Neighbour argument

[Flowerlane]

Name changed🤪

Excuse the length of the post and also any errors as using my phone.

2 neighbours are currently having a argument over a incident that happened this morning.

Neighbour A let her children and her dog out to play this morning in to her own garden neighbour B’s cat was in their garden and got spooked by the kids and the dog. The cat has tried to climb the tree to get over the fence but somehow has managed to get caught. Cat stuck in tree with dog at the bottom barking madly at it. Neighbour A and B have both run out to garden as the noise from the cat and the dog were both very loud. B manages to get the cat untangled by leaning over fence on a chair. Cat obviously has injured its leg and was rushed to the emergency vets.

Now B has knocked on A’s door and said that the cats leg may be broken and its having x rays this afternoon etc she is waiting for a phone call from the vet she then said how would A be paying the bill? Would she pay her or go direct to the vet and pay the bill?
A has stated that she is sorry that the cat has injured itself but she will not be paying as it was a accident and she can not see how she is at fault and has to pay for it.

B has gone mad and said her cat was spooked by her children and dog thats why he got stuck and was struggling to get away from a mad dog so it’s obvious she needs to pay!!

B said she will be back once the vet has phoned to let her know the amount and that if she isn’t prepared to pay she will be taking it to small claims court as it’s A’s fault her cat is injured.

A has asked my opinion as we are friends and whether she is being unreasonable. I think she is in the right and is not being unreasonable at all.

So why I sit and curtain twitchWhat do Mumsnet think is A being unreasonable by not paying the bill?

I’m hooked!! What has lockdown driven us to 😅

I would also argue that it may have actually been B who broke the leg btw. By pulling on the cat while standing on a chair leaning over so obviously not much stable, when if she waited for A to get the dog, the cat could most likely untangle itself. We always gave ours a chance to sort themselves and they always did

@WhatsErFace2020

I’m hooked!! What has lockdown driven us to 😅

Honestly it’s crazy I had a life before lockdown what’s happened...I’m now reporting on cats walking across my drive on their way home for dinner

@SchrodingersImmigrant

I would also argue that it may have actually been B who broke the leg btw. By pulling on the cat while standing on a chair leaning over so obviously not much stable, when if she waited for A to get the dog, the cat could most likely untangle itself. We always gave ours a chance to sort themselves and they always did

That’s a very good point she could well have done it herself!

@ChameleonClara

Unfortunately the cat owner injured their own cat by untangling it leaning over the fence on a chair. They should have given at least some time for the cat to come down of its own accord. Hope the cat is OK.

I would like to be a fly on the wall if this were taken to small claims!

This!

I came on to say B is a) nuts and b) in all likelyhood caused the cat's leg injury by dragging it sideways out of a tree.

A should not pay a penny.

If cat dad goes to dog mums house may be construed as threatening behaviour?

I can't believe Saturday night entertainment has come to this. Have just relayed the entire episode to DH who also finds it gripping.

BTW I am strongly behind dog mum

Oh I didn't see @ChameleonClara post! X posted!

Cat owner should have insurance. I say that as a cat owner who was once landed with a large vet's bill for her uninsured cat.

I’d be yelling dogdad and dogmam that a token payment may well be seen as an admission of guilt and before they know it they will be lumped with the whole bill.

I would also be saying to them what schrodinger said about it quite possibly being a catmum inflicted injury.

Tell them to sling their paw.

I can't believe Saturday night entertainment has come to this.

I can when the alternative is Saturday Night Takeaway...

Would only say A should contribute or pay if the dog was deliberately encouraged to chase the cat. As a cat person I think cat mum is potty

A is right; there's no way she should pay for treatment for neighbour's cat. The cat was in her garden, so it's not A's fault that her children and pet spooked it.

I would tell A to stand her ground and politely reiterate to neighbour (if neighbour has the balls to come back and ask again) that she will not be paying anything. Let B try and 'win' at small claims court. All they'll be doing is wasting time and money filling out the form and paying the court fee.

The cat should be insured. And I wouldn't pay a penny if a neighbour's cat got hurt in my garden. Cats, in many respects, are treated by the law as wild animals (which is why everyone has to put up with cat crap everywhere for their DC to play in). You wouldn't pay for an injured rat to receive veterinary treatment.

@readsalotgirl63

Would only say A should contribute or pay if the dog was deliberately encouraged to chase the cat. As a cat person I think cat mum is potty

Dog is a large breed very well trained that usually ignores other animals from what I have seen. The dog went out to play with the kids, cat run up the tree and was making distressed calls which made the dog start barking at the tree wondering what was going on with the cat.

@SchrodingersImmigrant

I would also argue that it may have actually been B who broke the leg btw. By pulling on the cat while standing on a chair leaning over so obviously not much stable, when if she waited for A to get the dog, the cat could most likely untangle itself. We always gave ours a chance to sort themselves and they always did

I was thinking the same. It's not often cats break their legs unless hit by a car or fall from a very high drop, even then they are sometimes fine. Cats are quite resilient, god knows how much force that woman must have used to get it out of the tree, climbing into it wouldn't have broken its leg.

It’s 7pm! Where’s cat dad? He needs to hurry back already 👀

@SheldonesqueIsUnwell

I’d be yelling dogdad and dogmam that a token payment may well be seen as an admission of guilt and before they know it they will be lumped with the whole bill.

I would also be saying to them what schrodinger said about it quite possibly being a catmum inflicted injury.

Tell them to sling their paw.

I agree.

I have texted dog mum and said what a couple of posters have said here that maybe cat mum broke the leg getting it down as I see cats climb trees and they usually get down fine with no broken legs.

I also think B broke the cat's leg. I can't see how a cat could break its leg climbing up a tree. Falling out, maybe, but not climbing up!

I'm very much a cat person, I really don't like dogs so I'm quite biased. In no way was this Dog mum's fault.

In fact it doesn't even sound like the dog chased the cat? Just the cat freaked out at the sight of a dog and got itself in a right 2 and 8.

Maybe worth suggesting that she should ignore her DH as offering any contribution to vet's bill maybe taken as admission of guilt.

It’s just gone 7pm I’m sitting with the blinds up still, on a armchair that we never use as you can’t see the tv from it, in the dark not allowing the kids to turn on the lights so that I cant be seen from the street!

B should keep her car indoors if it's such a pussy. (See what I did there?)

@IhaveNotBroughtMySpecsWithMe

It's no one's 'fault'.

The cat owner is responsible for paying for any injuries her cat has.

This^

B should keep cat inside.

I'm a cat owner. If the dog had broken into the cats garden then yes, or bitten the cat then maybe
But no, that's what my insurance is for. Mine manages to run up vet bills just being alive let alone climbing trees