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.

I'm glad you're husbands back and spoken with the neighbour. I agree with him to withdraw the offer since he's been nothing but abusive towards you (home alone). Horrible neighbour, what a bully.

@NeonDreams

LST Why is it daft? Even if only a threat, if the threat works, it's worth it. It might make them take more responsibility for their cat.

It wouldn't work. Cats are allowed to roam. I'd just make sure all my neighbours knew what the person at whatever house was like

Am puzzled by the notion of cats and dogs being trained not to attack other animals though some PPs look like they've been successfully conditioned by their cats, given some of the posts about muzzling rover and flawed posts about liability and the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Perhaps those PPs haven't replied as Kitty told them to go and buy some more treats or that the mean cat at No 12 Privet Drive attacked them and would they kindly go and speak to that Kitty's family.

Spot on from husband, OP. I love cats but this is indeed one of a great many inherent risks in letting them out. They're acting like your rabid dog escaped into their property and savaged their pet - they're idiots.

I know of a man who did indeed scoop up several neighbouring dcats and drop them in woods miles away..

My greyhounds killed a cat in our own garden. I took it straight to am emergency vet, who had to put it to sleep. I was very upset by it because I wouldn't want any animal to suffer, but there is no way on this earth I would have paid for its treatment. If cat owners can't keep their animals safe, then it strikes me that cats aren't suitable to be kept as companion animals.

@NeonDreams

LST Why is it daft? Even if only a threat, if the threat works, it's worth it. It might make them take more responsibility for their cat.

It's really daft because it's an irrelevant threat as everyone in the UK with a cat knows they can roam.

Again, following your statement that dogs being territorial / chasing / catching prey = bad owners, how have you trained your cats not to chase, catch or indeed kill prey?

Would be genuinely interested to know.

Well quite obviously she gave her dcats a jolly stern talking to.
..

On the upside Op, the cat probably won't be trespassing in your garden again. Team dog all the way.

To those who say cats don’t bite, if you care to message me, I’ll give you my postcode and address. You are welcome to come to my house and see the numerous scars I have on my arms, back, neck and face after being attacked by a cat when I was younger.

@areyouadogperson my 7yo cat is a hand reared orphan. She's our baby who we dote on. She absolutely adores us all and will climb up my DH for a cuddle as soon as he walks in the door from work. She will spend all day with the kids cuddling up and watching tv with them, sleeping in their bed etc.

She will also randomly go nuts and attack. Biting and scratching (presumably thinking it's funny knowing her) Because she is a feline. And that's what even tiny domesticated cats do.

@neondisco, *What's that hot to do with anything?

My cat uses litter so I have actually. But if she did shit in another persons garden its not going to cause injury and pain to another animal*

It may well cause illness to a child who steps in it or gets it on their hands and then traces or worse in their mouth. I have a special needs child and am sick to death of having to patrol the garden with poo bags before he can use it each day. Even when it’s picked up, smears are left on the grass, which he likes to crawl around on. Even if it didn’t, why should people have to be inconvenienced by picking up someone else’s animals stinking crap, or mangled birds, which they have been feeding, in their own garden? Yet you expect dogs to have their natural behaviour curbed in their own gardens,

@youvegottenminuteslynn, I think it’s @Neondisco that made the ridiculous bad owner comments, not @NeonDreams.

[quote Staffy1]@youvegottenminuteslynn, I think it’s @Neondisco that made the ridiculous bad owner comments, not @NeonDreams.[/quote]
Oops sorry @NeonDreams

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.

Many years ago we had two bull terriers* who would drag us across the road rather than pass a particular house where a small black cat would frequently lurk under the hedge and wait for the opportunity to shoot out, slash at an unsuspecting dog, and shoot back in again.

They were terrified of it.

However, if it had actually come into their garden, I have no doubt that its guerrilla tactics would have been useless and they would have killed it.

*ours weren't the only dogs which avoided this Ninja Kitten

Unfortunately for the dogs and foxes concerned my ninja kitten is about the size of a border terrier with extra slashy bits, so when neighbours' German Shepherd escaped and tried to take on his nemesis, he finally decided that a quick withdrawal was for the best.
However, even when cat was younger and fighting fit, I think two bull terriers might have been a bit much.

@Shade17

My sighthound can reach speeds of 45mph. Hopefully all the neighbourhood dcats have read such a fact!

And can go from stationary to max speed in 6 strides. Like fucking missiles!

I've known greyhounds which couldn't even be trusted with cats/small dogs they lived with and happily shared a sofa with.

OK when the smaller animal was lying about, or walking at a steady pace, but if (say) the cat darted towards the door, the greyhound was up and after it before it even knew what it had done itself.

As PP has said - totally instinctive reaction - knee-jerk, and so deeply ingrained in some individual dogs it can't be stopped. It's triggered by the sudden movement.

If our dcat runs ddog will chase but not really trying to catch him ! Her nose has had a few reminders to stay clear!!

www.gov.uk/government/news/dangerous-dogs-law-changes-cover-attacks-on-private-property

That suggests to me that you are not liable. Cats are counted as property in UK law which isn't covered in this Act or the amendment to include private places. Also cat was technically a trespasser so again not covered. As for proving dangerously out of control - they'd never be able to in a secure back garden with no one able to gain access to it except through you with your knowledge.
I have a dog and 2 cats BTW. Really sad for the cat but you're not liable.

@334bu

Unfortunately for the dogs and foxes concerned my ninja kitten is about the size of a border terrier with extra slashy bits, so when neighbours' German Shepherd escaped and tried to take on his nemesis, he finally decided that a quick withdrawal was for the best. However, even when cat was younger and fighting fit, I think two bull terriers might have been a bit much.

They were absolute wusses.

Our 5 and 1/2lb yorkie got into more fights - she was a right arsey little bugger!

@Bluetoybear I see you have a Ring doorbell-do you have a ring sensor with camera on the back garden? Because if you do it will have set the motion off and you could look back at your history and see exactly what happened.

Glad to read your update @Bluetoybear and that common sense has prevailed. He will get nowhere with the police, council or solicitor, because your dog has done nothing wrong at all - it was acting like most dogs would when encountering an intruder in their garden.

Owners who let their cats wander at will, crapping in people’s gardens and decimating wildlife, are entirely responsible for any injuries they sustain in doing so, whether that be getting chased by a dog on the dog’s own property or getting hit by a car. This is recognised in the law; if your dog causes a car accident by running into the road, you as owner can be prosecuted, similarly if it’s seen to be out of your control and kills a wild animal. This isn’t the case with cats because the law treats them as wild animals.

@Sillawithans

I think half of the bill was the least you could but hey ho.

No, it's absolutely none of ops responsibility.

It is like having to pay if a car crashes into yours but that car is damaged and yours is fine.

So I will just let things run their course now and see if we hear from police/council /his legal advice

Very sensible.

Its all bluster and bluff. This man doesn't even pay pet insurance for his roaming cat and I doubt he's going to be forking out for lawyers. And as the majority on here realise he doesn't have a leg to stand on.

Any chance of a goodwill contribution from OP was chucked down the toilet went he began his shouting and intimidation tactics. He's just a loudmouth bully who doesn't like to be in the wrong.

Hope the cat gets better soon.