If a dog killed your cat in these circumstances...

[TheCunnyFunt]

What would you want to happen?

There's a thread going in The Doghouse where a dog (Lurcher) killed a cat. The dog was in a (seemingly) empty field, and a cat jumped out at the dog from a clump of long grass, the dogs instinct took over and it attacked the cat which died later on in the vets.

A few cat owners have posted saying they thought the dog should be PTS as it was now a possible danger to small children. But cats kill things all the time, birds/small rodents/rabbits etc, I'm pretty sure they don't care whether they're pets or not. You wouldn't have your cat PTS because it did what cats do. So why should this dog (or any dog that kills a cat in this way) be PTS because it did what dogs do, ie, reacted instinctively?

I'd love to know what other cat owners think. I don't have a cat, I do have a dog though, a greyhound with very high prey drive, ironically enough :o

[msrisotto]

If the owner was the irresponsible sort I might want the dog removed from them or put down. In that thread the owner was responsible, took it to the vets etc. I would want the dog muzzled at all times.

Dogs are more dangerous than cats because of their size and potential harm they can cause, it's different to cats killing vermin.

[itiswhatitiswhatitis]

I think it would be ridiculous to put a dog down in these circumstances and even more ridiculous to suggest it is now a threat to small children! Incidentally I have two cats.

[LaurieFairyCake]

It shouldn't be put to sleep. It's a natural instinct and up to owners to control them at all times. On that thread the owner of the dog did her best but it's a cat and not a child.

I adore my cats (love them to the ends of the earth) and I also have a dog.

Awful for the cat owner but the dog is a just acting on its instinct.

I'm quite sure that dog owners who have dogs with a keen prey instinct keep their dogs supervised around young children - I know I do.

[Clearlymisunderstood]

I did have two cats, one had cancer and had to be pts and the other was hit by a car. I'd be absolutely devastated if that was my cat that had been attacked but I wouldn't expect the dog to be pts at all.

[Fluffycloudland77]

I'd be upset but it's only following instinct.

[PeriPathetic]

No way should the dog be PTS! And I'm sure the killing of a cat doesn't mean the dog will now 'hunt' kids.

I have a dog with a high prey drive, and a cat with no balls of steel. They have their 'moments' but the dog recognises the cat has many sharp bits. If the worst happened, yes, I'd be devastated but I would not get rid of my dog.

[PaulinesPen]

I'm not so sure I'd be very accepting about this. It would appall me tbh. I'm assuming any cat sized animal would be likely to be killed under the same circumstances ie another smaller dog? Maybe it should be muzzled.

[Dwerf]

I took in a stray, several weeks later it went missing. Turns out it had gone into next door's garden and her alsatian had killed it. She's a childminder, and so rehomed the dog to someone with no children. I felt this was a good solution.

[PaulinesPen]

Just wondering how people with bigger dogs would feel if an even bigger one came along and mauled their pet to death.

[crazynanna]

My cat is so very, very dear to me. And I would be inconsolable in these circs.
But it was in a field, and I would think is why the dog was having a run. And it is instinct.
But I would be devasted but I would (eventually) get the whole 'nature' thing

[Meid]

Having had a cat killed by dogs I can tell you that the way the dog owner dealt with it made a huge difference in my reaction. He was sorry and clearly upset. He offered practical solutions to prevent my other cat from getting into his garden.

Incidentally, the cat that was killed was a fantastic hunter herself.

If the owner had taken an arrogant 'your cat shouldn't have been in my garden' attitude then I would have got the impression he was not a responsible pet owner and my reaction different.

I don't know enough about dogs to have an informed opinion on breeds, training, control etc., but it does scare me to think that some dogs can switch to aggression so quickly. As much as I was upset at the loss of our cat, I was grateful it was not one of my children that had got into his garden.

[elfycat]

This happened to my DCat. It was upsetting and the first time I saw DH cry. I don't blame the dog or owner. It as a risk on having cats that go outside.

I would hope the owner would take moderate effort to prevent a repeat and pay for vet bills if the owners are identified.

[CuriosityCola]

The op of the other thread didn't say, but I assumed this was the first time it had shown this tendency.

It's a horrendous thing to have happened and I would be really angry and upset as a cat owner. However, I do think the op has acted in a responsible way. She ensured the cat was quickly taken to the vets and footed the bill. She is also taking steps to make sure it doesn't happen again. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

[BadRoly]

I read the other thread this morning and felt the poster was getting a raw deal.

I have cats and have never had dogs. If one of them was killed by a dog and the owner was as the poster in the other thread, I would be upset but really touched by her reaction.

If the dog owner was not at all sorry and put all blame on the cat, I would be upset and furious.

But neither situation warrants a dog being put down.

[qazxc]

I have had both cats and dogs.
I think that when you have a dog, it is your responsibility to have him under control. If he has a high prey drive (which ours did as they were hunting dogs) they should be on a lead. If your animal causes an accident/injures someone/kills pets or livestock, you the owner are responsible. Depending on what kind of incident it was I would either want dog PTS (if dog attacked a child for example) or guarantees that it would from now on always be on lead and compensated (for say damage to car or killing of livestock or pets).
I find very worrying that a lot of people seem to think that it is just "one of those things"; it isn't, it's an avoidable accident.

[PatrickStarisabadbellend]

A cat came into my garden and attacked my rabbit so bad we had her put down.
Should that cat be put down?

I didn't even get so much as an apology from the owners. Just a "it's what cats do"

[qazxc]

Patrick that's terrible. IMO the owners behaved badly, the very least they should have been apologetic and paying your vet bills and another rabbit (should you want one).