Are Yorkies Good With Cats? (Facts & Tips)

It’s the age-old question: can a Yorkie and a cat live together in harmony? Are Yorkies good with cats? The answer, of course, is yes — but it’s not always as simple as that.

Like any two animals, Yorkies and cats will need to be properly introduced and trained in order to get along. However, with a little patience and effort, there’s no reason why these two pets can’t live together.

So, let’s jump into the main conversation!

Yorkies: Let’s Know Them a Bit More!

If you’re looking for a canine pal who is packed with lots of character, then Yorkies are the one!

Yorkies can be stubborn, fiery, bold, and occasionally domineering as well. Yorkies were originally fostered to hound and ambush tiny rats. Therefore any animal more fragile than them could be deemed a target.

Nature of a Yorkie

Well, the nature of a Yorkie can be quite unpredictable in case you’re meeting them for the first time. Let us make that easier for you.

If we look at the all-around adaptability rate of Yorkies’ then it’s kind of average. Because it completely depends on the owner and his/her training.

However, Yorkies are very good at adapting to apartment life. And I think it’s greatly beneficial for the newbie owners.

But again, there are some downsides too. Yorkies aren’t much good with isolated life. They need constant care and attention. Moreover, they’re quite sensitive to weather which can’t be too cold or too hot.

Furthermore, they aren’t so easy to groom. And the owner needs to be patient while training them. With time they get affectionate with the other family members.

However, they aren’t very friendly with strangers and children, average with cats and dogs.

To know some more unknown facts about Yorkies, as I mentioned above, you can look into this site as well.

Can Yorkies and Cats Get Along?

Yorkies and cats are similar in stature but have quite distinctive temperaments.

And as they are quite similar in size, Yorkies don’t take cats as a target. However,

Although a Yorkie is unlikely to regard a cat as prey because of their similar sizes. However, it doesn’t rule out the possibility of aggressiveness between them.

If not properly trained, Yorkies can display hostility. At that time, they often screech, bark, or attempt to quarrel with cats.

That’s why it’s not wise to push Yorkies and cats to live in the same space. Initially, you need to provide them with their separate spaces. And give them the chance to get to know and understand one another gradually.

Find Which One Is More Territorial

Before you try to befriend your Yorkies to your cats, it’s vital to know how territorial they are. Then handle them accordingly.

Let’s find that out now—

How Territorial Your Cats Can Be?

Cats are actually quite territorial and restrained animals. Therefore, bringing another animal into the house will most likely agitate them.

Thankfully most of the cats are only harsh and hostile to other cats. Nevertheless, in inappropriate situations, they can be quite aggressive with dogs.

Cats often mark their territory. That’s the way of showing their hostility and how protective they are of their territory. You can add up some other specific behavior to this list.

Such as urinating in unexpected places even though they’re trained, stroking their chins, or just guarding particular areas. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals also says the same.

You might also notice them making an effort to track down the “trespasser”. And usually, they hint at aggression by whizzing and following him.

Initially, a different animal might disturb the cat. However, the good news is that it’ll grow accustomed to it after some time.

How Territorial Your Yorkies Can Be?

You see, Yorkies can be quite defensive. This is why they aren’t very welcoming when a new animal enters their territory.

However, if a Yorkie is properly kept company and instructed from an early age, it usually doesn’t cause any issue.

Even so, the first few weeks after acquainting them will always be kind of difficult.

Also, Yorkies can be too arrogant in the presence of a different animal. This might result in territorial conflicts.

Tips to Introduce Your Yorkie and Cat to Each Other

Do you have a cat already and want to adopt a Yorkie? Then hear me out! You need to follow some very important measures based on their age.

Here are some of the tips you’d want to learn—

Introduce your Yorkies and cats at an early age. It’ll minimize the possibility of any kind of conflict between them.
Allow your kitten and little Yorkie to snuff one another. Let them dig their spaces with each other.
They might want to fiddle with each other. However, initially, you need to observe them and see if the Yorkie is too cold with your kitten while doing so.
However, don’t introduce a grown-up Yorkie immediately to your kitten.
Give your adult Yorkie enough time to be accustomed to the new environment by keeping the kitten in a different room.
Later slowly introduce the grown-up Yorkie to the kitten. However, if any one of them acts out, isolate them again and try later.
You should try to care and look for them equally. Therefore, they won’t be insecure with each other.

Signs That Your Yorkie and Cat Aren’t Getting Along

If your Yorkie isn’t adjusting well to the cat in the family, it’ll express aggressively. For example, behaviors like snarling or growling in major cases.

If the Yorkie keeps expressing its territorial behaviors like this for about 2-3 weeks, then it might not get along with the cat at all.

Sadly, this implies you have to re-shelter one of them or keep them apart all the time.

Nevertheless, sometimes you’ll be required to interfere in case of trivial matters. And finally, train and equip the Yorkie so that it behaves appropriately and adapts to the new environment along with different animals.

The Yorkie might end up disturbing the cat. This can cause a feud between them.

In cases like this, give your pets a firm ‘no’ and detach them if you want to negotiate. They should ultimately understand when to isolate each other if the situation gets tense.

Wait for the Right Time to Leave Them Alone Together

At some point, you can leave your pets on their own and together. However, you need to observe the interaction between them when no one is around.

Well, observing your Yorkie and cat just after introducing them is different. Thus, you must keep noticing them even though it’s been a few weeks after the introduction.

You need to see if they’re getting in feuds with each other occasionally or not.

It’s unsafe to leave them together without any supervision if they’re fighting. Any of them may suffer significant injury or perhaps death.

You can leave them alone only when they’re getting along for quite some time. However, ensure all of their items, including food, dishes, and mattresses, are kept in different spaces.

It’ll reduce the chance of conflict between them when you’re away as they’ll have their own territories.

I’ll suggest doing a trial run before leaving them alone for a long time. Install a camera or a phone and just get out of the door for a short time to observe them.

Keep an eye on how they behave and be prepared to retreat if they get aggressive.

Some Other Things to Look for

Here are some other things you should take care of to avoid any unwanted conflict between your Yorkie and cat-

Food

You really need to look after your cat’s food so that the Yorkie doesn’t end up having it.

A lot of dogs are tempted to eat cat food because it has a significant amount of protein and diverse categories of fat which usually can’t be found in dog food.

If the canine pal consumes a little bit of cat food, it might not be concerning. However, if the dog continues to do so, high-fat food can result in numerous problems. Such as diarrhea and stomach problems including liver and kidneys.

Also, a Yorkie shouldn’t get into the catnip. Catnips are usually for stimulating cats. However, it doesn’t do the same thing for dogs as it does for cats.

Catnip can function as a sedative if consumed by a puppy or dog. It can dehydrate the dog as well because it’s a diuretic. And it can also cause mild to drastic gastrointestinal distress.

Litter Box

You’ll also need to keep the litter box in a place where the Yorkies can’t touch it. With a chance, your dog might end up having cat waste which can be very toxic. It can result in the dog getting worms.

Especially when the cat is infected with worms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, germs like clostridia, campylobacter, and salmonella can be the reason for your dog’s sickness.

Final Thoughts

Are Yorkies good with cats? Can they live together?

With a little patience and training, it is definitely possible for these two unlikely companions to coexist peacefully.

The best thing to do is to bring up a young Yorkie and cat together. It’ll help them to develop a wonderful connection with each other.