My dogs killed a cat :(

[habibihabibi]

I have come home to find my two small poodle cross breed dogs have just torn a small cat apart in our (walled) back garden . I feel sick , they normally take a beating from rowling Tom's whose path them cross on walks on lead.

There is no collar on the poor thing and though we have many strays in the area it looks fancy . Do I have to go door knocking round the neighbourhood ?
Am I liable for anything ?

[Floralnomad]

I'd take what remains to the nearest vet , most people who lose cats ask around vets . If anyone contacts you do not admit liability , the facts are their cat came into your garden and your dogs have done what comes quite naturally to some dogs ie kill something small and furry .

[AppleSetsSail]

This is the risk the owners assume when they allow their cats to roam.

[CMOTDibbler]

You aren't liable, but if you put the remains in a bin bag, double bagged and take it to the nearest vets they can try and see if there is a microchip so the owner can be found.

[Seawig]

My cats roam and I would really appreciate it if someone got their chip checked so I could know what happened to them. I would also totally understand the dogs were following instinct just as my cats do when they bring me rabbits, mice, rats, birds etc.

I think my cats have a fantastic quality of life which is more important for me than their ultimate quantity of life IYSWIM. I am happy to trade their risks with cars and dogs for the hours they spend over the fields and laying in the sunshine in the garden.

[monkeyfacegrace]

You've done nothing wrong.

Same thing would happen in my garden if a cat came in.

I'd bag the remains and get it scanned for a microchip out of courtesy, but your conscience is clear. Their risk letting their cat roam.

[NanoTechMum]

Two dogs killed my cat.
I certainly didn't blame the dogs or the owner who, like you, was clearly upset by the incident.
Agree with other advice here - take the remains to the vet to check for a chip.

[NanoTechMum]

Also, if the head is in one piece take a photo for the owner to identify.

[TheCrowFromBelow]

Another cat and dog owner -I'd be upset but I'd understand your dogs were acting on instinct. Don't go door to door without trying the vet first.

You poor thing

[Lokibuddyboo]

I know it's upsetting but your not liable, cat owners know the risks of letting their cats roam free and your dogs were only doing what comes naturally to some breeds of dog and were acting on instinct.
Bag the remains and take to your nearest vets to be scanned for a Microchip.
And don't beat yourself up about it these things happen.

[dudsville]

Just in addition to the good advice here - what a terrible thing to come home to. I once came home to someone else's cats in my garden having not quite killed a pigeon. Very disturbing stuff to find at the end of a day.

[Peaceandloveeveryone]

I think my cats have a fantastic quality of life which is more important for me than their ultimate quantity of life IYSWIM. I am happy to trade their risks with cars and dogs for the hours they spend over the fields and laying in the sunshine in the garden

This is exactly what I feel seawig.

[LimeJellyHead]

My terrier killed 5 cats that came into our garden. Not all at once.... over a period of 10 years. It's dreadful. No one wants an animal to suffer. But it is just part of life, I am afraid. So first, you have done nothing wrong and neither have your dogs. So don't worry about that. I would do what others have suggested. Take the cat's body to the vets and ask them to scan him/her for a chip. Then at least the owners can be told or if no chip, you have done all you can.

[Hennifer]

I wish people wouldn't talk about it like it's a choice whether to 'let cats roam' or not.

Unless you pay a fortune to enclose your own garden in 8ft high netting and so on, or keep animals indoors at all times, cats will go where they blooming well like and there's nothing you can do about it.

I don't know what the answer is, but our neighbours have a hound and if it killed our cat I would blame them.

Not it if killed our rabbits or other small pets - that would be our fault for letting them escape into another garden, because those small pets can be controlled.

Dogs can also be controlled, and should be controlled, if they are potentially going to kill other people's pets.

I'm just wondering, without wanting to sound harsh, why your dogs were out in your garden when you weren't at home?

Clearly you didn't realise they pose a threat, so you can't be blamed for that, but I always assumed dogs weren't left out untethered in gardens.

[exLtEveDallas]

If you don't want your cats to be at risk from their roaming, and cannot afford to take measures to stop them roaming, then you shouldn't have a cat.

