Best Dog Crate for German Shepherd with a Cat

A German Shepherd sharing a home with a cat creates one specific crate problem: cats are curious and will waltz straight into a dog's crate, which can cause real tension — especially if the dog sees the crate as their safe space. Crate size is actually the most important factor overall, because too small causes distress and too large removes the den-like security that makes crates effective. Material matters too: wire crates are harder for cats to squeeze through than fabric, and more den-like than a plastic travel crate when used at home. Before I point you to the right option — how big is your Shepherd, roughly, and is the crate mainly for home use or do you also need it for travel?

That's really useful — she's already crate-trained, so this is purely a security and space problem, not a behaviour one. For a 30kg Shepherd you need an XL crate, around 107–112cm long. The key detail for blocking the cat is the latch mechanism: cheap wire crates have simple barrel-bolt latches that a determined cat can nudge open, and the door gaps can be wide enough for a slim cat to squeeze through. What you want is a crate with a double-door design, a secure double-latch on each door, and a tight wire gauge so there's no gap large enough for a cat to push a paw through and work the catch.

Yes — the MidWest Homes for Pets iCrate in the 42-inch (XL) size. It's a well-built double-door wire crate with a robust double-latch system on both doors that cats genuinely can't manipulate from the outside. The wire gauge is tight enough that there's no usable gap, and it folds flat if you ever need to store it. It fits a 30kg Shepherd comfortably — your dog will have room to stand, turn, and lie stretched out, but the proportions still feel enclosed and den-like rather than barn-like. It comes with a divider panel too, though you won't need that for an adult dog. It's widely available on Amazon UK and is one of the few crates at this size where the latches hold up to persistent cats in real-world use.

It's mainly a puppy thing — it lets you shrink the usable space during toilet training. For your situation it won't add any extra cat-proofing; the latched doors are doing all the work there. You can just leave it unclipped inside the crate or put it aside entirely. The main thing is that once both door latches are closed, your cat won't be getting in.

Good luck with it — it should give your Shepherd her space back. The 42-inch MidWest iCrate on Amazon UK is the one to search for. If the cat still tries to sleep on top of the crate rather than inside it, that's usually fine and most dogs don't mind it at all.