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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

My dog killed a cat this afternoon. What now?

278 replies

HarrietSchulenberg · 18/05/2014 21:25

Out with dog this afternoon. Dog off lead in seemingly empty field. Cat jumped up from long grass in front of him and he pounced. Cat didn't really have a chance. It was still alive when I managed to get dog off so wrapped it up and took it to vet who lives locally. Vet just rang to say cat died. Owners on holiday till Tuesday but have been told.

First step is dog is staying on lead at all times. Next step is training classes, will ring when I get home tomorrow eve. What else?

Dog is insured so should be covered for vet costs for cat. Will have bill for him too as he was injured, but still waiting to know how much. Will offer to meet with cat owners, if they want to. Do I need to muzzle him if he's on a lead?

Really shocked at the mo and prob not thinking straight. I've always had cats until recently so I really feel for the owners.

Will be bwck in a while, need to get kids to bed.

OP posts:
Bowlersarm · 19/05/2014 15:47

Totally agree Lilcamper. All the dog walkers I know do that. In the 10 years I have let my dogs off a lead in fields there has not been one incident of a cat appearing. Strangely enough. I would never keep my dogs on a lead just because there may be the tiniest chance a cat is in the grass somewhere.

SelectAUserName · 19/05/2014 15:47

Yes, if I get to an otherwise empty field I let my dog off. If someone else enters the field after me, I make a quick assessment and judge whether or not he needs to go back on the lead. Usually, other dog = yes, as he isn't 100% around all other dogs. Person walking across field in another direction to us = no, as he will focus on me/his retriever roll and ignore another person. Children, or family with child = yes, as although he is fine around children, they may be nervous around dogs.

This whole "children playing hide and seek" thing is a bit of a red herring. If a child is old enough to be playing in a field on its own, it's going to be bigger than a cat and therefore noticeable a fair way off in a clump of grass. If it isn't old enough to be playing out on its own, there are going to be other people around who will be capable of being spotted by a dog walker. Apply some common sense, for goodness' sake.

LtEveDallas · 19/05/2014 15:49

Well, exactly, and if it had been a kid in the long grass, playing hide and seek?

Well, what?

  1. Children are bigger than cats
  2. Children are more noisy than cats
  3. Children should be supervised not on their own in an otherwise deserted field.
  4. Children aren't small and furry.
  5. Cat aggressive does not mean human aggressive. Dogs with strong prey drives are focussed on smaller, faster animals. Not humans.

Your analogy is no different to the car analogy.

I am getting stuck at the idea of a dog walker coming to a field and assuming they're entitled to let their dog bound off, like it's first-come first-served as opposed to a shared space. Do you all do that? It's really selfish

Why? Do you think all fields should be left completely empty in case, on the odd occasion, a human wants to walk there. Is that not selfish too? Dogs need to keep fit and don't have the option of going to the gym / road running / pilates / zumba / crossfit / whatever the new craze is - humans do.

They also need to be trained to recall and that cannot be done without letting the dog off in the first place.

Molecule · 19/05/2014 15:52

I live in the country, have dogs and cats, dh is a farmer. When we take our dogs for a walk, if there is no stock in a field, with a footpath, the dogs are let off, as are the majority of other dogs I know. I do not let the dog with iffy recall off, but the others do run around. My spaniel has a strong pray drive, and can be called back from chasing anything, but I am absolutely sure that if a rabbit or cat jumped up under her nose she'd bite it, and if she got it no doubt it would be badly injured.

She certainly doesn't see humans in the same way, nor little dogs - remember dogs sense a huge amount through smell, and I imagine cats, rabbits etc smell very differently to children/little dogs.

We lost a cat a couple of years ago, she just didn't come in for supper, and we have no idea what happened to her, either a dog/fox/badger got her. She loved hunting and no doubt was deeply absorbed, but I'm afraid it's one of the perils of letting your cat wander the countryside.

The OP did the right thing and certainly doesn't deserve the flak she's received here.

matildasquared · 19/05/2014 15:53

Okay, did I say the dog wasn't allowed on the field? No, I said the dog should be either 1. on a lead, or 2. under voice control.

A shared field is not the place to be "training" your dog to recall. As evidenced by this preventable tragedy.

Molecule · 19/05/2014 16:00

There was no recall issue here, the cat jumped up right under the dog's nose. The OP was able to get to the dog and get the cat. If it had been a badly trained dog it would have run off with the cat to savage it some more. It was a horrible accident, the only preventable bit being that the cat should have been in a house to stop it from hunting innocent field mice and birds.

SelectAUserName · 19/05/2014 16:01

But at the point the OP let her dog off, the field did not appear to be "shared"!

Why do you seem incapable of understanding this fairly simple point?

Lilcamper · 19/05/2014 16:01

Oh jeez, the dog was under voice control, a cat popped out of a clump of long grass unexpectedly, instinctive prey drive kicked in...unnecessary senses like hearing shut down during a prey sequence, for any dog.

The OP could not have possibly predicted this happening.

Bowlersarm · 19/05/2014 16:03

Who are you saying should 'share' the fields, Matilda. Cats and dogs?

TheScience · 19/05/2014 16:03

Why is the fact that a cat has an instinct to kill small, furry things a "red herring"? Cats are predators, dogs are slightly bigger predators. Cats chase mice, dogs chase cats.

