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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:
user1471447863 · 09/07/2021 18:05

@Neondisco

I'm a devoted cat owner and don't really like dogs. If this happend to Mr I'd be judging you to fuck as to why you'd trained your dog so badly talhat it attacked cats. BUT, it is on your property and you seem to take precautions re the dog not being well trained in public. Where you'd reasonably expect it to come across other animals.

So I think the neighbours are being unreasonable. If you let your cat out, which I do, you need to accept the dangers of the outside world and have insurance to cover those dangers

But you might want to look at training your dog better so it doesn't attack other animals.

Maybe you could train your cat not to go into other people's gardens?
user1471447863 · 09/07/2021 18:07

How does neighbour know it was your dog that bit their cat anyway?
Maybe you could use that old cat owners favourite of "it was a fox"? Many love to trot that one out when people complain of cats crapping in their garden

LST · 09/07/2021 18:08

@user1471447863

How does neighbour know it was your dog that bit their cat anyway? Maybe you could use that old cat owners favourite of "it was a fox"? Many love to trot that one out when people complain of cats crapping in their garden
I can tell how much you absolutely love the kitties
VeganCheesePlease · 09/07/2021 18:09

Not your responsibility. At all.
The cat was on your property, and the dog attacked the cat. If your dog got onto your neighbours property and attacked the cat, that might be a different story, but it's not.
Your neighbour is a cheeky fucker trying to chance his arm while your husband is away.

MangosteenSoda · 09/07/2021 18:15

@Neondisco Bet your free roaming cat attacks more animals on a weekly basis than the OP’s dog has done in its whole life.

LST · 09/07/2021 18:17

@Neondisco

I'm a devoted cat owner and don't really like dogs. If this happend to Mr I'd be judging you to fuck as to why you'd trained your dog so badly talhat it attacked cats. BUT, it is on your property and you seem to take precautions re the dog not being well trained in public. Where you'd reasonably expect it to come across other animals.

So I think the neighbours are being unreasonable. If you let your cat out, which I do, you need to accept the dangers of the outside world and have insurance to cover those dangers

But you might want to look at training your dog better so it doesn't attack other animals.

You need to read up on dogs. Hows training your cats not to hunt going?
sunglassesonthetable · 09/07/2021 18:38

I'm a devoted cat owner and don't really like dogs. If this happend to Mr I'd be judging you to fuck as to why you'd trained your dog so badly talhat it attacked cats.

Sorry don't be an arse.

TSSDNCOP · 09/07/2021 18:47

I have two cats. I wouldn't expect a dog owner to pay if they'd dropped into a dog's garden and been bitten.

If you let your cats roam you need to insure them, they get bitten by other cats, hit by cars and chased by dogs.

My mums neighbour's cat wandered into her garden whilst my sister's dog was visiting. Dog chased cat, cat legged it like a champ, missed its chance to escape once before finally getting away. Then died of a heart attack! No amount of training or recall or intervention would've stopped either animal. Just bad luck all round.

334bu · 09/07/2021 18:50

I'm a devoted cat owner and don't really like dogs. If this happend to Mr I'd be judging you to fuck as to why you'd trained your dog so badly talhat it attacked cats.

😂😂

As the owner of a cat who in his prime has chased foxes and German Shepherds out of his garden , I would not be too quick to assume that the dog was the original aggressor.

nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut · 09/07/2021 18:58

I wouldn't be having that I'm afraid. He has no right to harass you to pay his cats bill. Your dog was secure in your garden, this incident was not a result of any negligence on your part. His animal was on your property without your knowledge or permission and you hold no liability whatsoever for any injuries it sustained.

I'd be telling him to get the fuck off my property and keep his cat inside if he isn't willing to accept the risks inherent in letting it roam. You have to accept when you have cats, that if you let them out, they may encounter predators or be involved in accidents. Its upsetting of course but such is life.

Shade17 · 09/07/2021 19:01

I'm a devoted cat owner and don't really like dogs. If this happend to Mr I'd be judging you to fuck as to why you'd trained your dog so badly talhat it attacked cats.

You clearly don’t even know your arse from your elbow!

thegreylady · 09/07/2021 19:02

I am a cat owner (3 indoor cats) and I love dogs. When my dog bit a cat years ago I went round and offered to pay half the bill. The owner said:
“Fighting like cats and dogs is a saying for a reason.”
He wouldn’t take the money but I did send a hamper to apologise.

Drovememad · 09/07/2021 19:04

@Neondisco how do you train a dog badly? Please explain?

I mean you can not train a dog?

You could train a dog to chase potential predators out of their house or garden?

But how do you train it badly?

You sound very dim, I wouldn't be concerned about you judging me, it wouldn't be important!

nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut · 09/07/2021 19:05

I'm a devoted cat owner and don't really like dogs. If this happend to Mr I'd be judging you to fuck as to why you'd trained your dog so badly talhat it attacked cats.

