Has anyone ever heard of a malamute killing a house cat?

I have an Alaskan Malamute and she has just recently killed a cat, I'm a little concerned at the savagery of it eventhough i am aware that although placid dogs they can attack small animals.

You know what... I have... JUST NOW! But other than that no.

Malamutes, like most northern breeds, often have a very high prey drive. Anything that's small, moving, and making noise is fair game. It's never a good idea to leave any dog unsupervised with a cat, even more so when the dog is a northern breed.

Any animal will kill anything that comes into their tettiroty if not sicialized with it while they are little

Yep.

its common sense not to house dogs with catsthey might be buddies one day then food the next

Malamutes are highly prey driven.....it's not an uncommon thing for them to chase and kill small animals.

Alaskan Malamutes are a primitive breed and are known for their high prey drive.Yes, they will kill cats, rabbits, and some will even kill small dogs.Does this mean she will kill you or your children? No. Unless you are little and furry, and make squeaking sounds when she bites, you are in no danger.

Where were they when it happened? I have gsds and my house cats sleep with them and on them with no problems. Front yard, no problem. Back yard, dog territory, dead cat! We just found somebody's dead cat and a dead baby opposum in the back yard. I feel terrible, but that's their home and intruders will be prosecuted!

Its natural, while not a desireable trait, its natural.(Siberian & Alaskan) Huskies, Malamutes and other northern breeds have very high prey drives, most of the time, the cat looks like something they'd naturally chase and maul. Kittens usually fall victim to this.I've had three siberian huskies, one had a thing for squirrels, the other two had it out for cats and kittens. My eldest was so bad I was afraid to adopt anything smaller than fifteen pounds, but I found that as they grow older, they become tamer with the drive, and eventually they forget about it.I now own three huskies and and two cats in addition to my other animals. Training can really help to train them down.

In general, many of the arctic breeds are known to have high prey drive - the instinct to hunt and kill small animals. This instinct has nothing to do with the dog's behavior with humans or other dogs however. It is instinctual, and cannot be trained away - in fact once a dog has successfully hunted and killed an animal, it is more likely to do so again in the future because of the success. The best thing to do is keep your dog away from cats. I own a golden retriever with high prey drive that has killed gophers, possums, and moles. Generally, goldens are considered a low prey drive breed, but this shows there are exceptions to the rule. She is too interested in cats for her own good and will chase them but she has never attacked one. The cat I own weighs about 18 lbs and stands up to her and she won't mess with him. I picked him very intentionally for that reason and not a small kitten (she had grown up with an adult cat that had died at age 19) and when I decided to get another cat, I intentionally chose a very assertive adult male. Yet with humans and other dogs, she has a very sweet golden retriever personality as you would expect in her breed.

Any breed can start listening to their prey drive and kill smaller animals.

Yes. They have a very high prey drive, and will kill small animals (cats, mice, snakes, rats, birds, and any other small animal they can get too). You should never leave them unattended around small animals, or you are likely to have a huge mess on your hands.

If you haven't had a malamute before, it is time to do some reading! They have a PREY DRIVE. In all caps! We have had several foster mals, and you have to take precautions. You will not train digging out of her, so you better find a way to safely confine her. We fenced our back yard six feet high, trenched 18 inches of concrete underneath and ran a hot wire around the top. The hotwire is more to keep the neighbor cats out than her in, but still... We got our current girly at 14 weeks, and she is living well with three small dogs, but I have to keep a real eye on her with the really old guy, as she sometimes acts like it's time to thin the pack. In the wild, the old and ill slow things down, so the pack will do what's best for the pack. Lastly, with a malamute, if you aren't alpha, you aren't diddly. Thay are very smart, but affection isn't gonna do it. This is truly a breed that must respect you if you want to have a long and wonderful relationship.Best of luck to you!

Yes actually my aunt was out playing Fetch with Ruby her Mal,and a cat ran by.......needless to say the cat didn't make it ... Mals love to chase grab and SHAKE anything that moves and they can catch. I have a Mal of my own and from the day i got her as a pup she was watching birds and chasing things she is 5 months and is a natural when it comes to fetch we just have to be careful I encourage her to be nice to every living thing i take her to petsmart and such to see the "critters" and praise her for ignoring them and watching nicely not intently.