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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 dogs killed a cat :(

216 replies

habibihabibi · 26/02/2016 15:55

I have come home to find my two small poodle cross breed dogs have just torn a small cat apart in our (walled) back garden . I feel sick , they normally take a beating from rowling Tom's whose path them cross on walks on lead.

There is no collar on the poor thing and though we have many strays in the area it looks fancy . Do I have to go door knocking round the neighbourhood ?
Am I liable for anything ?

OP posts:
Peaceandloveeveryone · 27/02/2016 15:32

My dog definitely knows that she has her own garden and her behaviour demonstrates that.

OliviaDunham · 27/02/2016 15:33

Sparkling my cat didn't die immediately, he was rushed to the vets and they were understanding of the situation, but also agreed at the end of the day the natural reaction of a dog is to chase. We didn't see what happened to instigate the attack, my cat could very well have started off in the neighbours garden and then the dog chased into ours.

Will add I now own dogs and no cats.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 27/02/2016 15:33

Humpty dogs don't know their own home/garden?? Of course they do! Thats why mine bark buggery when someone they don't know is in there.

HumptyDumptyBumpty · 27/02/2016 15:33

peace and what? She kills in her own garden, but not elsewhere? She has two different sets of behaviour, one reserved exclusively for her own property, and one for elsewhere?
Have you signed her up for MENSA?

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 27/02/2016 15:35

Humpty what you know about dogs could be written on a postage stamp. I am unsure why you think you are such an authority on them.

OliviaDunham · 27/02/2016 15:36

Humpty of course dogs know when they are in their own territory!

HumptyDumptyBumpty · 27/02/2016 15:37

D'you know what, I've never been on this board before, and now I see why. I'll leave you frothy mouthed dog owners to your frothy mouthed animals.

Since you're all so keen to take responsibility for your own animals, and not for anyone else's, I do hope that you expect that view to apply to your animal? So, if I see your dog about to run in the road in front of a car, I wouldn't be at fault for just standing back and watching, because it's natural to let a dog run. Or if I found a stray, to just leave it? Or an injured dog? After all, not my pet, therefore not my responsibility. Jolly good.

Peaceandloveeveryone · 27/02/2016 15:38

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AppleSetsSail · 27/02/2016 15:38

Oh, and apple as you well understood, the human aspect of property ownership is irrelevant to the cats and dogs involved and their behaviour. Neither knows the difference between 'their own home/garden' and 'another person's home/garden'.

Unless you're saying that your dog will kill in its own garden, but know to control this urge when in public?

Of course a dog knows the difference between it's home (territory) and non-home (public spaces). Surely you know this?

Dogs have to be under the control of their owners when in public spaces, unlike when they are in their own garden. Do you see the difference?

The point is academic in my case (my dog is not aggressive towards cats) but outside of our house, she's either on a lead or in a space where I can pretty easily round her up. I don't see many cats in the dog park, in any case.

AppleSetsSail · 27/02/2016 15:39

D'you know what, I've never been on this board before, and now I see why. I'll leave you frothy mouthed dog owners to your frothy mouthed animals.

Why are in you in the doghouse, anyway?

Haffdonga · 27/02/2016 15:39

I'm afraid Humpty you have just revealed the limits extent of your understanding of canine behaviour in your most recent post so you are unlikely to be taken very seriously.

Peaceandloveeveryone · 27/02/2016 15:41

I thought that Apple, it always attracts a lot of dog haters, including the man who boasted about killing a dog (can't let it go yet).

HumptyDumptyBumpty · 27/02/2016 15:42

Peace you have a most inappropriate NN. I would tell you to fuck off, but I'm too nice.

Apple I saw the thread in active convos and clicked. Pardon me for doing something I'm perfectly entitled to do. Is the doghouse topic restricted access?

Haffdonga · 27/02/2016 15:42

Even cats distinguish between their own territory and a neighbour's patch and will behave very differently towards another cat or dog on their patch than when they're tresspassing on someone else's patch. (Unfortunately their boundaries are unlikely to be tally with the ones on the house deeds).

Peaceandloveeveryone · 27/02/2016 15:45

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AppleSetsSail · 27/02/2016 15:47

Humpty you haven't answered a single question put to you in this thread.

Have you thought through the logistics of dog owners supervising their dogs in their gardens? Could you just answer that question before you fuck off leave?

