To tell the neighbours the cat isn’t my problem

Even if your dog was out of control, it’s in its OWN garden. That you pay for and maintain.

Another cat lover/owner here - I think your neighbours are being CF here. They can't expect you to prioritize their cat over your dog. They could build a catio so their cat gets fresh air safely.

Legally speaking, the op is not responsible for someone else's animal being killed on her property by her dog. Cats are permitted to roam but it is at their own risk. If they are on your private property and your dog gets them, you are not liable.

Just the same as if you hit it with your car, you are not required to stop and are not liable for injuries. It's an accepted risk of allowing them to roam.

I'd tell the neighbours you won't be paying for anything and if they are concerned about its safety then they need to keep it on their own property. It's their animal and their responsibility.

We have dogs and a cat, and neighbours with dogs, and I wouldn't dream of suggesting my neighbours put their dog on a lead in their own, secure back garden. If my cat is dumb enough to venture into a dog’s territory, and gets chased, it’s his own daft fault.

Just let your dog out. Your neighbour is being ridiculous.
I have 2 dogs and a cat. My dogs love my cat but they won’t tolerate another cat coming into their garden as it’s their garden and they’ve got their own cat.

I have had cats and dogs, living together in the same house. In the house the cat is always in charge, grooming the dogs etc. In the garden the dogs sometimes chase and the cats run. Barking adds to the fun. Both cats and dogs seem to understand the rules. If a cat was ever cornered, with no escape, I am confident the dog would retreat, possibly scratched. Also, although it's not impossible, labradors are not really designed to "kill". Unless it's a particularly stupid cat (like a ragdoll) it will stay out of your garden if it thinks your dog is a threat.

This is a really helpful summary/ analysis

they can’t even get to grips with the bully ban, I don’t think anyone’s lab is in danger from a hypothetical bark or growl.

If your neighbours are worried, they can cat proof their own garden to prevent Tiddles roaming the neighbourhood and getting into trouble. I’ve done this for my cats and it’s the purr-fect solution in my view, they get to explore the garden but I know they are safe. It isn’t cheap though

To my knowledge, cats are classed as wild animals when they’re out and about, whereas a dog is its owner’s responsibility- that’s why it’s an offence to stop if you run over a dog but not a cat, and why you can’t force your neighbours to do anything about cats crapping in your garden. So the neighbours can say what they like but if their pet isn’t under their control they won’t have a leg to stand on. It goes both ways- they have the benefit of not being held accountable for their cat’s behaviour but the disadvantage that it’s not legally protected if it’s allowed to roam.

I’m usually team cat but in this instance you are not being unreasonable at all. Cats are fairly good at getting out of trouble and will get the message soon enough it’s not welcome in your garden

I will protect my dog by not letting batshit neighbours have an inch. I have had personal experience of batshittery including council complaints from a neighbour (not next door, my next doors are lovely) regarding my dogs and when I stupidly tried to deal with it by limiting my dog's freedom to access MY OWN secured garden, they just got worse as bullies will. It was only when I lost it, involved the police and had a serious but helpful conversation, with the head of the Environmental Nuisance department at the council, that the harassment stopped. If it happens again I will not attempt to molify. As a side note, since then the council have changed the way they handle noise nuisance complaints and don't automatically assume that the complainant is right as they did TWICE in my case. I'd like to think that was partly due to me because when I was dealing with my own issues, every single piece of advice I could find assumed that the complaint was valid and the pet owner was in the wrong. When I was asked by the Council to review the interaction, I pointed this out, and shortly afterwards, they changed their process.

How can a dog harm someone in a locked, secure garden?

We live in a tiny little terrace. The vast majority of our neighbours have either dogs or cats (most have both). Nobody has any issue with dogs in the garden who bark occasionally at a car, or someone walking past the gates, or yes, a cat who's decided to wander through.

Dogs aren't robots - they are animals and they should, within reason, be allowed to behave as such. I'm off work this week and we have our backdoor open so our dog has free range of the locked, secure garden. Our cats are free to roam and wander round the neighbourhood too. We've never had any issues in the decade we've lived here.

It's not like the dog is running around in public causing a nuisance, it's locked in a secure garden and "warning" the intruder cat off. That's normal.

First reply nails it 100%!

I have cats and your garden for your dog is not the neighbours to make rules about.

I do hate people who walk their dogs without a lead and who let their dogs chase my cats into our garden…the dogs follow into OUR garden to chase the cats. We had one dog follow the cat right to the cat flap while the owner was losing their tiny mind trying to recall. If dog doesn’t recall well…keep it on the lead!

Your garden, your dog, your rules. Though probably best to do whatever you can to make sure no cats are harmed as that would be traumatic for you all. Don’t take special measures though.

So, you’re a family lawyer?

me? I wouldn’t give a shit about the neighbours threats. Cats should be contained in my opinion.

The cat will stop coming into your garden. I would be reasonable and block any holes to make the cats entry to the garden harder, but it will stop coming by its own accord once it knows the dog is there!

We have a rescue dog, exact same situation, the cats realise very quickly it’s not a good idea to cross the garden! Your neighbors are being a bit precious. I’d preserve the peace by being polite and reasonable!

I can understand if you live away from others and have confidently trained your dog to alert you, without being at risk of harming anyone that your dog can be really useful. But a dog in a built up area that does this due to a lack of training, and as OP says does this continually whilst presumably making a racket, I wouldn't class as a well behaved dog.

“neighbours have also said that if the cat is in my garden then I shouldn’t let the dog out for a pee. ”

Whaaaat? Your garden, you will use it as you see fit. If THEIR cat encroaches on YOUR garden, their problem. As for “they will charge us for any vet bills if their cat gets injured” - CF to the max! It’s hardly negligence if your dog is prowling the confines of its own domain, and their cat happens to be there.

I like cats. I have one.

But if it comes in your garden, it takes its chances. Your neighbours are being ridiculous.

Yes I agree it would be hard to prove if it happened in your own garden

Haven’t read the full thread but your neighbours are entitled arseholes. DH is severely allergic to cats and unfortunately there are loads around here. When cocktail sticks in flowerbeds
didn’t work we got a dog. If she frightens a cat in her own garden, that is absolutely reasonable. The neighbours have chosen to have a pet that they allow out to roam. It can be hit by cars, fall out of trees or find out the hard way what happens when it goes into a dog’s territory. This is not your problem. I’d be telling them to fuck off!

Why is a dog chasing an intruding cat in its' own being a PITA, though? I genuinely don't understand why it's such a problem.

My dog lives with three cats and doesn't chase them. They share food, sleep together and cuddle together quite happily. But when we get intruder cats in the garden, he absolutely will chase them. Though, if they stand their ground or come back again, he will soon get used to them and treat them like "his own".

Dogs are predators. Cats are their prey. It's natural behaviour. Yes, it may technically be trainable but I personally haven't bothered to train it out of mine and don't see the need to. I want him to alert me to anything new or strange in my garden, for starters.