Are you serious? It's not training, it's nature. Mine doesn't attack cats but will try to catch small animals and bring back all manner of sticks, stones, lost balls etc. She's a retriever, I believe from a working line, a gundog. They fetch things, it's what they were bred to do. OP said her dog is small; I'm thinking probably some kind of terrier?

They were specifically bred to chase and kill smaller animals, to control vermin. Its their instinct.

Your cat ever brought in a mouse or bird? Why haven't you trained it better?

Because you can't train away an animals natural instincts.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 09/07/2021 19:07

You are not responsible.

If your dog had got into their garden it’d be a different matter.

I’m surprised you’re not the one to end up at the vet’s, though, with a comprehensively clawed dog’s nose.

MrsSkrebensky · 09/07/2021 19:10

Meant to add that allowing your cat to roam (which they are allowed to) makes it even more important to get insurance.

Your neighbours are CFs but I think it is important to try and maintain civil relations and try to seek compromise wherever possible even if you have to grit your teeth. I used to work for citizens advice and there were all sorts of awful neighbour disputes that could have been resolved with a conversation but had escalated to extreme levels.

snowwhit3 · 09/07/2021 19:18

Bet this free roaming cat has killed or injured numerous mice & birds etc.

Don't hear anyone complaining about cats not being well trained!!

FlyingPandas · 09/07/2021 19:24

@Neondisco I’m a devoted guinea pig owner, and the neighbourhood cats often come into our garden to try and freak them out. Given half a chance, each would certainly maim or kill one or all of them.

Perhaps the cat owners should train their cats not to harass, intimidate and kill small furries...oh no, wait a minute, that’s natural cat behaviour. Rather like a dog defending its territory is natural dog behaviour...

Hope you are ok OPFlowers

PhilSwagielka · 09/07/2021 19:28

For those of you who think cats don't bite: I have some bad news. They do. My cat has bitten me multiple times. When I first got him, out of the blue, he bit my wrist and drew blood. He's getting better but I do still have to be careful around him.

snowwhit3 · 09/07/2021 19:31

@Neondisco

I'm a devoted cat owner and don't really like dogs. If this happend to Mr I'd be judging you to fuck as to why you'd trained your dog so badly talhat it attacked cats. BUT, it is on your property and you seem to take precautions re the dog not being well trained in public. Where you'd reasonably expect it to come across other animals.

So I think the neighbours are being unreasonable. If you let your cat out, which I do, you need to accept the dangers of the outside world and have insurance to cover those dangers

But you might want to look at training your dog better so it doesn't attack other animals.

@Neondisco or maybe cat owners should train their cats not to go prowling around other people properties antagonising dogs.

And before you say it would be impossible to train a cat, it would be equally impossible to train most dogs not to attack a cat invading their own private space. It's their nature.

At least the dog was on its own property and left to roam free. Do cats have free reign over the entire world and we're all supposed to cat-proof our private spaces to stop them getting hurt when they are trespassing.

The solution is either to control your cat or don't let out out to wander anywhere it wants.

I would hazard a guess that the cat knew the dog was in the garden and was just as responsible for the encounter. I have a large dog and it's not uncommon for cats to walk along the top of my 6ft fence deliberately antagonising my dog. My dog does jump up at the fence (no chance of catching the cat) and the cat then hisses and swipes her paws at my dogs face. It's almost like she enjoys annoying the dog and is smug about not being caught. If that cat was to walk through the middle of my garden I would not be apologising for it hurting the cat!! I wouldn't actually be surprised if the vile cocky cat hurt the dog more.

I doubt many poor cats wander innocently through a garden and get caught off guard by a dog! Particularly as it sounds like this particular cat waited til the owner went inside to enter the garden

Orangemochafrappacino · 09/07/2021 19:36

Hopefully the cat will be okay but it's not your fault at all OP.

Wheelz46 · 09/07/2021 19:44

Train your dog not to chase or attack cats?? Hmm

How about train your cat not to attack birds and stay in their own garden? I say this as both a cat and dog lover too!

Ratalie · 09/07/2021 19:58

Bet this free roaming cat has killed or injured numerous mice & birds etc.

Don't hear anyone complaining about cats not being well trained!!
Nope. In fact, most (maybe all) cat owners encourage their cats' hunting instincts through play.

TonTonMacoute · 09/07/2021 20:19

Gosh. This is why I dislike cats. It’s not their fault but so many of them have completely unreasonable owners.

Gosh, this is why I dislike people who don't RTFT. The overwhelming majority of cat owners on this thread have supported the OP!

As for those people who think the NDNs should 'train' their cats better Confused

Hippee · 09/07/2021 20:30

Neondisco - I hope you have trained your cat not to shit in other people's gardens. No? Unfortunately the rest of us just have to suck it up.

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