Who's responsible legally for vet fees

[atomsandphysics]

Dog is in its garden. Six foot fencing.
Cat jumps into garden meaning dog chases cat. Cat grabs dog. Dog grabs cat.

Who is responsible for the cats vet fees legally and can anything be down about the dog.

[AppleSetsSail]

So you want your cat to have the right to roam on private property, and you want the owner of the property to be legally responsible for any injury the cat might sustain while there.

That sounds about right.

[BarbaraofSeville]

As a cat slave owner I would consider me to be legally responsible for it's wellbeing, even if it is injured by another identifiable person/animal.

It is my choice to allow my cats to free range, so I must pay to treat any injuries they suffer if they are attacked by other animals, people or hit by cars. I have insurance to pay a large proportion of any costs, so I am never stung for a bill above the excess.

I would only hold the owner of a dog responsible if the dog was running wild and chased and attacked my cat on my property or in the public domain close by. In that situation, I would hope that a responsible dog owner would at least offer to pay my insurance excess and take steps to control their dog better.

[mrsfuzzy]

it would be interesting to find out what the op meant by 'anything done about the dog', it won't be pts or muzzled if it's in its own garden.

[atomsandphysics]

Sorry I'm the dogs owner.
There's no blood on the dog or the floor or fur that I can see. The only one screaming was my dog because the cat had its face and the cat jumped over the fence afterwards so I'm hoping the cat is ok.

At my elderly parents house so worried there are no consequences for them.

[AppleSetsSail]

Pet owners are responsible for their own pets injury however they occur.

This is not entirely true. If it were a dog that injured another dog and it was found to be not within its owners control e.g. in a neighbouring garden, the owners of the offending dog would be responsible for the medical costs. However, as you say cats have to right to roam so their owners are not responsible for any damage they inflict.

[Pineappletastic]

As the owner of two cats and one dog I agree with Paperdoll that each owner is responsible for their own animal.

Risks of letting your cats roam include them encountering dogs loose in gardens, and wildlife, and cars. Risks of leaving your dog in the garden includes it coming into contact with cats and wildlife unless you totally secure the garden.

One of my biggest fears when we got the dog was that once the cats got to know it they would assume all dogs were friends and approach unfriendly dogs and end up hurt - luckily mine seem to know the difference. We're in the process of training the dog not to approach random cats when out, as not all cats appreciate her friendly intentions.

I don't think anything can 'be done' about the dog, depending on the breed it could be almost impossible to train out the instinct to chase smaller animals (though I would totally advocate an attempt, it is possible with most breeds), and it was secure on its owner's property.

[KoalaDownUnder]

My dog is a greyhound X. If a cat jumps the six-foot fences into her yard, she will attack it.

There is no way I would consider myself remotely responsible for this. What would you have me do?

[mrsfuzzy]

atom have the cat owners asked for vet fees to be paid ? sorry, i might have missed something,

[rosie1959]

I am sure the cat will be fine Hope your dog is ok
The cat may well think twice before going into your garden again !

[KoalaDownUnder]

Oh gosh, sorry - missed that you're the dog's owner.

Not at fault at all. Hope the dog is okay.

[MrsGsnow18]

I'd want the cat owner to pay for dog bills TBH if it was my dog but I don't think I'd be brace enough to ask.

I remember once a long time ago hearing about a farmers dog that has killed some pet rabbits and the vet said it was in the nature of the dog, that the dog wouldn't be punished because it was natural for it to want to hunt small animals.
The owner however I do believe was held responsible for not controlling the dog, as in this case dog was loose and able to enter someone's garden.

[BarbaraofSeville]

I have cats. My neighbors 2 houses over have dogs that are usually in the garden. My cats give that garden a wide berth, unless they are stupid, they won't go in there.

Another neighbour has a dog that they let roam free on the street (very quiet cul de sac, no roads with much traffic at all for a few hundred metres). I am not particularly worried about this dog, because it is a tiny tiny breed and even my 3 month old kittens (that don't go outside yet) are bigger than it.

I hope your dog is OK and also the cat. Hopefully it won't come by again. Cats can injure dogs, just as much as dogs can injure cats, when the cats are of comparable size to the dogs.

[90daychallenger]

Nothing can be 'done' about the dog. Don't worry. Tell the cat owners to fuck off.

atoms The only one screaming was my dog because the cat had its face and the cat jumped over the fence afterwards so I'm hoping the cat is ok.

Have you taken your dog to the vets? My friend's dog was recently bitten by a cat and got a really really nasty infection. They caught it quickly but she was very ill for some time and the vet told them that if they'd been a bit later bringing her in, her dog might not have survived.

[Lottielou7]

See, so many people say it's cruel to have a cat if you don't let it out but surely cases like this show that cats should not just be let out, they should be kept in like any other pet. In the US cats have to be kept indoors. Letting them out subjects them to no end of potential dangers.

[MrsGsnow18]

Also I hope in your situation the dog is okay! Cats can be very vicious to dogs ( dogs can loose eyes etc.)
I don't have a lot of sympathy for the cat really but I hope it's not harmed. Hopefully it will stay away from now on!

[BarbaraofSeville]

Cats have to be kept indoors in the US? Really? That's insane.

I can understand in cities, just like here, but in quiet suburbs or rural areas, you shouldn't have to. Many cats would be miserable to be confined to indoors.

[Lemonlady22]

get pet insurance.....i think it should be compulsory, and cats should be microchipped as well.....wouldnt be surprised if that became the law same as dogs......pet insurance can save you thousands and a lot of heartbreak in the longterm

[LikeDylanInTheMovies]

Each owner responsible for their own pets' injuries. If you let your cat roam it may come across other pets/opportunities to injurie itself. Likewise a dog even in its own garden will come across other wild and free roaming animals and that's a risk the dog owner takes too. If they try attacking a hedgehog and get a faceful of needles or what have you, you can't send the vet bill to Mrs Tiggywinkle can you.

That said, the more I read about incidents like this, I'm very glad our furry bundle of joy was a housecat when she came to us.

[Shizzlestix]

Cat owner. I take it you were visiting your parents with your dog?

There's a new law re Dangerous dogs out of control within a property, sont there? Heard it whilst watching the appalling news re the 3 year old dying in Halstead.

[atomsandphysics]

Thanks I'm a bit shook up tbh. She's a sighthound but has never gone for cats before but they haven't been on her property.

[YelloDraw]

Dog owner pays for dog. Cat owner pays for cat.

[Lottielou7]

It's not insane at all IMO. A cat can be perfectly happy indoors if you have plenty of toys for them to play with. What other pet do you know of that is just let out of the house? I know quite a few people who've had their cats 'taken over' by 'well meaning' neighbours. There are just so many things that could go wrong. I'd be worried sick.

[shovetheholly]

I once had a couple try to get me to pay for the vets fees after a cat fight! (It was that kind of a village, all these awful people on the make all the time).

You pay for your own animal.

I've found pet insurance to be comprehensively rubbish. When my cat was shot, they paid about 30% of the bill once they had excluded half the items on a whole variety of grounds. And it was an expensive-per-month plan with a reputable provider too. I now save the money and use savings when it is required. It works out way cheaper.

[KP86]

Rubbish. I should be able to expect that my dog is safe in its own secure yard and won't be attacked by someone else's animal.

If your cat (or other animal) can't be trusted not to stay away from my dog when it's innocently minding its own business, then keep it inside.

Nobody would excuse a dog who was roaming and attacked something, it should work both ways.

[CatNip2]

Cats and dogs often don't like each other. I would expect each respective owner to pay their own fees.