Hi Lucy. Cairn Terriers can coexist in the same household with cats, but each Cairn is different. If you raise your Cairn from a puppy with your cat it is possible that you won't have any problems. You will need to be sure that your Cairn Terrier understands that chasing or playing too roughly with your cat is completely unacceptable behavior.

Keep in mind though that Cairn Terriers were originally bred in Scotland to sniff out and chase rodents out and away from the stone cairns. Hence, the name Cairn Terriers. Cats are often considered rodents by some dog breeds such as the terrier group.

You also need to consider how well your cat gets along with dogs. If your cat has never seen a dog before or been around one you'll need to slowly get your cat used to the idea. If your cat is the nervous type and doesn't adjust well to change, bringing any dog into your home may not be a good idea. On another note though, it is possible your cat and new Cairn puppy could become great friends.

We have three adult cats and our Cairns do try to chase them if we don't correct the behavior when spotted. Our Cairn Terriers, Molly and Jack, both understand it is not acceptable behavior to chase cats, but it is part of their instinct.

On the flip side, our Cairns are also very friendly with all three of our cats. The picture above is Molly sleeping with our adult Persian cat, Queen Ann. We often see this type of cat/dog friendship between both of our Cairns and all three of our cats.

If you have additional questions about Cairn Terriers now or after you get your puppy, feel free to ask. That is why I am here and why I created this website.