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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Two of my cats just attacked a dog

62 replies

GorgeousLadyofWrestling · 17/03/2023 18:00

I think I’m still a bit in shock.

Heard all this yelping outside - looked out the window and saw a Westie dog and my cats and immediately assumed the dog was attacking my cats. Ran outside to get them and realised my cats were attacking the dog!

Ive never seen anything like it. My cats were in some kind of frenzied coordinated attack and the poor dog was yelping and crying. Every time I got one cat off, the other cat would launch herself at it.

I have no idea what triggered it - dogs walk by all the time. They’re quite protective cats in that they’ll see off foxes if they think they’re too close to my kids but have never attacked a dog.

OP posts:
Original poster
GorgeousLadyofWrestling · 17/03/2023 19:50

And my kitten was basically traumatised by the whole thing - he’s nine months and was sat outside with the older two. He ran inside in fright when I ran out and has been a confused, bewildered mess since, bless him 😂

I wonder what triggered them. The territorial one smelt of blood - that strong iron smell - but I checked her over and she’s fine. The other two keep sniffing her and it’s irritating her. The placid one is walking around inside like she’s never been here before - sniffing things and being cautious and weird.

I need to know what happened!! I wish cats could talk.

OP posts:
Masterofcats · 17/03/2023 19:52

Cats are very territorial. My mothers cat will go for her friends westie every single time he sees him ( hits him on the nose with claws out) . But is fine with most dogs, loves my mum's dog who he happily will sleep with . I think it may be because they are yappy terriers thus a threat so cat like to get in first? But my mothers cat can be a bit of a brute at times so wouldn't want to judge all cats by his uncouth behaviour.

PotterofGryfindor · 17/03/2023 19:56

No ring doorbell to look back at then? I’m sure the owner was reassured that you ran to her aid (even if you thought you were running to your cats aid!).

grosslyunfair · 17/03/2023 19:59

There were two very territorial cats on my old street. They would sit in a garden and sometimes on the street and absolutely see off anything that walked past except people! They chased my on lead dog down the street when he was a pup and would have attacked him if I hadn't picked him up and moved on

Original poster
GorgeousLadyofWrestling · 17/03/2023 20:03

I’ve had cats my whole life - I’m 43 - and never had this happen. It’s mad.

I remember a vet telling me a fox would never attack a cat because it wouldn’t risk an injury, and me being quite skeptical. But seeing my two today - they were bloody vicious! They’re so incredibly flexible and bendy but basically have little knives attached to their paws…they were jumping this way and they and twisting around and just kept launching themselves on the poor dog.

OP posts:
Christmasbird · 17/03/2023 20:05

I'd have booted both cats over your fence I'm afraid.
Imagine the uproar if this was the other way around. Poor dog, the owner was very reasonable not to flip

Danielle9891 · 17/03/2023 20:08

It's something my mother in law's cat would do. If I was you I'd get a ring doorbell off Amazon to see why they are doing. Maybe they were sleeping and got a shock or had previously had a dog go for them.

viques · 17/03/2023 20:11

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 17/03/2023 19:17

Yeah, that'll be it.
I've seen what cats have to put up with, for example;
a Westie sticking it's tongue out,
a French Bulldog turning it's nose up,
a Pointer proding and poking,
a Spaniel cocking a snook,
a Boxer throwing a punch,
and that's just for starters...

Show quote history

A Dalmatian sitting in their spot

a maltese getting al the treats

SD1978 · 17/03/2023 20:11

Bloody hell. So the dog deserved it, it's just the cats nature, and should be expected, reward your cats tonight....FFS. if the dog (being walked correctly on leash) was the perpetrator the responses would be vastly different.

userxx · 17/03/2023 20:12

Leafless · 17/03/2023 18:33

Sounds like he deserved it.

What!!! How do you know that. I saw the evil bastard neighbour cat go for a Labrador which was calming walking along with it's owner, the poor dog was petrified. When it did the same with my dog it got a shoe up it's arse, not hard enough though as it came back for round two.

Bitterestpil · 17/03/2023 20:12

A few years ago I was waking my dog on a lead and a cat ran off its path and attacked my dog my poor dog was squealing and yelping, the cat was really viscous, in fact wild, it really frightened me. I had to literally prize the cat off her.

userxx · 17/03/2023 20:14

SD1978 · 17/03/2023 20:11

Bloody hell. So the dog deserved it, it's just the cats nature, and should be expected, reward your cats tonight....FFS. if the dog (being walked correctly on leash) was the perpetrator the responses would be vastly different.

