Cats and dogs have a range of interactions. The natural instincts of each species lead towards antagonistic interactions, though individual animals can have non-aggressive relationships with each other, particularly under conditions where humans have socialized non-aggressive behaviors.
A dog and a cat face off. The cat is displaying defensive posture typical of interactions between a cat and dog that have not been socialized.
A kitten and a dog that have been socialized and interact with each other without aggression
Four cats and a dog sit together.
A kitten rests on the back of a street dog.
An interspecies friendship is a nonsexual bond that is formed between animals of different species. Numerous cases of interspecies friendships among wild and domesticated animals have been reported and documented with photography and video. Domestication of animals has led to interspecies friendships between species that would never naturally exist together. In many cases of interspecies friendship, the species are not normally seen together, and sometimes, one is of a species that ordinarily preys on the other in nature.
Two goats and a cat sitting in the shade
A human with her dog companion
A human petting a cat
A human touching a horse's muzzle
