Neighbours dogs have killed my cat. Distraught.

[MissingKittyCat]

I've name changed as this will totally out me.

On Thursday night, my darling 5 year old cat went out. she was the most timid cat, I rescued her as a kitten from an abisive household. It took her months to trust me but for the past 5 years, she has been my shadow. Scared of everything, she took huge comfort in me.

She didn't come back on Friday, I knew then that she was never coming home. I kept the faith and asked all my neighbours to keep an eye out. She had never been missing for this long. She hardly ever left the garden, if she did I knew her hiding place and she used to pop out when she heard my voice. She wasn't in the hiding spot.

Saturday morning, I started a social networking missing cat campaign. I was still half hoping she was in somebody's house (very unlikely as she was so timid) but I assed she had been hit by a car or something and just wanted to know. Tried the local vet, neighbours again. People on social networks were so helpful.

I went searching. It transpired one of our neighbours, who erected a 12ft fence lately (with spikes on top) has three dogs. Two Staffordshire bull terriers and an enormous bull mastiff. He welled up as he told me he had found my beautiful cat in his garden on Friday morning. He had taken her to the vet who were going to keep her for a few days to see if an owner enquired. She was dead. I asked if his pack of dogs had savaged her, he said not. I told him she had no chance of escape, that his fence was too high, he was visibly upset, profusely apologetic. He told me 3 times what he'd done, said he thought he was doing the right thing when he erected the fence. He took my number and said he'd get the vet to call me when they open tomorrow.

I am heartbroken. My cat was a nervous wreck, scared of her own shadow. I can't understand why she's end up in a garden with three dogs. She barely left the house, she followed me around like a lamb. I'm so upset, I feel her trauma, she must have been so frightened.

I know it's not the dogs fault but I cant help but hate them for it. I don't want to live near them anymore. My other cat (who is very old and frail) looks so lonely and keeps crying at the door for her.

It's unbelievably tragic. I'm utterly heartbroken. She wasn't just a cat, she was my friend, she was my therapy. And I miss her.

Sorry about your cat. Really sorry

Always remember that you gave her sanctuary and peace for all those years; you gave her the life she had. We have several different types of rescued animals, all nervous and traumatised and it is amazing to see them very slowly come out of their shell. Sometimes they never do, one of our cats who is part feral sleeps on the bottom of our bed now after five years, but we cannot stroke her - or she is off. We respect that, she can have as much or as little as she wants. I think your cat loved you, knew you loved her too and had some lovely years with you. God, I bet she purred!!

The other part of your post challenges me more. Your neighbour. Whoever erects a 12 foot fence and keeps three dogs has a real issue with society. I do not know the full facts, but it is not impossible they have MH issues. I would not trust everything he is saying to you or the welling up in that situation. Also, if the fence was supposed to be secure then there are questions to be asked about how your cat got into his garden in the first place. It is possible there was a gap, and she wandered in, of course. Cats are curious. But to me there is something missing in the information. How could she have got in? Did his dogs meet your cat in the street, or on the curtilage? If it were me, I would go back to the vet and try to ascertain more information about the injuries. Other people would, I know, move on and live with it and that is entirely respectful. I just work with more information and accountability.

So sorry again for you.

She could have climbed onto something on the outside of the fence and then fallen in perhaps? Out of curiosity of "What IS over that fence?" The fall might even have killed her alone meaning she might not have been frightened at all.

So sorry OP :(

I am so very sorry to read this, missing. Just really sorry.

I am so sorry about your cat

I'm so so sorry.

It sounds like the neighbour did everything he could to try and prevent things getting into his garden, and his dogs getting out.

Such a tragic accident.

Please take comfort in the fact you gave her many happy years

Im so sorry, don't know what else to say. This is my fear, I have two very nervous female cats age 3 and almost 2. Just before Christmas we had a new neighbour, first time I met her she asked me if I had any cats. She said her dog had killed a cat and she put up a 12 foot fence the whole way around her garden. I'm terrified to let my cats out now, I asked her to check for my cats before she lets her dog out. Even bought her a water pistol to scare them out of her garden.

I had no idea a 12ft fence was not allowed

How terrible I'm so
Sorry. You must be distraught

At the front of the house they have gates. Large enough for a cat to squeeze in, but not for a dog to get out. She must have wandered in there? Why, I do not know. I can't imagine she was oblivious to the dogs presence. I am finding it hard to believe she innocently stumbled into a garden that is close enough she could smell the dogs! Maybe their food tempted her too much? Maybe she managed to scale the fence abut toppled off due to the spikes?

planning it has crossed my mind that I'm not being told the full truth. But surely if he had something to hide, he wouldn't have taken her to the vet?

