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.

Their cat shouldn’t have been in your garden. I doubt they would get anywhere in court. Lots of dogs will bite a cat, doesn’t mean they are in any way dangerous to people or other dogs even.

If the cat came into your garden then the cat is at fault. Very sad situation but not your dog's fault.

I have a stupid cat and a dog. The cat walks up to dogs like a fool ! If one was to bite her it's her own bloody fault !

I agree please do not pay!!!

The cat came into YOUR garden. This is not your fault or responsibility! How dare your neighbors demand that you pay!

I am a cat lover but do not have one because quite simply every cat owner I know has ended up with large vet bills for cats being run over, being attacked by other cats/animals etc - the free roaming nature of cats I think inevitably leads to things like this. I really wouldn't even pay half, especially after the way he's acted - he should have been grateful you offered to pay anything!

Hope you're ok

@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

I mean this in the nicest way possible, but you dont need your husband to sort this. It is horrible and I hate it when people get aggressive with me. But you're an adult woman who has done nothing wrong (sounds like hey havent insured their free roaming cat and are trying to wriggle put of ot by putting in on you). Be firm and stand your ground. Yes , you feel sorry for the cat, but it could have been hit by a caf or any other way of getting injured. This is not yours or your dogs fault. Woman up! You got this

If you can afford it, you could pay half, not because you are in any way liable, but just to try to avoid the relationship with these neighbours deteriorating. But as a cat owner, I have to say that your neighbour's cat is one stupid cat and you are in no way responsible

This is really sad, but it's not your fault at all. Your dog was in their own safe, secure property and the cat wandered in. Dogs go for cats, same way as cats go for birds.

I think you're being very kind offering to pay half and your neighbours need to wind their necks in and stop threatening you with animal control, who won't do actually do anything by the way.

Last year our tiny dog was mauled in our own garden by a bigger dog who wasn't on a lead and was able to jump into our garden. Our dog nearly died and her treatment came to over £1200 (thankfully we had pet insurance). The other bastard owner took no responsibility whatsoever and even refused to put his dog on the lead after that. We reported the attack to animal control and do you know what happened? Absolutely sweet fuck all.

That dog has gone on to attack more dogs since, and still no action has been taken.

What has happened with your dog is nowhere near as bad as this, there's no way anything will come of it.

Neighbours are being bellends.

because if she does have 3rd party and the neighbour tries to sue the insurers would handle it all with shit hot lawyers. The OP wouldn't have to do a thing.
She doesn't need a team of shit hot lawyers because she's not liable.

Does your home insurance or pet insurance have legal cover? Perhaps you could get legal advice this route.

@sunshinesupermum

their cat should be insured and not in your garden

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

Sorry OP but I'm guessing the responsibility is all yours. [flowers}

No it’s not. The responsibility is with the cat owner to keep the cat out of other people’s gardens. If they can’t, it’s a risk they take. How do you stop a dog biting a cat in it’s own garden?

@Boood

You need to find a way of covering the bill. This is why dogs aren’t supposed to be left unsupervised- because when they bite, they can do serious damage.

Of course you can leave a dog in a secure fenced garden unsupervised. The cat got into the garden and was injured. It is not the responsibility of the OP to keep cats out and therefore has no legal reason to pay any vets bill. It would be a different case if the cat had caused injuries to her dog. The neighbour might be held responsible for that bill. I have both cats and dogs and don’t favour one above another

Thank you so much for everyone who has taken the time to comment on this I am going to bed now with a book (and my little dog sleeping on my bed) neighbour has been banging on front door for last 5 minutes but I am not answering him tonight.. I will let my husband deal with it when he gets back tomorrow night. So bloody stressful! And I am off work at the moment recovering from an operation.

Fuck that! You're not responsible, the little fucker was trespassing

I own both dogs and cats and I have made a conscious decision not to insure them because I have so many, it is cheaper for me to pay the vet bills when necessary and I have the available money to do so. All the cats are outdoor cats. Having said that, your dog was under control and in your garden. The cat came into your garden and something really unfortunate happened, but if the owners don't have insurance and choose to allow their cat out they are taking a risk that something like this will happen and the consequences are on them not you. I really don't think this is your responsibility.

Not sure why I swore so much. Sorry about that. You get the gist

I would be calling the police on the neighbor harassing you

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

@emilylily

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

Rubbish.

I've got cats and dogs. I'd never even consider going and asking the neighbour to pay if one of my cats got injured by the neighbours dog in their garden.

I'd especially not be paying anything since he came and had a go at you

Cal the police on your neighbour he has no right to be harassing you

I bet their cat isn’t insured and this is what’s making them push it
They won’t stand a chance in hell of getting you to pay for this

He is bonkers. You do not need to pay a penny. His cat went into your garden.

I don't own a dog and I have three cats. It's a risk you take with outside cats.

Your neighbour sounds unhinged

@emilylily

A dangerous dog for chasing and biting a cat in its own garden?!

If your neighbour carries on banging on your door I would ring the police he sounds completley unhinged! Yes it's very upsetting when your pet is injured but his behaviour is ridiculous and he had no right to be harassing you.

@emilylily

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

@emilylily Why should she pay? The cat came into THEIR garden!