Yep.

viques · 17/03/2023 20:15

Greydog · 17/03/2023 19:40

My poor old greyhound was attacked by a bloody cat. Dog was on the lead, didn't even see the cat, it was on a wall, and came after dog like an excocet. Poor dog freezes when she's scared, and didn't try to run away or even defend herself. Trying to pick up a greyhound is not easy. She is still too scared to walk up that road

My mum used to save a bit of my dads bacon every morning for next doors old deaf greyhound, who would trot round for his treat every morning bless him. The cat hated the dog and if you didn’t lock her out of the kitchen would hide behind the door and pounce on the poor old lad.

Random789 · 17/03/2023 20:16

But surely you can't train cats not to do this, SD1978. It's just an unavoidable hazard, like getting hit by a car. I'm glad the dog owner was ok about it. Quite right for the OP to have apologised but no need for anything more, I think. What are cats supposed to do to keep themselves safe? I love the OP's description of them as knife-wielding,😄 but, still, it's cats that get killed by dogs, no the other way around.

Original poster
GorgeousLadyofWrestling · 17/03/2023 20:21

The dog definitely did not deserve it and I felt awful for the poor dog and its owner.

My neighbour suggested the dog might have been in heat and that’s what triggered my cats. No idea about that though.

I had been round the back - we live in a maisonette in massive communal gardens - putting my neighbours bins away and all three cats were out round the back with me. They trotted over as usual (they love it when we’re outside) and all three walked me round to the front and I went inside, and they stayed outside. About two minutes later, they were attacking the dog. It’s so odd.

OP posts:
PatientlyWaiting21 · 17/03/2023 20:22

i have no advice but there’s a cat in our street who does this to my dog, it’ll Chase and try to attack, we run away, and this is not a small dog, terrified me!

tillytoodles1 · 17/03/2023 20:23

My cat was a bugger for attacking dogs, he used to hide under the car and jump on their heads. One day he battered a labrador who was with his owner and had come to pick up his daughter. Twice I threw him over the gate to stop him attacking a staffie.

userxx · 17/03/2023 20:23

GorgeousLadyofWrestling · 17/03/2023 20:21

The dog definitely did not deserve it and I felt awful for the poor dog and its owner.

My neighbour suggested the dog might have been in heat and that’s what triggered my cats. No idea about that though.

I had been round the back - we live in a maisonette in massive communal gardens - putting my neighbours bins away and all three cats were out round the back with me. They trotted over as usual (they love it when we’re outside) and all three walked me round to the front and I went inside, and they stayed outside. About two minutes later, they were attacking the dog. It’s so odd.

Gang mentality.

Theunamedcat · 17/03/2023 20:25

Territory fight? My cats got incredibly military when a strange cat Invaded the garden he was new and got caught up in a three cat pile on he was so focused on the ginormous cat facing him he almost missed the two tabbys stalking him at the side his paws didn't touch the floor he ran for his life

Theunamedcat · 17/03/2023 20:28

GorgeousLadyofWrestling · 17/03/2023 19:50

And my kitten was basically traumatised by the whole thing - he’s nine months and was sat outside with the older two. He ran inside in fright when I ran out and has been a confused, bewildered mess since, bless him 😂

I wonder what triggered them. The territorial one smelt of blood - that strong iron smell - but I checked her over and she’s fine. The other two keep sniffing her and it’s irritating her. The placid one is walking around inside like she’s never been here before - sniffing things and being cautious and weird.

I need to know what happened!! I wish cats could talk.

Wipe her down so she smells of home again? You don't want another fight

Howmanysleepsnow · 17/03/2023 20:30

My timid, soft cat once flew in the cat flap terrified. Then I heard a squealing from the garden… I looked out to see my more streetwise cat sat on the chest of an upturned Rottweiler, with one paw raised menacingly in the air.
The Rottweiler ran off as soon as I called my cat in.

Tiredmum100 · 17/03/2023 20:46

I'm a cat lover, I have 3 myself, but I feel so sorry for the poor dog. Probably home now covered in scratches, feeling sorry for itself. I saw my neighbours cat attack my other neighbours staff once. Poor dog just took it and was whimpering whilst everyone was trying to stop the cat.

longtompot · 17/03/2023 21:15

@GorgeousLadyofWrestling my cousins cat was killed by a fox so your vet isn't correct on that assumption.

There is another thread, I think in litter tray, about just what has got into peoples cats at the moment. Lots of them have been acting out of character and the thinking it's to do with spring being just around the corner and their hormones. That poor dog and owner though :( Dogs can be quite dramatic when yelping (I know mine is) so hopefully it is ok.

Papergirl1968 · 17/03/2023 23:48

I took on dd's dog, a Staffie cross, to the utter disgust of our feisty tabby cat. Cat is definitely the boss, and hisses, growls and swipes at poor dog who looks utterly confused. Cat also blocks doorways to prevent dog entering a room or passing by. Dog tries in vain to get the cat to play.
Our other cat is very timid but has hissed at the dog if she gets too close.

Hawkins003 · 17/03/2023 23:49

It's a mix at times with animals