SnakeyMcBadass · 19/05/2014 16:05

So sorry OP. I can only imagine how upsetting this must be for you. I honestly don't think you can do much more. It's a horrible situation, but nature is red in tooth and claw etc. Personally, I would basket muzzle train my dog if he did this, just for my own peace of mind. I really don't see how you could have prevented this from happening. I wouldn't expect the cat's owners to be terribly understanding, though, as I'm sure I'd find it hard to see beyond my dead cat. My dogs run off lead in a few designated fields and sometimes there are lurking cats. One dog runs away, as most cats are bigger than him. The other, a spaniel, will give chase but keeps a good six feet back. He has been beaten up by several well 'ard cats and isn't keen on getting closer. I can recall him from the chase. The cats tend to scarper up a tree and stare at him disdainfully while he dances below crying and spinning. Muppet. I used to have chickens and a neighbours cat stalked them relentlessly. It killed four chicks in the end, and to say I was angry is an understatement. Not the cats fault, though, it was just being a cat. Animals don't really get the human idea of 'pets' or 'prey'.

moogalicious · 19/05/2014 16:05

The hysteria on this thread Hmm

I am a dog and a cat owner. My dog has a strong prey drive and has chased cats and squirrels - he is far too slow to catch them. He would never and has never mistaken a small child for a small furry animal.

OP, shit happens. You did the right thing.

matildasquared · 19/05/2014 16:06

Exactly, selectausername--entitlement. The field doesn't appear to be "shared." Sure, someone else might show up, but too bad, I was here first. So I'll just let my dog bound off.

A dog that kills a cat was not under control.

GobblersKnob · 19/05/2014 16:07

But the cat was right under the dogs nose! My dog killed a squirrel recently that ran down a tree and almost between his legs, one shake and it was dead. I said 'drop' and he instantly did but the whole thing happened in a split second. He wasn't pit of control but there was nothing I could do to stop him as it all happened so fast.

Bowlersarm · 19/05/2014 16:09

Why do you keep going on about dogs 'bounding off' Matilda? The ops dog didn't. He pounced on a cat which jumped up in front of him.

TheScience · 19/05/2014 16:09

If you leave your pet out unattended then there is a risk it might get hurt. An unattended cat might get caught by a dog or a fox, it might get run over, it might get stuck somewhere - it's a risk that cat owners choose to take when they let their cat roam.

Similarly, if I left a rabbit or chicken out unattended in my garden, there's a risk a cat might get it.

Floralnomad · 19/05/2014 16:11

The dog did not savage the cat to death ,according to the OP the cat jumped out in front of the dog the dog caught the cat ,the OP got the cat off the dog and the cat died from its initial injuries at the vets . If the dog had been out of control it would have not let the OP take the cat away . Some of the responses on here are just ridiculous hysteria .

mercibucket · 19/05/2014 16:18

such is life. if cats are allowed out, sometimes they can get attacked by dogs. you didnt set the dog on it or expect it to happen.

tabulahrasa · 19/05/2014 16:24

"Exactly, selectausername--entitlement. The field doesn't appear to be "shared." Sure, someone else might show up, but too bad, I was here first. So I'll just let my dog bound off."

No, you're on publicly accessible land, you ask yourself if there's anything currently there that would create an issue with your dog or that your dog would create an issue for and if you have a reasonable expectation that your dog can be recalled if someone else shows up, you let them off the lead if it's no and yes respectively.

"A dog that kills a cat was not under control."

But the OP had no way of knowing the cat was there and wasn't expecting her dog to attack it when it did jump out. By far the most common things to meet while out walking in fields are people and dogs - if her dog's is under control with them she had no reason to think it shouldn't be off lead.

I think I've seen a cat once while dog walking (away from houses) I've lived here 18 years...a cat is not something I'd be thinking of looking for before deciding whether it was appropriate to let my dog off.

Obviously now she knows it is a big problem if her dog meets a cat and can take appropriate action.

Bellezeboobian · 19/05/2014 16:28

Some people on here are Hmm and have little to no understanding of animals.

You cannot compare a cat to a child.

The dog has a prey instinct, a small furry animal bounded out whilst they were walking and it probably happened in a matter of seconds. The same would have happened had it been a wild animal - except there wouldn't have been this uproar.

If my dog did the same I would be devastated because I love all animals, and have a cat myself. But it doesn't mean it was 'out of control' fgs.

SelectAUserName · 19/05/2014 16:31

There's no point engaging any further with you, matildasquared, as you seem unable to understand quite simple English.

If you're still reading OP, I hope you're okay. It's horrible for the cat's owners but it's not pleasant for you either.

PainSnail · 19/05/2014 16:43

Reading this is making me extremely sad. I would be devasted if your dog killed my cat. I think I would want any dog who did that (especially when it was under your supervision) to be put to sleep.

KaFayOLay · 19/05/2014 16:46

I hope your meeting with the owners goes okay OP and I hope they are reasonable.

soddinghormones · 19/05/2014 16:49

Why painsnail - that would just be revenge - it's not as if the dog's death could bring the cat back is it?

mercibucket · 19/05/2014 16:49

i would be devastated if my rabbit or chickens were killed by someone's cat. would i be reasonable to expect the cat to be put to sleep?