Neighbour's cat killed our guinea pig

[GuineaPiggie]

We had two guinea pigs - until Sunday; now we just have one :-(

Our next door neighbour got two cats a few weeks ago. They have been coming into our garden, and I have been trying to deter them with water pistols. I bought cat spikes and laid them around our guinea pig hutch. I thought I had successfully warned them off but it turns out they have been coming into our garden when we have been out.

On Saturday evening my neighbour said she had tried to knock on our door to tell us that their cats were scratching at the guinea pig hutch. We were not at home.

That evening, one of our guinea pigs stopped eating and was sat trembling, as if in shock. We didn't think much of it, since she was otherwise perfectly healthy and only 3 years old.

On Sunday we found her dead. Her sister seems okay, apart from being distressed at having lost her sister. We will get another guinea pig to keep her company, but obviously are absolutely devastated at this loss. My children are so so upset, as am I. It seems too much of a coincidence that she died just after the cat attack.

Any suggestions about what I can do about this, and how to broach this with my neighbour? I'm not the kind of person to march round and have a go at them, but I am angry and upset and am terrified of leaving the house in case the cats come again. It seems so unfair that my neighbours' pets are allowed to roam all over the place, terrorising (and now causing the death of) other people's pets (others on the street have complained about them too - they mentioned this on Saturday).

I understand that you can't prevent cats from roaming, but it seems so unjust that our neighbours disown any responsibility, having brought these cats into our life. It won't bring our piggie back, but I don't want this happening again. Their attitude is "cats will be cats". We have tried to cat-proof our garden but surely they should share some of the responsibility? Should they not have considered this before deciding to buy these cats?

You have no proof that the cat caused the death of the guinea pig. It might well have frightened GP but at the same time as PPs have said GPs can just drop down dead for many reasons

I don’t have GPs but have looked after a friend’s. Broadly they live inside except on sunny days when we are at home when we put them outside under loose supervision
plenty of foxes and squirrels to scare them as well as cats.

One of our guineas went very quickly - eating normally one day, by the next morning was fitting and barely conscious. They are notoriously good at masking pain and discomfort so it can be hard to spot any underlying conditions until they are really serious...

Nowhere in the OPs post have they taken on board any of the advice on this thread. The second post continues to bang on about stopping cats from entering the garden rather than improving the welfare for the lone piggy.

@GuineaPiggie please consider handing over your sole piggy to a rescue who can pair them up with a friend and rehome to an indoor, safe setup.

the poor little mite is most likely still outside on its own shitting itself or has passed too. Its a real shame people like the op bother getting animals just to neglect them.

Should they have considered what before deciding to get the cats? What possible effect the cats might hypothetically have on everyone else and their pets?
While it's sad your guinea pig has died, that's not realistic.
Prey animals just are prone to upping and dying at little or no provocation. That's just how they are. And there's nothing at all to say it was anything to do with the cats.
When you found her and suspected she was in shock, I don't get why you didn't think anything of it.

Hmmmm. Lots of comments along the lines of "oh well, cats will be cats- they're wild you cant control them!!" until one of the cats runs in front of a car and then its all the driver's fault isnt it?

But the cat hasn’t ‘attacked’ the guinea pigs??
If the hutch is outside then I’d be surprised this the first encounter with a predator.
You seem to have put 2 and 2 together and got 5.
I’m sorry that your little pig has died and hopefully you’ll find a way to keep the other safe.

That would be true too for a pheasant or a deer though….

I had guinea-pigs (with my DD and when I was a kid ) and now I have cats .

I made it my mission to give our piggies a FortKnox safe house ,
They had a converted playhouse shed . They had rabbit runs that we secured with heavy duty tents pegs .

They runs could have covers and they always had a hidey box inside . Guinea-pigs don;t dig but something else could dig in so they were never left alone or free range in the garden

Foxes were my main worry tbh .

All of ours had signs of illness before they went but they are subtle signs you need to know them to read the signs.

Apart from one of my piggies I had as a child who died in the middle of the dining room flooor like she was walking across it and just thought "Here will do" . Nothing scared her , she wasn't ill. She just didn't want to curl up in a corner .

I get it OP. It's really frustrating that other people's pets can just wonder around and upset and kill yours, and then mumsnet is just "cats so be cats".

Yes, prey pets need to be kept safe from wild predators, but it's so hard to keep them safe from cats. There are so many cats, and they have no fear of humans, so keeping pets safe from cats is so difficult.

Nothing wrong with piggies living outside in a well insulated hutch.

I had to upgrade from a water pistol to nerf guns to keep foxes out of my garden.

Yes. They should not live outside

@GuineaPiggie 🙄 if you want to prevent cats and foxes entering your garden then it’s your responsibility to cat proof it.
Anyone keeping pets in the garden knows full well that there’s a risk and you chose to take that risk.

Theres no evidence whatsoever that this had anything to do with the cats.
And even if it did what exactly do you expect the neighbour to do about it?! Cats are free to roam animals and you know this.

Definitely don’t speak to your neighbour it will make you look like a bit crazy. You need to think carefully about whether to rehome the remaining guinea pig if you aren’t willing to keep them safely inside.

What does "scratching at the hutch" mean?

Cats try to sharpen their claws by scratching on things, they like wood for this purpose, it's not an "attack" to sharpen their claws on the wood.

Our cats which preyed on everything else were afraid of the cavies: too big. They'd watch but that's all. Our cavies were indifferent to the cats.

Our cavies lived outside for years in all temperatures without trouble, including uncovered runs unsupervised sometimes. It's freezing in their native Andes where they live in unheated kitchen areas/stables at best. As long as they can get shelter from wind & wet, they can handle cold well. It's lack of grass that undermines their health. I get upset when I see indoor cavies with NO hay at all in their cage. "gee it's cozy warm and safe but I don't understand their nutritional needs at all" statement from owners.

Sorry about your loss, OP.

Guinea pigs can cope with stalking cats and dogs as long as their hutch and run is bombproof (metal frame if neccesary). Mine didn't bat at eye at local cats seething from the other side of the chicken wire. Even my grandparents barking dog didn't stop them trotting out for some grass.

But, it is nicer to have them inside overnight. And once in a blue moon, one will die for no obvious reason.

Yes llj mine went out every single day for fresh air and a nibble. They had a raised and dry hutch in the run. I love the look of the fancy indoor piggy homes, but they need a garden too.