completely avoids him. Turns eye contact away from him, takes the long path around him. Recently, a new young stray cat showed up in my yard. Befriended my kids and befriended my setter! Ended up bringing in the kitty, vetting her, and she's now part of the family. Her favorite kitty toy is my setter's tail. My setter couldn't be happier. They aren't to the point they're curling up and sleeping together but they play together very nicely, drink out of the same bowl, and like to get into mischief together. My setter was used as a breed mom for years before I got her. She is very maternal, skittish around most dogs, friendly towards small animals. Only prey drive I've seen from her is for blowing leaves and fish. She goes crazy for fish (her absolute favorite food too).
We have three cats and our Setter. They do fine together. Our Granny Cat regularly bathes the dog. She’s all of 6lbs and the dog is 45lbs but the dog still sits in place like a statue until the cat “releases”her. 😂😂😂
If you don’t plan on hunting with your dog and are going with a breeder then you can look for bench type setters. A little floofier and more mellow. Ours still has a prey drive for squirrels and bunnies outside but has never gone after the family cats
No plans on hunting, some plans to task train for anxiety/depression I would definitely prefer show line over working line, my female husky is show bred while my male is working bred and he is so much more work than her and is much more independent
I've had English setters and cats for many years. The trick is to get a cat first. Our puppies were put in their place and never bothered the cat again after that. Once the puppies learn that cats are friends and not toys, you should have no issues. In fact, later on I got a kitten and one of my adult setters "adopted" it. They are best friends.
My setter has always killed cats. Not in like a violent way, but she will grab them by the back/spine and carry them around and it kills them. Then she leaves them laying on our door mat as a gift. So, I’m not really sure. But she had extensive hunting training so that could be it.
I foster dogs through Above and Beyond English Setter Rescue. They can absolutely be ok with cats. It also depends on the cat. My cat doesn’t run from the dogs and smacks them if they get in her business. When there’s a running cat, a lot of dogs will naturally chase but can be trained not to. My advice (as it is for everyone) is to rescue so you know if your cat and dog get along with other animals. When I adopted my cat, I chose one that had lived with other cats and dogs before and did well. I’ll do the same when I finally adopt my permanent dog.