Lurkedforever1 · 27/02/2016 15:51

Ffs. I own both. And fwiw have had several dogs belonging to breeds the ignorant assume are dangerous. All of whom are fine with cats. Apart from my cats, the dog I owned who liked killing stuff was a small cute breed. Think if he hadn't grown up with cats he'd have killed one if it invaded his territory. Certainly killed a pair of pet ferrets, a rabbit and 2 guinea pigs that had escaped and ended up in my garden over the years. As well as more rodents than rentokill. And great with babies, kids etc, with them not being small and furry and prey.

However, my cats roam. And if someones dog killed one in their own garden, then unless the owner was stood watching but made no effort to prevent it, I wouldn't dream of blaming the owner. And even if the owner had been present, in the time it takes to say 'no' a dog could have already killed a cat.

It's horrid for op or any dog owner, and of course heartbreaking for the cats owners. But not a situation for blame. Or yet another stupid reason to decide dogs are dangerous.

Roseberrry · 27/02/2016 15:53

I got to the end of page 2 and gave up, there are some bonkers opinions on here.

It's the circle of life. You do your best to prevent your dog getting to smaller animals but if a cat chooses to jump in a garden with dogs it's tough luck unfortunately, although I do feel for the poor thing.

Floralnomad · 27/02/2016 15:54

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LimeJellyHead · 27/02/2016 16:04

I do just want to add that there is some kind of assumption that a dog who has killed a cat has somehow done it with glee. Not so, from my experience anyway. My dog spotted the cat in his garden, chased it, unfortunately caught it, and a tussle ensued. Someone then had to win. It was now a fight to the death. The cat was fighting, my dog was fighting. Do you think either of them were having fun? No.

My little dog was terrified. He also nearly lost his leg, eye and ear due to the fight itself and infections afterwards. Maybe I should blame the cat and the cat's owners. But I don't. So why blame the dog either?

tabulahrasa · 27/02/2016 16:10

"Have you thought through the logistics of dog owners supervising their dogs in their gardens?"

I've always supervised my dogs in the garden, if I'm not there how on earth would I know what they're doing? Whether he's decided to dig a home, chew on something he shouldn't, found a gap in the fence I hadn't realised was there, whether a delivery person or a child retrieving a ball has been in and even worse left the gate open, whether someone has stolen him...or if he's hurt himself on something somehow?

My garden is secure as far as I know and I can't see that it's got hundreds of hazards...but that's not to say there's nothing out there that couldn't cause a problem.

SirVixofVixHall · 27/02/2016 16:15

ThroughThickAndThin01- I do let my dog potter around the garden and I don't always stay out with her, but I am always within earshot. i have never left a dog alone in a garden while i've gone out, I don't do this with my hens either. For just this sort of reason. If the OP had been at home she would have heard the commotion and might have been able to save the cat. I've also have other people's dogs to stay who are not safe around my chickens and so have dealt with each dog separately. Yes it is a bit of a pain, but surely better than another poor cat killed so horribly?

strawberrypenguin · 27/02/2016 16:16

OP I really feel for you that must have been a horrible thing to come home too. Please do take the cat to the vets - hopefully it will have been chopped and the vet will be able to trace its owners. As a cat owner I would want to know. I wouldn't blame you - the dogs were in their own garden, if they had been out in the street out of control I would feel differently. Knowing what they are capable now of I think in your shoes I would be reluctant to allow them unsupervised time outside for a while though. Hope you get over the shock soon.

I would also like to say that the gloating 'cat deserved it' attitude on this thread is disgusting. This was a living animal who died horribly and taking pleasure in that is grim. I hope you all take a good hard look at yourselves.

LimeJellyHead · 27/02/2016 16:20

If cat owners think we should supervise our dogs better in the garden, you haven't really thought that through either. As you can gather from my last post, I was there in the garden when the cat fight happened. My dog saw the cat before I did and took off. You would have to be quicker than lightening to intercept that meeting.

I also did everything I could to break the fight up, even going as far as hitting my own dog with a broom. Why am I hitting my dog. God, the whole thing is awful. A life will probably be lost, be it the cat or the dog.

I want to go back to giving some reassurance and comfort to the poster. I know how in shock you will be feeling and also how it can make you look a bit differently at your dog(s) for a while. That will pass. Try to take a step back, see it from their point of view and after a day or two you'll not blame them or feel odd about them any more. They only did what dogs do.

Big hugs to you Flowers

PS When I was in the exact same position as you are now, and I was totally traumatised by it.... someone said to me "would you rather the cat had won the fight?" I know that sounds harsh but it is also the reality of the situation. Animals meeting like that are not going to play fight. It will have to end in one dying or miraculously getting away.

LimeJellyHead · 27/02/2016 16:22

There are no winners. RIP little cat. Its sad all round.

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