My dogs killed a cat :(

[habibihabibi]

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 ?

I have a dog who is absolutely fine with my friends' cats when we visit,doesn't chase them or pester them but he won't tolerate a cat in our garden that he very much sees as his patch. He's never caught one yet but I think if he did he'd maul it for being on our garden much like him being a lovely friendly dog with everybody but he went for the window cleaner who climbed over our fence instead of knocking on the door for me to unlock the gate
It's really sad for everyone but the op and her dogs aren't to blame they were doing what dogs do,protecting what they see as their patch.

Strawberry I don't remember any 'gloating' on this thread- genuinely. Can you highlight where anyone gloated as that is not on.

I had my rabbit killed once by a cat and it really annoys me now neighbours cats come and shit all over my garden when're my toddler plays

So people going on about controlling dogs. Well if like to add control your flaming cats their a health hazard.

I'm pregnant yet have to pick other people cat shit out my garden 😡 Putting my baby at risk.

So those on the cat high horse , really jump down becuse your pets are worse.

Least neighbours dogs don't enter my property

Terribly sad op. Hope the cat was chipped so the owners can be informed.

Some totally ridiculous posts on this thread. I have dogs, cats and babies. My cats go out because they won't stay in, I would hope they have the sense not to wander into a garden with dogs the same way as I hope they wouldn't go onto the road.

My dogs get on fine with my cats but I couldn't say what they would do if a strange cat came into their garden. And yes I did say their garden. The reason I choose to live in a house rather than a flat is so that my dogs can play outside in a secured area unsupervised.

I find the suggestion that I should supervise or put leads on them in their own garden incase a cat comes in laughable.

"My dog saw the cat before I did and took off. You would have to be quicker than lightening to intercept that meeting."

Yep, that's why cats weren't in my list of things I supervise the dog for...you couldn't necessarily prevent a dog attacking another animal.

I have a cat, she goes out...you do kind of have to accept that if your cat goes out that one day it may not come back, there's dogs, foxes, cars...

A cat proof fence isn't really an option with a dog as well as you run the risk of trapping someone else's cat in there and she'd be miserable as an indoor cat (though I've had one that might as well have been as she wasn't fussed).

So supervising dogs for cats isn't really why, but dogs having access to outside without people being present is not a great idea.

It probably wouldn't have made any difference for the cat the OP's dogs caught though.

Look. Most cats figure out which gardens are safe and which are inhabited by dangerous dogs.

Most dogs don't kill cats.

I can see both sides and I still don't know what the answer is, however if you KNOW your dog is a risk to cats, and furthermore you know that cats come into your garden, I think it is only fair that you try to minimise the chances that they won't be killed.

I still don't get why anyone would choose a dog that kills cats. I'm not talking about the OP. I just think it's a really antisocial thing to do, if you purposely buy a dog that kills other people's animals, and expect everyone else to be fine with that.

I'd blame my neighbours if their dog killed our cat (hypothetical cat - we are between cats) if they knew he went for cats. As it happens, they know what he goes for and it's rabbits. So we have been warned, and I have assured them that if our rabbits did enter their garden, it would not be their fault whatever took place (and it would be quick at least)

However if they knew he ate cats, and moved into a street where there is a cat in almost every house, that would make them antisocial arseholes, IMO.

our garden is also not short of cat poo. I don't blame the owners as I know there's no way to stop it, and until we have another cat, it will continue - they don't do it if it's another cat's territory.

our other neighbours used to let their dog come and poo all over our lawn, while we were renovating the house and had not yet repaired the fence, which was broken by their children apparently.

That was far worse.

Strawberry I would also like to say that the gloating 'cat deserved it' attitude on this thread is disgusting. ....I hope you all take a good hard look at yourselves

I'm sorry Strawberry but I think that is a really low comment. I have seen no gloating. What I have seen is a huge amount of support for the OP, from both dog and cat owners. Dogs can kill pet cats-and other animals-, cats can kill pet rabbits and other animals. Anyone who has had a pet that they love of any description will understand how the OP feels, and feel nothing but sadness for the cat and its owner. Many animal lovers are practical, and people have said 'the nature of the beast'. But gloating, I haven't seen it.

Oh for Gods sake, it's down to which poo is worse now? This thread is just ridiculous. I have studiously looked back to find 'gloating comments', there are none. Most people have been pragmatic and sympathetic. A couple have been utterly hysterical.
Cats kill, dogs kill, that's it. One isn't superior to the other, they are both lovely creatures but animal behaviour has to be understood here.

I have cats and dogs so am in neither camp.

I don't think this is your fault or your dogs fault. The cat was in their territory. If your dogs had broken into a neighbour's garden it would be different.

