Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

My dog bit a cat 😪

982 replies

Bluetoybear · 08/07/2021 18:00

Please be kind as I am so stressed over this.. name changed for this SadI 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 legSad. 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.

OP posts:
Mrstreehouse · 08/07/2021 19:37

Not your fault OP. Imagine if other way round and your dog had gone in to their garden and hurt the cat, would be your fault but cat was on your property. They should have insurance for this kind of eventually and if not, sadly falls on them to pay. I wouldn’t have even offered half, that’s very generous of you but guess you will have to be very careful with your dog when out and about from now on…

LST · 08/07/2021 19:38

I haven't read all the responses. But as an owner of 3 cats that wander about as they please, you neighbour is being massively unreasonable. For one, they should have their cats insured and 2, their cats getting injured is the risk they take letting them out. If it was hit by a car would they make the driver pay?!

LST · 08/07/2021 19:40

@CandidaAlbicans2

How do you prevent a cat entering a garden? Asking for a friend

@sunshinesupermum, by getting cat proof fencing to keep your pet safely within your property. Yes, this stuff exists, so maybe your friend could Google it and get it installed if they're worried about their cat roaming and getting injured.

Cat proof fencing wouldn't work in our garden. And it would be my cats life work to escape it if I even wanted it.
evtheria · 08/07/2021 19:40

How awful for both you and your neighbour.

But, even as a past cat-owner and crazy cat-lover, I also agree this is not your responsibility.
If you paid part of the bills that would be truly kind of you, in acknowledging your pet has hurt someone else’s much loved animal, but their cat was in your dog’s space!

ChargingBuck · 08/07/2021 19:42

@I8toys

Is the cat not insured? I have cats and would expect them to be treated and paid for out of that. If its not I think half is fair.
How is half 'fair'?

If you accept that the cat's insurance should be in place to cover the bill, it's distinctly UNfair, should it turn out to be uninsured, for OP to be held responsible to the cat owners' failure to do so.

MadisonAvenue · 08/07/2021 19:42

Please don’t be bullied into paying a penny OP, and don’t ring your insurance. This is for the cat owner to sort out with their own insurer. And if the cat is uninsured then that’s an expensive lesson that they’ll have to learn.

This is not your problem.

Tal45 · 08/07/2021 19:44

Don't claim on your insurance, it'll put your premiums right up. Your dog was in your garden not running loose in the street. They should keep their cat contained if they don't want any risk to it from cars/foxes/other cats/dogs. To be honest I've never know a cat that would put itself in that position, they're normally much too quick for dogs.

Sixsillysausagessizzlinginapan · 08/07/2021 19:44

Not your fault

iloveeverykindofcat · 08/07/2021 19:44

@sunshinesupermum

Very much depends on the cat. The two I have now are very containable senior ladies (see above post) and live very happily with their limited outside space. The netted area extends from my window into the garden over concrete, grass and plants, a bit like a big children's play outdoor popup. But I once had a young male who would not be restricted, and any attempts just made him obsesssed and determined to get out, even though he was neutered. Sadly I did lose him after an accident whilst on one of his jaunts left him paralyzed, but keeping him in would simply have been no quality of life for him. That's why I prefer to have females now, they don't seem to have that absolute drive to roam. Though maybe some do!

RainbowBriteUk · 08/07/2021 19:45

Please tell him you're not going to pay OP. Sad what happened to the cat but it came in YOUR garden. Please don't pay. Tell him to get to fuck, the nasty bastard being mean to a woman.

emilyfrost · 08/07/2021 19:46

They failed to protect their cat by either keeping it inside or cat proofing their garden. They feel guilty about this, rightly so, and are taking it out on you.

Ignore them.

EatingAllThePies · 08/07/2021 19:46

Oh OP this is so sad and I know you feel awful. I am definitely a cat person, I've had loads and I live in fear of this but as others have said it is part of the cat owners risk. If it's covered on your insurance then fine but the cat was in your garden so this isn't your issue and your offer is generous. Authorities won't be interested. I hope you can manage to get some rest tonight.

Zilla1 · 08/07/2021 19:47

FWIW, OP, in England, if your dog was securely in your garden then I don't think you are legally liable. It sounds like you need to put your aggressive neighbour back in his box. I'd suggest a reply to your neighbour that as he was so vocal and aggressive, you took legal advice and were advised your dog was on your property. The cat owners are fully liable for their own vets bills as they chose to or accidentally let their cat roam. If he chooses to sue you or report you then that is his choice and he will presumably be liable for a any costs you incur. When he can speak to you civilly and once he understands his legal position, you might choose to make a goodwill contribution to his vet's bills though his attitude has caused you to reassess your offer and withdraw it.

