A herding breed that usually means a cat no harm
In most homes, yes, a Rough Collie and a cat can live together very comfortably. Collies were bred to move sheep without injuring them, working under a shepherd's close direction, and that history produced a dog with strong self-control around smaller animals. Compared with breeds developed to chase and catch, a Collie typically has far less interest in a cat as prey.
Many Collies and cats go further than tolerance and become genuinely companionable, sharing sunny spots and following the same household routines. That outcome is common enough to be a reasonable expectation, but it is built in the first weeks, not assumed on the first day.
The real issue is herding, not hunting
The behaviour most likely to unsettle a cat is the Collie's herding sequence: the fixed stare, the lowered crouch, the attempt to circle round behind, and occasionally a nip toward heels when something moves quickly. To the dog this is work, not aggression. To a cat it can feel like being stalked in her own home, and a stressed cat may hide, stop using parts of the house, or swipe and trigger a worse reaction.
Watch the cat's experience as carefully as the dog's behaviour. A pairing is not succeeding just because nothing has been bitten. It is succeeding when the cat moves freely, eats normally, uses her litter tray without checking over her shoulder, and chooses to stay in shared rooms.
Setting up the first meetings
Before any face-to-face meeting, let the two animals learn each other's scent through bedding swaps and feeding on opposite sides of a closed door. Keep the cat's food, water, tray, and resting places in rooms the dog cannot enter, using baby gates or a door left open only cat-width, and add high shelves or a tall cat tree so the cat always has a vertical escape.
For early meetings, keep the Collie on a lead at a distance where he can notice the cat and still look back at you for food rewards. Short sessions that end calmly teach more than one long tense session. If he locks into a stare, increase distance rather than pulling on the lead, and reward every glance away from the cat — you are paying for indifference, which is exactly what you want indoors.
Let the cat choose whether to approach, stay, or leave. Never carry a cat toward a new Collie to show them to each other; a restrained cat who panics can injure both of you and poison the association for weeks.
Teaching a Collie to leave the cat alone
A reliable leave-it and a strong recall inside the house are the two skills that make this pairing safe. Practise them first on dropped food and toys, then use them when the cat crosses the room. Redirect herding energy into permitted outlets — fetch, tug with rules, and training games in the garden — so circling the cat is not the most interesting job available.
If your Collie fixates on the cat outdoors, keep garden time supervised and on a long line at first. Cats move faster outside, a chase rehearses exactly the habit you are trying to retire, and one good chase can undo careful indoor work.
When the pairing needs a rethink
Seek help early if the dog cannot eat, listen, or break a stare near the cat even at distance, if the cat stops eating or hides all day, or if either animal has been cornered. Those are management problems to solve with separation and a qualified behaviour professional, not tests of patience to push through.
Handled patiently, most Rough Collies settle into being careful, almost polite housemates for a confident cat. Through KinsLe's Family Sharing, his profile can be shared with relatives you select, so a family member helping with the introductions can view his profile directly in KinsLe.