Cats killed neighbours budgie!

[ethal80]

My nextdoor neighbour has a budgie whom he thinks the world of, he's a very tame bird and well trained.
Neighbour also has a dog flap installed...
I got a text early this morning asking if my cats were in. (I don't have a cat flap) I said that they'd been in all night, (which I thought they had) just been fed and let them out at 7am.
He told me his birdcage was open and budgie was gone...no windows open or no way of escape.
I helped search for the budgie...no luck. Later on today, I asked my son to brush our longhaired cat...he discovered blue feathers in his fur!! Unbeknown to me, my son had let him out and back in again at 4am this morning! He's killed the bird hasn't he? He's been known to go in the house as he gets along with the neighbours dog so isn't frightened.
Neighbour has been out thus morning, installed a motion camera, gone out and low and behold....my cat has again entered the property! He's sent me the footage of my cat at the cage today along with threatening messages to me and him saying that he's going to kill my f**King cats!
He's a big drinker and is out at the pub now with his brother and I just know that when they return, they're going to kick off. I'm so scared and feel sick at the thought of him harming my cats. I really think he's capable of it too as he hates cats anyway. I've got them both indoors now and filled the litter tray. Will try and keep them indoors until he's calmed down.
Sorry for the long post and thanks for reading if you've got this far but I just don't know what to do??

If a burglar breaks into your home and steals your things and hurts you then it’s your fault for not having steel doors and windows on your house.

Honestly, your thought process is utterly batshit. OPs cat breaks into their house. The man isn’t opening the door and ushering it in.

Is it a small dog? Could you offer to get him a microchip dog flap? That should stop any unwanted visitors.

"If a burglar breaks into your home and steals your things and hurts you then it’s your fault for not having steel doors and windows on your house. "

No - but if a burglar breaks in and its found that you'd left the door unlocked your insurance company wouldn't pay out. The burglary wouldn't be your fault but you'd not have a claim. You are expected to take reasonable precautions.

In this case the Neighbor knew the cat was a cheeky fucker that comes through the dog flap. It's not at all his fault but he could have taken reasonable preventative measures. Should he have to? Not in a perfect world no. But the world isnt perfect and he knew this cat could and would get in. If I knew that a cheeky cat was getting into my house I'd take measures to prevent that. Op should offer a sincere heartfelt apology but it's not her fault either. Cats roam. They kill birds. It's their nature.

Are you going to cat proof your garden that that your vat cannot get out and damage other people's property?

Not exactly “breaking in”, the cat was going through an unlocked pet flap, which it had done a number of times before apparently. If a burglar walks into my house through an unlocked door and I still don’t lock the door so the burglar comes back several times then that is down to me.

OP knew that her cat went round to the house and did nothing. She could have secured her cat. She could have got the neighbour a new dog flap that worked only for the dogs collar. The bird was in its own home. I can’t believe you think it’s acceptable to blame a poor bloke whose animals were in their own home. Why should the bird not be allowed to fly because OP can’t sort out her own damn cat? Why does the cats freedom outweigh the birds?!

I can’t believe people on this thread. There is only ONE person at fault here and it’s the OP who has shown zero remorse for what has happened.

Come on, that wasn’t an open door the cat was walking through. It’s the same as if it was going through a window. Are you saying the neighbour should have to have his windows closed at all times in case the cat comes in? This is ridiculous.

OP had a responsibility to deal with things but she didn’t bother. Now she doesn’t care that her cat has killed her neighbours pet.

I didn't blame the bloke at all! (Well- not for the awful demise of his pet at least. His threats and intimidation of the op however are appalling. He's no right to send her threatening and hateful messages and imo she'd be justified in reporting his threatening behaviour) I stated clearly that he isn't at fault at all and deserves an apology. But I also don't think it's ops fault. Yes op could offer to buy a better dog flap to prevent this happening again- that's a very good idea. But its retrospective and not something op is likely to be able to arrange if he's behaving intimidating and threateningly is it?

So it’s not her fault that she knew her cat was repeatedly breaking in and did nothing about it? And is no showing zero remorse for the fact that her cat killed someone’s pet? I’m not surprised he’s so cross, her cat killed his beloved pet and she doesn’t give a shit. She says she’s apologised but that apology sounds as though it was not sincere at all.

Not helpful but I think it's absolutely terrible that in 2024 we still allow birds to be kept in tiny cages!

?? The man allows cats access to his house because he has a cheapo/inadequate dog flap. Animals will be animals. Animals killing smaller animals isn't a human's 'fault' but it's a sad lesson to learn for the budgie owner that he needs to buy a suitable flap. If he wants to have a flap then it needs to safe for all his pets. There are several types to choose from.

OP do NOT be guilt tripped into offering to upgrade his current flap or offer a new bird. He has forfeited any such kindnesses the second he resorted to abuse and threats!

I don't get the impression op doesn't give a shit. It seems to me that she's very upset and horrified. I'll agree that ops attempt to reason with the neighbor by explaining "the problem is the dog flap " was entirely unnecessary and very foolish. She should instead be offering heartfelt apology and condolences and doing what she can to comfort/ ensure it doesn't happen again. But there's not really anymore she can do is there?! It's all well and good saying shoulda woulda coulda- but that's not any help now. She can now offer apologies, offer to replace the flap and the bird (I know a pet isn't replaceable) but she shouldn't have to keep her outdoor cat in for fear of their being INTENTIONALLY harmed. She shouldn't have to happily receive threats and abuse.

The cat acted as cats do- it's an awful incident but no person is directly at fault. Neither op nor the neighbour. The threats and abuse however are out of order entirely.

