Some greyhounds are what we call "cat safe" and some are not. We have many foster homes with cats and small dogs, so we need to know before placing each dog in a foster home which ones can be safely put into those homes. In order to accomplish this, we test each dog upon arrival. We cat test them by first muzzling the dog and holding the cat next to the dog. The reaction of an "un"catsafe dog is "un"mistakable! They will lunge towards the cat, they will not break a stare from the cat, and they get very excited. Some dogs we will consider "cat safe with supervision". These dogs show some interest at first, but it is usually a playful response and the foster homes work with them before we decide to (or not to) place these particular dogs in homes with cats or small animals. The ones who are cat safe will usually sniff and look away very disinterested. When they look away, we praise the dog over and over! Be aware that when a cat takes off running it may spark an interest in a cat safe dog that didn't happen with us during the first test, and some dogs react different to different cats.

You will know at the time of adoption which dogs have tested cat safe as well as which ones have been actually living with cats (or small dogs). We have had people adopt greyhounds that have all kinds of small critters. We will encourage you to bring a small animal (not necessarily a cat) to adoption day in order to see the actual reaction between a particular greyhound and that pet. An animal like a ferret, rabbit, or other very small dog (under 20 lbs.) with a distinct smell may produce unlikely reactions that we could never predict.

REMEMBER that being "cat safe" only refers to inside the house!!!!! We have found out the hard way that in an outside running situation, a greyhound will not recognize that beloved small family member and say "hey, there's something fast moving and I'm going for it!" A greyhound encountering any small creature outside free in a fenced in area is considered fair game. They have been trained all their life (and for centuries) to chase small animals, and now we are expecting them to forget all that. Don't bet on it! This is an instinct that can NOT be de-trained! If you have a fenced in yard and allow your cats free reign inside and out, you may want to reconsider adopting a greyhound.

We will also have a cat in the facility during the time of adoption. We will explain how to introduce your cat to your new greyhound during the phone interview part of the adoption process as well as show you how to do it at the time of adoption. A cat who gives the greyhound a quick hiss and swat will usually scare them bad enough to stay away from them. You never want a surprise meeting when bringing your grey into the house the first time, so a quick introduction is a must. We will send you home accompanied with a track muzzle as a safety precaution. We find that the majority of retired racers are actually cat safe, but you can never be too careful!