pets in general are not an issue with the hives, as long as they leave the hive alone. Simply being in proximity of a calm hive is not enough to set them against a cat or dog.. However, IME, the bees can sometimes key in on an innocent pet if I tick them off while working with them. My dog used to enjoy snapping bees out of the air for a sweet snack. But he has learned the hard way to not only stay away from the hives at any time, but has also learned to fear them when I do go anywhere near the hives. Poor shivering beast.