My dog bit a cat 😪

[Bluetoybear]

Please be kind as I am so stressed over this.. name changed for this I have a 7 year old dog which is only walked on a lead 3 times a day in local park and let out in my back garden throughout the day for a wee etc. My back garden has a 6 foot fence around it so my dog can't get out. Yesterday the neighbours cat jumped into my garden and my dog ran after it and bit it on its leg. My neighbour has taken the poor cat to the vets and has had a big vets bill for it and neighbours husband has came round at tea time demanding I pay it all. He was very vocal about it and said if I don't pay it he will 'sue/take me to court/get in touch with authority's saying my dog is dangerous etc. I am so worried as the cat has awful injuries. I have offered to pay half out of goodwill but neighbours telling me I need to pay all of the bill which I can't afford.

Harassment, verbal abuse and threatening behaviour are much more serious offences than someone's dog biting someone else's cat. Neighbour is deranged. Call the police if he doesn't go away, or if he says anything else to you.

Tomorrow morning, search your garden before you let your dog out. People that irrational are not beyond chucking a sausage full of rat poison into the garden.

I hope you are ok, op!

This is not your responsibility, it was on your own property so I don’t think the cat owner has a leg to stand on, you were being more than kind offering to pay half. I say this as a cat owner.

I once had a cat that lost his tail after being attacked by a neighbours dog. Although the dog wasn’t that friendly, he was in fact secure in his own garden. My cat was a house cat at the time due to being deaf but managed to sneak out. I didn’t even dream of asking neighbour to pay my vets bill as the onus was on me to make sure he couldn’t escape!

I hope the neighbour has stopped banging on your door OP, if he continues call 101 and report him. Your animal did nothing wrong as your dog was in it's own garden at the time, enclosed. You didn't allow him to roam freely outside of it's own garden, their cat came into the garden, therefore the cost is all on them. If they don't have insurance, that is their problem.
Cats will roam, and something like this can happen because they do. It is not your fault, nor responsibility.

@EKGEMS

I would be calling the police on the neighbor harassing you

Yes, this. Especially if you are trying to rest. I'm a total cat person but it's obvious that the cat was in the dog's territory and it wasn't a case where he wasn't on a lead or you were being irresponsible! Sleep well.

If I was the cat owner I would not expect you to pay, given the cat was in your yard.

I may be slated for this but the cat entered your garden and your dog bit. He shouldn't have bir but the dog was in their own secure garden. I wouldn't pay.

I hate this convo years ago with a friend . Their cat was bit after entering a garden with a dog. My friend demanded that the dog owner paid everything. But I was too scared to say to her I didn't agree!

Don't pay op! It's the risk of having a cat that roams around!

Where I live, there was a black cat that kept teasing an excitable little dog by walking up and down on the garden fence. One day it came down off the fence and the dog bit it. The dog owner complained to the cat owner. No chance of compensation there.

The cat was in your garden. You are not fault. If they are so attached to the cat they shouldn't let it out and certainly shouldn't expect you to be responsible for it. Typical selfish cat owner.

@Bluetoybear if the neighbour continues please call the police that is harassment. Guessing he knows your husband is away as well so is trying to intimidate you.

The police will hopefully tell him that he is batshit if he thinks you are in the wrong for not paying the bill.

You poor thing and I say this as a cat and dog owner too! I think your offer to pay half is generous as well and don't let this man intimidate you, the likelihood is the cat is uninsured which is why they've come banging on your door. Our cat got into a garden a few doors down and approached their husky (we think he was being over friendly as we have a dog and he's used to ours). He was pretty violently shaken at the neck and had puncture wounds requiring vet treatment and hasn't been quite the same since (lost his meow and seems a little bit slower) but that is the risk you take when you have a cat and though I would have been very upset had anything else happened, we know it wasn't the huskies fault.

Aw OP I feel sorry for you, I can hear how upset you are. As you can see from my username, I adore cats - but you aren't liable or responsible and your dog was just acting on instinct. This is why my cats don't free roam. They are both older ladies and one has a fused wrist. It was very successful, she still runs, jumps and climbs, but just not quite as high or fast and her grab isn't 100% reliable, so as a responsible owner I decided they only go out in a limited netted garden area, and they're perfectly happy with that. I'm afraid this is on the cats' owners and it sounds like they haven't got insurance so are trying it on with you. I really hope the cat will be okay, but if they keep harrassing you you'll have to call the police and make a complaint.

