Quote Originally Posted by juxie
I was thinking a chainlink fence was the best way to go? The higher the better, of course. My friend (he breeds Labs) said a 6 foot one would be right, and to prevent digging out he recommended a 3-4 foot strip of chicken wire fencing affixed to the bottom of the chain link fence

There will be no time that the cats and dog would be alone together in the house- I have been told by all huskie breeders I have talked to that while they have a high prey drive, that they are fine with cats they are raised with from puppyhood.

I had actually considered two- but wouldn't it be harder to 'guard the cats' against two prey-driven dogs? Would having another canine companion make them less interested in bothering the cats? Is it impossible to have co-existance?
Six feet is a good start. That will stop most huskies from jumping over. I have two who can clear six feet with ease though. Make sure nothing climbable is near the fence. I don't use chainlink, but lots of people do with no problems. My Muskwa, who is too smart for his own good, thinks chainlink is a ladder and climbs right up it! I use big game fencing instead. Most of my fence is 7 feet high with a foot buried under ground and a layer of wire about two feet out from the fence along the ground. Putting a section of chicken wire is very good idea!

I hate to say this and I'm really not trying to be rude, but all those breeders who told you huskies are fine if they are raised with cats LIED. Some huskies are fine, some are fine if supervised, some are never fine ever with anything smaller than they are.

Co-existance with cats and huskies is possible, but it's a lot of work. I have 23 dogs, all northern breeds including several purebred siberians, and eight cats. I have two dogs who can not even see a cat without their prey drive taking over. I have a few who are leashed or crated whenever they are inside. Some are allowed loose in the house, but I never leave any of them alone with the cats. Some of my dogs were raised with cats, some arrived here as adults having never seen a cat before. I can't find any pattern to their reactions to cats based on past exposure. All of my dogs would kill an outdoor cat in a second, without hesitation. An outdoor cat is no different to them than a squirrell or a mouse.

If you search in cat memorial, you will find my Dominique's story. She lived with dogs her entire life, all of my dogs had known her and in the house they were all fine together. Dominique got outside one day when no one was home. We have never figured out how she got out. The dogs killed her. They had no idea that they had killed the same cat they knew as a pack member in the house. She was just prey. They had no idea that they had done anything wrong or that they had broken my heart. Her death and it's aftermath were one of the most difficult times in my life. I woudn't wish it on anyone.

Does your cat go outside? IF it does, now would be a good time to train her to be an indoor kitty. It's easier to teach a husky that the house is the cat's territory and the yard is the dog's. Teaching a husky not to chase an outdoor cat is almost impossible.

Raising two puppies at the same time, of any breed, has a whole different set of issues. I would recommend a canine buddy eventually, but not two puppies at the same time.