The OPs dogs were in their own territory. If another animal has come into it then they cannot be held to account - it was the choice of the cats owner to allow their pet to roam and the choice of the cat to go into a garden with dogs in residence.

Our dog is a lovely soft as shite mutt who could be trusted with our free ranging rabbits, curled up in a bed with my friends cats, was terrified of my sisters chickens and brings my mates 2 month old teddies and balls whenever he cries - but she'll still chase a cat or fox out of the garden if she hasn't been introduced to it first. If they weren't quick I've no doubt she'd kill them.

There is no way I'd tether or muzzle my mutt in her own home just in case a 'trespasser' came to call

[ClaudiaWankleman]

Hennifer I'm unsure how you are drawing a line between the controllability of cats and every other pet.

My parents' dog uses a dog flap. Maybe OP's does too. Or maybe OP just didn't think it was necessary to watch them while they were in the garden, that is also completely acceptable. It is her own garden.

[Hennifer]

I've reported my duplicate post btw. I suppose I don't really understand the thing of wanting to own a dog that's capable of doing this to a cat.

If I had a dog that could reliably kill cats, there is no WAY I'd let it in the garden without supervision. Our neighbours all have cats (except the ones with the dog) and there would be no cats left if he were allowed to just kill them all when they came into the garden.

There has to be some sort of compromise, but cats are the only pet I know of that will roam quite far on their own and still come back - and can't be made to be walked on a lead, or trained to stay within boundaries, etc etc.

You can train dogs or keep them in the house or on a lead, and you can escape-proof other animals, like rabbits and so on, so that they are safe.

I would be gutted, as the OP clearly is, if a dog I owned killed a neighbour's cat. I'd be really gutted and I'd offer to settle up, as much as I could, and I'd rethink where my dog was allowed to be.

But then I wouldn't choose a dog I knew would do that sort of thing in the first place.

[Hennifer]

I mean - should everyone with cats keep them indoors at all times just so one or two dogs can go out in their gardens unsupervised?

I think that's a bit unreasonable really - most cats are only happy outdoors. And most cats don't do any harm, except possibly a bit of poo and possibly they might kill a bird or a mouse now and again, which is horrid, but it's not someone's pet.

[AppleSetsSail]

I mean - should everyone with cats keep them indoors at all times just so one or two dogs can go out in their gardens unsupervised?

Well, you should certainly keep your cat out of gardens that pose a danger to them - yes. Why you think this is not your responsibility is a mystery to me.

I'm slightly surprised that you think that your cat should take precedence over the owner's right to use his garden as he sees fit, including allowing his dogs to use it.

[RidersOnTheStorm]

Very skewed view you have there, Hennifer. Dogs in their own garden doing what dogs do, chase off trespassers.

If you don't want a dead cat keep it in your own garden in a pen or get cat proof fencing.

Very strange to suggest that dog owners are somehow to blame because cat owners don't look after their pets properly.

[AppleSetsSail]

And most cats don't do any harm, except possibly a bit of poo and possibly they might kill a bird or a mouse now and again, which is horrid, but it's not someone's pet.

www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/10319711/What-effect-do-cats-have-on-British-wildlife.html

I gather you'd never take a dog owner to task about leaving poo in your garden then, right?

You know, being that you think they should be so generous with their gardens when it comes to your cats.

[habibihabibi]

My dogs are 6yr old poodle X's Hennifer , not a know dangerous breed. I was truly horrified they did this . They are very gentle with kids and haven't ever chased or chewed another animal that I know of. We also have a tortoise that roams around in the garden and they leave be.
I have 12ft walls surrounding my enclosed courtyard garden and they run in and out through a dog flap . I can't do much else to stop them doing this.

[OliviaDunham]

My cat was killed by my neighbours dog - but their dog had jumped into my garden. Legally they were still not responsible, which I was surprised at as it had entered my property. I didn't blame the owner though - we were and still are friends.

[Floralnomad]

So by hennifers theory I should spend all summer with my house doors closed to keep my dog in so that other people's pets can roam safely in my garden . Bizarre