Cats go everywhere.

I have one that likes to sit on the back wall to taunt my dog but luckily for the cat my dog is very friendly, unluckily for my dog he's had a scratched nose for his friendliness in the past.

If kids in the area had a history of climbing into his garden, then your neighbour was possibly trying to prevent another dog-attack on a child by erecting a 12ft fence. That doesn't sound unreasonable to me.

I question why he owns 3 of these dogs but again, people do. It doesn't make sense to me to have 3 potentially aggressive and large dogs, but it dies make sense to dog lovers who like those particular breed.

I'm so sorry for you OP

Unfortunately it's a risk you take when you let cats out :( We had 3 killed by a neighbors greyhounds and two run over - our cats are now house cats only.

Sorry about your lovely girl :(

Oh my, I'm so so sorry. How horrific for you, and your beautiful cat.
I also have sympathy for your neighbour, this obviously wasn't his intention. It must have taken some courage to knock on your door.
How awful for everyone

Poor thing. The neighbour sounds decent and as if he thought he was doing the right thing with his fence. He didn't have to tell you he found your cat, I'd imagine if his dogs killed it he'd have told you that to.

Is it possible that the cat had some kind of stroke/brain trauma from a car that confused it and that's how it wondered into his garden and then just died from natural causes? Just that I'd imagine if 3dogs killed a cat then there wouldn't be enough to take to a vet.

Just take solace in the fact your cat led a full happy life with you being allowed to roam naturally. Better 5 happy years then 10 locked up.

so sorry for your loss. I don't understand how your cat managed to get in the garden in the first place with that fence up, poor thing. I don't think there's much more the neighbour could have done to be honest but do understand why you feel you hate the dogs x

Your neighbour. Whoever erects a 12 foot fence and keeps three dogs has a real issue with society. I do not know the full facts, but it is not impossible they have MH issues. I would not trust everything he is saying to you or the welling up in that situation.

This is a bit much now!

It is one of the many risks in letting your cats out, unfortunately. I'd be looking at making garden escape proof (many companies do this) or confining to house or adding a large run with access to outdoors.

Sorry about your poor cat

For what it's worth IMO I don't think the height of the fence could have made much difference - if she got over it on the way in she would have been able to get out again.

Not true. My departed dcat jumped over next door but couldn't get back.

The other part of your post challenges me more. Your neighbour. Whoever erects a 12 foot fence and keeps three dogs has a real issue with society. I do not know the full facts, but it is not impossible they have MH issues. I would not trust everything he is saying to you or the welling up in that situation.

What exactly are you trying to say here?

So having 3 dogs means you have an issue with society? My mum has 3 dogs, many people do. Some people like dogs. Some people have 3 kids...

Why would he have mental health issues?

Why would him having mental health issues make him untrustworthy?

How very sad.

That dog owner has guilt going on. Leave him to it and remember your precious friend.

Poor puss it would be possible to get in and not out depending how the fence is faced. Ours has a plain side and a side with horizontal support slats. 12ft is too high fir a garden especially given the spikes worth reporting to council as bet it has no planning permission . The dogs sound lethal too, ask the vet's advice as to who you should report to ie. Police, rspca if they haven't already. None of which will bring your pet back but may prevent others going the same way.

He built a fortress.
Who needs a fortress?

planning It was fence. Presumably he was trying to protect his property and animals. In the days where a burglar can jump over your garden wall, be bit by your dog and your dog have to suffer being put down due to it in a way he's being quite sensible.

I'm not sure what exactly you're trying to accomplish anyway. Are you looking for someone to blame for this cats death?

It is easy is it not to fall from a great height and not be able to get out again. I do also think having three powerful dogs is anti-social if you live on a suburban street. It isn't okay to let them roam in your back garden and form a pack just because you have a 12 ft fence. They really should be kept in a kennel when not supervised.

im sorry about your cat op. i loved my cats and would have been distraught. its natural to hate the dogs but as a pp said i doubt if they 'savaged' your cat there would be anything left to take to the vets regardless of their breed, plus he probably wouldnt have told you tbh.

im totally baffled at the suggestion that having 3 dogs and a high fence means you have mh and society issues.