Cat ‘attacked’ by husky

[TheEmperorIsNaked]

On Friday evening my husband discovered our cat and a husky in the back garden. The cat was clearly terrified, making noises we’ve never heard him make before. He picked him up and put him on the window sill while he got the dog out of the garden and I spoke to neighbours trying to find out where the dog had come from. At this point I had no idea the cat was hurt :(. It was dark and I couldn’t see the blood on the window sill until I went in and saw it on the inside.

We rushed the cat to the vets with no idea where the blood was coming from. The journey was awful; he normally cries and struggles when he has to go in the car but he was silent and still. I was scared he might have had a heart attack.

The vet couldn’t find any bite marks, just a large saliva patch on this back where the dog had tried to pick him up/bite him/whatever. The blood was coming from his paws. Every claw has either been ripped out, shredded or severely pulled where he defended himself against the dog. He was otherwise unharmed but traumatised. The vet gave him pain medication and advised that his claws should heal/grow back.

Cat has shown no interest in going out since, not that I will let him until he is healed and off pain medication. He’s jumpy and obviously uncomfortable and frustrated. He can’t grip to climb furniture or use his scratching post or scratch his ears. He seems miserable :(.

I’ve contacted the police and they have advised I call the dog warden so I will do so in the morning. A few neighbours have told me that the dog is often roaming the neighbourhood, chasing cats, with no owner in sight.

I’m posting because I wanted to talk to other cat lovers about it. I’m angry at the irresponsible owners and also really proud of my cat for defending himself. I’m also worried that he’ll never have the confidence to go out again and as much as I want to keep him safe I know he’d be bored and depressed if he stays indoors.

Your poor cat, thank goodness he was so brave and you came home when you did! I am so sorry your companion was injured in such a horrible way. I'm sure he is traumatized and that is coming back each time he remembers he doesn't have his claws to help him even indoors. I hope the warden can find this dog and its owners!! Irresponsible owners are unacceptable, especially for large breed dogs that need a lot of stimulation. They should be taking that dog out for daily runs and playing fetch so it isn't attacking other animals.

It will take time, but I bet your cat will be wanting to go back out before he is even supposed to :) I had a cat who was attacked by a stray dog, and she didn't even show interest in looking out the window for a couple weeks. But after she could get around comfortably, I could barely scoot her away from the door when I went out. I am so sorry this happened, I hope your handsome boy heals well (and quickly), and that he will be able to enjoy the garden again without fear or threats from mishandled dogs <3

Poor, lovely lad, I love black cats. Am so glad for him he lived to tell the tale. About the fear, they’re pretty single-minded and his instinct to go outside might well eventually overcome his fear? It’s hard to bear it when they’re depressed cos you can’t talk it through with them! What age is he? Anecdotally when they’re younger they seem more inclined to venture forth again after a bad time, our young cat has been ripped up once or twice (the vet thought a fox or dog and another time - crows!) and needed stitches - he had a spell of staying in/sitting under everything he could find (nervous wreck) but went gradually back to normal patrol. I hope his claws do regrow, I think it takes a fair while? I suppose he’ll need them back to go outside, for climbing and protection. It’s quite tough on all of you but they’re adaptable and he’s safe, at least. I think you do get anti-depressants for cats? If it’s a case of many weeks indoors. Maybe that’s taking it too far but just a thought. I saw these things on a cat fostering page (she specialises in cats with disabilities) for cats with problems that mean they need help to scritch. Can fasten them on a corner.

sorry photo wouldn’t attach!

Your poor brave boy!
I am so angry on your behalf, who in their right mind lets a dog, especially a husky, roam around?!?😡
I hope he (and you all) feel better soon, and your brave boy gets his mojo back.
(bloody idiot dog owners, grrr!!)
Plus, the dog needs properly looking after.

I’m not a cat owner (actually incredibly allergic to them), but this is absolutely horrifying. I am so sorry this happened to your cat.

I absolutely would call the dog warden, and I would warn others in the neighbourhood about what has happened. Too many dog owners (and I say this as an owner of five of the gits) think their dogs can and should chase cats because it’s ’in their nature.’ It’s bollocks and an excuse for poor ownership.

I hope your boy recovers though. He’s a beauty.

I know a dickhead husky owner aswell who lets her off the lead and her size is so intimidating to other dog owners when she comes bombing over to their dog and the owner just says she’s ok . She’s regularly on the road by herself but she recently bit another dog and they’ve had to pay out a lot of money . I don’t know if it’s a breed thing or just another sign of how irresponsible people are becoming .

People buy Huskies because of their striking look and of course Game of Thrones. What many don't realise is that Huskies need to be treated VERY differently to "normal" pet breeds - I have a friend who's a qualified dog trainer and specialises in Huskies, and she get very upset at owners sometimes.

So owners have problems keeping the dog in their garden, but instead of adding 8 foot chain link fencing that isn't pretty they keep the 4-6 foot wooden fence or hedging & the dog gets out. I'm afraid the safest way to stop this happening again is to thoroughly dog proof your own garden.

If you got a crime number from the police, make sure you give that to the dog warden.

How is your boy doing @TheEmperorIsNaked ?

I used to have huskies and while I adore the breed they have an incredibly strong prey drive and had killed a cat previously. I would never allow a husky near a cat, and it may have tried to pick it up and shake it like a rag doll

Irresponsible dog owners, huskies need high secure fences and not off the lead.

Thanks so much for all your posts. Vinny is doing much better! We’ve gone for a few short walks around the neighbourhood and his confidence is returning.

I contacted 101 who have logged the incident and referred me to the local ‘dog warden’, which turned out to be nothing more than an electronic incident form. I’ll be very surprised if anything comes of it. I really hope the dog returned home with my cat’s claws stuck in its face so its owners know something happened. Unfortunately I can’t dog proof the garden because it’s shared with my neighbours. I have put up a notice asking people to close the gates when they leave to prevent the dog getting in again, but I think it really comes down to us choosing between a safe but uneventful indoor life for Vinny or the excitement and risks that come with exploring outside. Maybe he’ll compromise and stick to the roof of the porch and window sills.

@dumberthanaboxofrocks Vinny would love that; he can’t get enough of us scratching his face and neck now. He’s 20 months btw.

The form should go to the dog warden OK, who (if it's like my area) will be someone in the Environmental Health team at you borough council. You could try calling the council and asking for the animal control officer to ensure you get through to them.

I'm glad Vinnie is getting better, chin & jaw scritches from me. A halfway house between indoor and outdoor/catproofed garden may be a catio?

So glad to hear Vinny (great name btw!) is on the mend. Do you get on well with the neighbours, do they all appreciate Vinny? I hope so, and if they do, I am sure they would be appalled at what happened and be vigilant about the gate. Also: could you all agree on getting an automatic closing mechanism for the gate (like a spring) so the gate can't be left open, with the idea that it also provides extra security for you all, because if a dog can wander in, so can a burglar? (Yes I know burglars can open gates, I am thinking of opportunistic thefts)