Cats and German Shorthaired Pointers (gun dogs)

I am going on holiday and I normally take my cat with me as he travels very well and loves being with me. He was been to this particular place before and loved it.

My concerns however are that there is another family coming who have two German Shorthaired Pointers. They are two girls, both around 2 years old and they are very sweet and affectionate. They have not been trained as hunting dogs but they do chase and even kill animals that come through the garden such as birds and other small animals they can catch. My cat, Theo, is used to my two dogs at home and he will not hesitate to swat them and even play boisterously with them - jumping up into a tree when things get too much.

I am worried that the dogs see him as prey and that they might hurt or even kill him. They are NOT aggressive dogs by any means but they do have an innate prey instinct. I would like to know if it is possible for them to understand that Theo is not prey if they are introduced to each other properly? Has anyone experienced anything like this? 

I would normally leave him at home with my mom but she too is going away and a house sitter, besides being expensive just for one cat, is not ideal because he is very attached to me and is only 1 year old so he is very playful and requires a lot of attention. A kennel/cattery is simply NOT an option. 

Thank you in advance! 

I don't think there is any short cut quick way to get them to understand.  Overriding a dogs natural instincts takes repetitive consistent training.

Do the dogs understand the command Leave It?  If they do it would be much easier.

If the dogs are not used to cats I would not risk it.  Introducing adult dogs who have never been around cats before requires a lot of time and the dogs must be well trained.  Unless there is a way to keep them separate at all times I would try to figure something else out and leave the cat at home, maybe have a friend come and check on him a few times a day.  I know you say he is very attached to you and someone babysitting him isn't an option, but maybe he would do better than you think.  I would imagine it would be less stressful for him than having him around 2 dogs that might be trying to get at him.  

If the dogs aren't socialized to cats don't risk it. They are a hunting breed who will tend to chase small animals--though GSPs are really more of bird dogs. I wouldn't risk it with my cats if I wasn't sure. Definitely try to talk to their owners beforehand and ask about how they do with cats. An introduction may help but it could take some time for them to really improve if they aren't used to cats. There's no general answer for this problem, it completely depends on the dogs' socialization and training.

I thought you may be interested to hear the outcome! Firstly, thank you all for your help and advice, the decision wasn't easy. 

After much deliberation, I decided to take him with, the worst scenario being that they would have to be separated at all times. It turned out a lot better than I expected. They very quickly established a social order - inside it was Theo's territory, the GSP's quite literally feared him when they were inside. However, outside was another story. I am not quite sure if this was due to the fact that the dogs could not recognise that it was him in the garden (he looks a bit like a mongoose), or if they just didn't care. But we very soon realised that it would be safer to have Theo kept inside. 

The dogs were very intrigued by Theo, and very curious. Theo was a bit stressed in the beginning but after 2 days or so he was back to his usual self.  

I would, however, not recommend that anyone do this with dogs that are not obedient and especially with a cat that is not used to dogs and does not know how to stand up for itself. Theo had no problem holding his ground when he was inside, giving the dogs a right old swat when they got too close for comfort. After a while (2 weeks or so) Theo felt quite happy weaving between the dog's legs and under their tummy's - the dogs looked so uncomfortable and unsure about it, it was rather funny. Sometimes he would even walk up to the dogs, give them some attention and then bop them on the nose before walking away like the sassy cat he is!

I want to make it clear to anyone who may be looking for advice regarding a similar situation that this is the exception and not the rule! Every cat is unique and every dog is unique, so don't risk you animals safety and well-being if you do not think they can handle it, OR, if you are unable to separate them should things not go well. 

I am glad things worked out.  It sounds like things actually went well.

There is a difference between a dog outside and inside.  A lady that I used to work with, she is actually the one that rescued one of my kitties, had both dogs and cats.  One of her dogs was fine with her kitties inside, her cats were strictly indoors.  When that particular dog was outside though no cat that came in the yard was safe.