It's understandable he is upset and you are too but that doesn't give him the right to sting you for this AND set a personal precedent for any subsequent bill if he chooses to let his cat roam and it returns to your garden so you might need to be firm this time.

Good luck.

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep · 08/07/2021 19:47

I'm a cat owner and I don't think you should pay for this. My cat is insured so that would cover if something like this happened. Your dog was in your garden, not running wild. He's trying to intimidate you, presumably because he doesn't have insurance. Not your problem.

hedgehogger1 · 08/07/2021 19:47

Do not offer to pay anything. If you have withdraw the offer. If they shout at you they are in the wrong

Zilla1 · 08/07/2021 19:48

Putting aside the legals, if your dog entered his garden and the cat attacked it (it happens and cats have sharp claws and can be territorial), would be be paying all your dog's vet's bills? I doubt it and I expect there'd be some bluster.

NativityDreaming · 08/07/2021 19:49

I would not be paying that bill. His cat roams free, going into other people’s yard, that is the risk he takes. If your dog had harmed the cat by running free or snapping when on a walk then I think you would be liable but not when an animal invades his territory.

SweetPetrichor · 08/07/2021 19:50

I am a cat lover and a dog hater, but this is a clear cut case of being one of the risks of owning free roaming cats. Your dog didn’t do anything ‘wrong’, it did what dogs may do to small furry things that come into their garden! Don’t pay them a penny and if they come hammering at your door again, call the police.

ChargingBuck · 08/07/2021 19:51

@Bluetoybear

I am in tears, as my husbands working away and I have been unable to reach him yet, and the neighbours husband has had a right go at me.. I feel awful about the poor cat Sad
Horrible for you OP.

I appreciate that his emotions were running high, & it's an awful thing to see any animal injured, let alone a loved pet. But the neighbour husband here is totally out of order.

Wish you hadn't offered to pay half - but you are well within your rights to withdraw the offer (due to his churlish behavior, altho' prob best not to say that!). You could present it as "have spoken to our insurers, they will not pay out, as they cannot take responsibility for a 3rd party cat straying into our securely-fenced & dog-proof garden."

Had your dog been able to escape into their garden & savage their cat, it would be a different matter. But their cat strayed into yours, & that is not your responsibility.

Nasty man. I wonder if he would have had "a right go" at you had your DH been home? Don't take it to heart OP, you have done nothing wrong.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 08/07/2021 19:51

I'm a cat owner and I certainly wouldn't expect you to pay. The only circumstances where I would report to the authorities are if your dog got into my garden or if it was outside and your dog should have been under control. As others have said they should have insurance for their cat.

LST · 08/07/2021 19:51

@FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop

Gosh the poor cat!

I'm with the neighbours OP you need to pay this Bill. Your dog shouldn't be attacking anyone not even animals. Be thankful they haven't demanded anything more severe

Blimey. You must enjoy being wrong
cariadlet · 08/07/2021 19:52

So sorry that you've had to put up with this vile bullying neighbour, especially as you're on your own in the house. You're clearly upset, not just by his cowardly intimidating behaviour, but by the thought of the daft cat being injured.

Although you have said thanks for the comments, you don't seem to have really taken them to heart and still seem to be feeling guilty. There's absolutely no reason to.

As the overwhelming majority of posters have said, your dog was in its own - very secure - garden. The accident is not your fault in any way.

Don't give the neighbour any money, take back your offer to pay half the costs and don't phone your pet insurance. If your neighbours choose to let their cat roam freely, then they have to take responsibility for the consequences of that decision, including full responsibility for any financial costs that are incurred.

Don't feel that you have to start muzzling your poor dog or supervising it every time you let it out in the garden. There's a 6 foot fence. Your dog has a secure garden and should be allowed to play in it freely.

lifeinlimbo2020 · 08/07/2021 19:53

@emilylily ok then...... Hmm

pigeonhole · 08/07/2021 19:53

Sounds like an awful situation , I really don't think it's your dogs fault if he was in your garden he was defending his territory, the next doors cat should not have been there
Ok it's impossible to control where an outside cat goes but it's their responsibility not yours , your dog was on your property .
In fairness their emotions will be running high but they need to look at their insurance for their cat to cover the vets bills ,
If they Pursue this in court I doubt they would have anything to claim and a good solicitor would tell them so before it got that far.
Not sure if household insurance would cover any of this , it may cover your legal costs ?

hedgehogger1 · 08/07/2021 19:54

If you hear any more at all from neighbour then call the police. You are being harassed

Swipe left for the next trending thread