@emilylily

I would definitely pay as the alternative might be your dog being put to sleep if considered to be a dangerous dog.

Most stupid comment on this thread.

Sadly our dog (ex racing greyhound) killed the neighbours cat. They called the police who weren’t in the least bit interested. It was horrible and the dog had to wear a muzzle from then on which caused other problems. But legally there wasn’t any fault found with us as the garden was secure and the dog was under control.

Your dog was being a dog.
I'd feel bad about the cat too, but I sure wouldn't pay ( anything!).

As hard as it is, please try to strengthen your resolve here. You don't need your husband to talk to your neighbor- you can do it if needed.
His cat was in your garden. They let their cat roam, and there is a risk !

the dangerous dog act doesn't apply to attacks on other animals/pets - it only applies to people and assistant dogs even if they are on
your private property but not if they are trespassers..i think that is to protect visitors/children coming to your home. That is how i read that law. hope that helps.

I have both dogs and indoor/outdoor cats, so I'm not biased here.

In law, cats don't have the protections dogs do. Your neighbour should have insured the cat if he wasn't prepared to pay vet bills, or kept the poor ccreature as an indoor cat (if given enough stimulation and company, cats very happily adapt to living only indoors).

It's absolutely not your responsibilty to pay a penny of the vet fee. Your dog was under control in that it was in your own garden. Had your dog attacked the cat whilst in the cat's property or in the park/street, you could have been prosecuted for having a dangerous dog out of control in a public place. Clearly that is not the case here.

I will pray that the cat comes through this and makes a complete recovery, but please don't blame yourself or give in to this horrible man's demands to pay for HIS responsibility.

It's not an offence for a dog to attack a cat, or even another dog - although you are supposed to report that (exception being assistant dogs - it is an offence to attack them)

I would consider reporting neighbour to the police non emergency number if you are feeling intimidated by him. Funny how he wasn't concerned enough for his cat's safety when it was wandering round the neighbourhood shitting in other people's gardens.

I feel sorry for the cat, no one wants to see an animal hurt, but unfortunately the cat has a stupid irresponsible owner who lets his cat go into gardens where there are dogs.

You are not liable for any kind of expense at all. Hopefully the cat once it has recovered will be wary of coming in your garden.
You are no more liable for the vets bill than someone would be if the cat was wandering in the road and a car hit it and injured it.

Withdraw your offer of half payment - you don't have to pay anything.

@Bluetoybear Totally on your side here, and I am a huge cat fan ...

Tell the man to go fuck himself, and to bring it on with the authorities threat. He has no case. The cat wandered into your garden, and whilst I feel for poor kitty, it's just rotten luck that your dog bit it.

I can't believe the neighbour has the temerity to demand the money from you for the vet bill. If he hasn't got the cat insured, that's his hard luck.

CF neighbours!!!! Don’t give them a penny and tell them to secure their garden if they don’t want their car wandering onto other peoples properties.

Don’t pay a penny. Cat shouldn’t have been in your garden.

If it hasn't already been said, ask to see the vet bill, tell them you will discuss with your husband and free 30 min solicitor or citizens advice and if he doesn't leave you alone you will sue him for harrassment !
check your house insurance you may have legal cover.

What a horrible situation. I think it's very reasonable of you to offer half. I have various dogs living within the vicinity of my home so my cats do not go out for this very reason. If this had happened outside of your garden with an unleashed dog I'd be firmly agreeing with neighbour but under these circumstances I can't see how it's your responsibility!

It was really nice if you to offer half. It wasn't your fault. I'd tell them firmly that you are really sympathetic to the cat's injuries but you're not responsible due to the cat spooking the dog in its own garden and that your offer is half the fees out of goodwill, or none.

This is not your responsibility..... Your dog was secure in your garden, the cat entered your garden.

Your neighbour can report you/ take you to court, absolutely nothing will come of it.

Also your male neighbour is a bulky and you should tell him to fuck off just for that alone!

Zwellers" " Typical selfish cat owner.

What an incredibly stupid, biased and insulting comment.