I don’t agree. Her posts are all about her and her cats and she has suggested that it is her neighbours fault. Having reread all her posts together I don’t feel it comes across as she cares about her neighbour, only herself. And I also don’t agree that it’s not her fault, it is her fault. If you have a high risk pet you need to put in all the measures to prevent it doing something like this. If people have to muzzle and lead their dogs, people need to have some responsibility for their cats too. This argument ‘but they’re wild’ is bollocks - so are dogs and so is a budgie. They’re all domesticated animals with wild urges and the owners are responsible for their actions. Saying ‘well it’s done now, what can she do?’ Relinquishes cat owners of any responsibility. I like cats, I like dogs, but as owners we need to be responsible for them and their actions. If outside, all cats should have a collar (one of those break ones is grand) with bells on to protect wildlife. And if OP knew her cat was going next door she should have put in measures to prevent anything happening. If the cat had gone into the neighbours and something had happened to the cat, it had been bitten or had an accident, I bet the OP wouldn’t be as lax about it.

Genuinely confused by the right to roam and I'm not trying to be confrontational. I genuinely want to know....if a cat comes in my house while I have a window open in summer and kills my house rabbit, is that my fault? If the owner knew their cat went into people's houses uninvited (not sure what other word to use instead of uninvited). I cannot see how that would be my fault. It's my right to have an open window of the house I own in summer. What is the situation then? I've had to chase cats out of my property that have been chasing my rabbits round and I don't have a dog flap, just an open window

@Lulubo1 no it wouldn't be your fault, it would be sad. One of those things. Awful but what can you do? An open window is somewhat different to having an animal flap which opens from the outside and is never locked as in that case you would accept that other animals are obviously going to come and go. Same outcome though. Not confusing or worthy of (like OP's neighbour) violence.

OP could from now on guarantee that her cat won't commit any further 'crimes' if she chooses. But that won't stop other cats from entering his house. Stray cats and owned cats alike. For as long as he has his current flap. It's really straightforward.

Yes that's a great idea.

Her posts are about her and her cats- because her neighbour has made angry threats that he'll kill her pets in retaliation? Because he's threatened and abused her?

I'm sure if he hadn't made these threats and op wasn't terrified of his actions she'd be posting saying how awful she feels about the whole incident.

Incidentally She kept the cats in overnight- it was her son who let them out in the hunting hours. Arguably then he is the most at fault.

Cat owners who let their pets roam don't really have control over them. I did mention that if ops cat got hit by a car she'd have no right to be angry. Equally if it went into a house and got killed by a dog - that's a risk op takes. Those are the risks you take when you have a roaming cat. You can't be angry then when they get hurt. Or when they bugger off and choose someone else to live with. But I don't think it would have been a given that op would be offering expensive replacements for neighbour when no bad had happened- prior to this the cat went in, it gets along with the dog, no harm done? Do you really think she should have been offering to upgrade his home without any real incident or reason? I don't.

Well we shall have to agree to disagree then, because I do think she should have taken responsibility then. And I also see zero remorse in her posts that I think if she weren’t being threatened she would have even bothered to make a post. I’m sure she will argue differently, but the fact is that whilst she is being threatened and is concerned about her cats, she has still tried to get out of responsibility and only offered a meagre apology.

I think she is fully responsible, she knew there was an issue and did nothing. You think she isn’t responsible, I don’t think we will change each others minds. But I guarantee if the shoe was on the other foot and a dog wandered into her garden through an open gate or low fence and killed her cat she would feel very differently. Both domesticated animals with wild instincts. It’s just that it hasn’t happened to her. It’s happened to her neighbours beloved bird who was flying around inside its own home until her cat got in and killed it. Her cats freedom doesn’t outweigh the birds. If you own a pet, be responsible for its behaviour, not blade about the what ifs. I keep my dog on a lead to prevent what ifs. If I let it off and it hurt something it would ALL be on me.

I can’t believe you are trying to claim that he’s not entitled to have his own pets freely moving in their own home? What a selfish entitled person you are. By the same token, if you let your cat out knowing it’s going into his house when he’s so upset with it and he does kill it, it’ll clearly be your own fault, as it was predictable and you could have prevented it. He’s not out of order at all in my opinion. Your actions have led to his pet being killed.

I wouldn’t be at all surprised if you don’t secure your cat in your garden he will kill your cat. They are incredibly easy to poison without trace.

Surely if your cat had caught the bird there would be 'remains ' cats don't eat the whole bird and if they do catch a bird there's usually feathers all over along with a beak / feet bits of organs..

I can’t even be arsed to read this thread. You find a way to stop YOUR pet from entering other people’s property. If that means keeping them in or supervising them then so be it. Your cat isn’t any more special that anyone else’s pet.
if your pet enters someone else house then that is on you.

You've done nothing wrong, I'd report him to the police for his threatening behaviour.

I can see both side of this. I grew up with budgies, which I adored. I still adore them, they are lovely little birds, full of personality.

I now have a cat, and I know what cats are like for getting in where they shouldn't be.

So, your neighbour has a dogflap he doesn't use. He should have it permanently locked, then. He knows your cat is about, after all, and cats will stick their nose in ANYTHING. Then again, you should be trying to stop your cat getting in his house. I'd offer to have the flap replaced with one that's collar activated.

Where the budgie is concerned, I suppose offer to buy him another. I say 'I suppose' because as an adult I think it's appalling to cage a bird that flies thousands of miles and lives in large communities in the wild. One reason I have a cat is that they are free spirits. In any case, I think I would phrase it 'would you like another budgie?' because obviously they are all individuals.

Hi OP's cat👋

Can't believe what I've just read... Cats kill birds, that is the nature of cats. A human choosing to kill a cat is completely sadistic!

I think if people are going to keep birds in cages then it's not the wisest idea to have a dog/cat flap that lets any animal (ie your cat op) into their house.