The only thing I would suggest is maybe put something like a dustbin right up against a wall so a cat can jump out the garden quicker. Ive got a compost bin pushed up against the shed so when my dog chases a strange cat the cat has a good escape route, seems to work well.

I still don't get why anyone would choose a dog that kills cats.

I don't understand why anyone would choose a cat that kills birds and other wildlife. But maybe they want a terrier so they can keep vermin in check? Maybe it's a working dog? Maybe they want one of the countless breeds that view cats as prey, while remaining steadfast, loyal dogs to their humans?

However if they knew he ate cats, and moved into a street where there is a cat in almost every house, that would make them antisocial arseholes, IMO.

Realistically, no one is going to consider this when they're trying to buy a house. They're thinking about house price, resale, school catchment, work commute.

our garden is also not short of cat poo. I don't blame the owners as I know there's no way to stop it, and until we have another cat, it will continue - they don't do it if it's another cat's territory.

our other neighbours used to let their dog come and poo all over our lawn, while we were renovating the house and had not yet repaired the fence, which was broken by their children apparently.

That was far worse.

Dog poo, there's no way to stop it. You don't actually expect them to follow their dogs around and clean up after them, do you?

hennifer, how is an owner going to know if their dog who has never been aggressive before, is going to kill a cat that comes into their territory?

Fair points, Apple. Every situation is different.

Peace - it was worse not because of the poo itself, though it was enormous and in the middle of the lawn, rather than neatly deposited in a flower bed, but because they had allowed it to happen when it was completely preventable.

Their dog responds to commands and is only allowed out alone for brief periods. So to stand by and basically watch while she shat on our garden, seemed really unreasonable to me. And I had a crawling baby at the time.

I understand that cats go anywhere they fancy and no one can stop them. It's a hazard of living here and to me, it's worth it as I like the area and I like seeing the cats rambling about. I'm used to cats.

Dogs can be controlled far more easily so I think some responsibility lies with their owners to do so. Where you actually draw the line is a complex matter.

Switch, they wouldn't know that. I've already said I'm not talking about the OP.

Some people choose aggressive dogs deliberately. I do have a problem with that.

For no good reason I mean, ie not for working/vermin control/whatever,
they just want to look tough and scare people off.

Are you talking about breeds that have been written off as aggressive? Or do you believe somebody looking for a dog deliberately searches for one that has form for aggression?

Some people choose aggressive dogs deliberately. I do have a problem with that.

My unscientific opinion here is that people choose dogs that are aggressive towards humans, not cats. Of course dogs that are aggressive towards humans are almost always aggressive towards cats (not the other way around).

Hennifer I don't think Poodles are particularly know for their aggression in general. How ridiculous to say why would someone buy a dog knowing it would kill cats .

I've got a dog who chases squirrels but veers off at the last minute so it's presumably a bit half-hearted, we don't seem to get cats in our garden but I've no doubt he would chase them if we did. I would be absolutely devastated if he killed one, it would be awful and I really feel for the OP in this instance but it would be just one of those things, unavoidable and just unfortunate.

Hennifer your terminology is so 'pro cat' though . Deposited neatly in flower beds? My garden is full of cat poo, I have my own cat too. I hate it, I love gardening and every time I put my hand in the soil, it's full of cat poo. It smells disgusting on a warm summer day, it really bothers me.
I like cats hanging around too though so I put up with it.
I love all animals.

^For no good reason I mean, ie not for working/vermin control/whatever,
they just want to look tough and scare people off.^

That's clearly fighting dogs, which pose a danger to all lifeforms - not just cats.

I feel really sorry for you OP. It is horrible when your dog(s) kill a cat. I have 2nd hand experience of it. My own dogs have been chased down the road by a cat, and often the cat comes out on top. Dogs do things in a context, so what happens in the garden, in the house, outside, in the park, on the pavement etc can be very different. My dogs, being the great Masters of Observation that they are, often don't notice a cat in the garden. Frankly I don't like other peoples' animals shitting in my garden especially when that's all they've come to do. Dogs and cats. Dogs and cats....

Obviously it's horrible, but I can't believe the posters who are saying that dogs shouldn't be allowed out in their OWN GARDEN because someone else's cat might go in there! Oh and I'm a cat and dog owner too. My large dog could easily kill a cat, but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't. But my garden is my garden. People don't generally just let their dogs out to roam all over the town/village/countryside unsupervised, but they expect to be able to let their cats do so with impunity.

My cat is allowed to roam. I hope she wouldn't be dim enough to go in a garden where there were non-cat-friendly dogs. But if she does, that's her lookout I'm afraid.

Hennifer: I'd blame my neighbours if their dog killed our cat

OK, so I have already said how close my dog came to losing an eye, ear, leg and at one point even his life, because of a cat that came into his garden. If had been the one who had died, should I blame the cat owner - should I blame you?

Correction - If he had been the one who had died