Dog attacks cat
Every pet owner fears the moment when their beloved companion faces an emergency. As a veterinarian, I am accustomed to dealing with these crises, prepared to offer comfort and care in the direst of circumstances. But some weekends prove more challenging than others, pushing the boundaries of emotional and professional hardship. This past weekend was one such instance—a story of urgent calls in the dead of night, life-and-death decisions, and the stark realities of pet ownership. Join me as we explore a heart-wrenching experience that unfolded over the course of a seemingly ordinary weekend.
It’s Monday Morning, Everyone…
Most mornings, I am up early, feeling pretty positive. However, this morning, I am especially tired after spending most of the weekend at my work dealing with a variety of emergencies.
One particularly disturbing incident occurred, and I am curious to hear your thoughts on it.
Late on Saturday night, I received a panicked call from one of my clients—their cat had been attacked. It had just happened, so we both rushed to the clinic. The sweet little cat was not moving and was having difficulty breathing, but she was wrapped in a towel. When I unwrapped the towel, I saw two gaping wounds, extending into her stomach and lungs. I immediately began to treat her for shock, administered pain medication, and assessed the damage further.
The punctures had affected one-third of her body. She was in obvious distress, and her chances of recovering from this were almost non-existent. Her guardian made the right decision, in my opinion, to have her euthanized. Both of us were upset—she really was a sweet little cat.
But the more disturbing part of this emergency is that the wounds were caused by a neighbor’s dog. Yes, a dog attack. And this isn’t the first time I have seen this. I love my dog, Lewis—I would do just about anything for him, but I certainly wouldn’t be okay with him attacking cats.
So, what do you think?
Why do some dogs attack cats? And why do people even keep dogs that attack other pets? I would consider euthanization for dogs that behave like that. As far as I am concerned, it’s never acceptable.
P.S. If you wish to comment, please post on my blog here.
P.P.S. Dog and cat emergencies happen all the time. It’s plain crazy not to be prepared. You can be ready right now by visiting here.
It’s Your Pet. Heal Them At Home!
This was a horrific accident, however, there were ways to prevent this.
I am a firm believer that cats should be indoors. If outdoors, the owner should be responsible to keep it in the yard. (For many reasons that I won’t waste time going in to.)
Regarding dogs, it is the owner’s responsibility to keep their dogs secured. Most municipalities have leash laws.
If both of these were done, the cat would be alive today.
You cannot blame the dog for attacking the cat. The owners, yes. Many dog breeds are hunting breeds and therefore it is instinctual for them to give chase to a prey animal. Or, the dog was a guard dog and the cat entered its’ territory. These are natural acts.
I am very sorry for the cat — I have two cats of my own. I just hope that this story won’t end with two needless deaths.
Dogs does not only attack cats that are loose outside. There are cases of dogs charging into houses and killing cats and even little dogs. What would you feel like coming home seeing your little Chihuahua body ripped into pieces? I’ve seen a lot of news about this and people still trying to say “my dog doesn’t know anything, they just thought it’s a cute toy. No. It’s not about putting blame on cats being indoors or not. Some even got attacked while walking with their owners. A boy just got killed in UK by being in the same space as a dog. He doesn’t even hurt the dog. He has done nothing. Just sitting.
Cat should not have been loose. Use CAT-IN Fence or something similar for protection. Can’t blame it all on dog. This is their natural instinct. I have 10 cats and 4 dogs, and while my dogs would not hurt my cats, they would go after a strange cat that gave chase! Some dogs get more aggressive if the cat scratches and hurts them. Then they get angry. You cannot euthanize a dog if both animals were loose outside.
I caught my neighbor’s child teaching his dog to chase my cat. Stopped him and explained dogs and cats could be friends. He listened, his little dog is friend with the cats in the area now, some run from her but others play nicely with her and her pups.
When I lived in California, there was this old monk who lived at this retreat. He was from Europe. Had spent time in a concentration camp (which he volunteered for, to save a friend who had a large family).
People would drop off vicious dogs that were biting legs off people — no less cats.
He’d take them into his quarters. Not let them out for two weeks. He’d practice what he called loving discipline, which involved treating them like gold when they behaved, and locking them in a cage, without food or water for 24 hours, when they misbehaved.
I later saw this done with many other vicious dogs, at the farm I lived at. We ended up with 15 dis-owned, violent dogs, people kept on dropping off.
I had to do it with my cat. When we got our second cat she was extremely violent. Then she became violent with my wife. Drawing blood. We had a baby on the way, so this didn’t look good. We tried being extra nice to her, but she still misbehaved.
I think she was afraid the other cat would eat all her food. Territory threat. All that.
My wife was ready to put her under.
So I did the same thing the old monk did. As soon as she misbehaved I put her in a cage for 24 hours. I did not feed her anything. I brought her to the office and talked to her. I slept in the office with her in the cage. I told her over and over again that she didn’t need to hurt our other cat or my wife (who was feeding the other cat).
I’d let her out and let her eat. As soon as soon as she tried something, it was back in the cage for 24 hours.
I repeated this about 7 times.
That was over 15 months ago. She hasn’t hurt either our other cat or my wife since. And when our son was born she and he became great friends. We’ll often find her curled up with in the crib.
I think the taking food away when they are violent tells them that their violent actions are a threat to their survival. Right now, it seems they think that their violent actions are helping ensure their survival (for whatever reason).
Anyways, that’s what’s worked for me. When I lived in California, I saw this done for very vicious dogs. They didn’t become puppies, but, well, they became good guard dogs. Definitely harmless to innocent people.
It may seem cruel to some people (denying food and water for 24 hours) but it doesn’t seem to do any real harm. It’s much better than putting them under.
Maybe, Dr. Jones, you could put together a ebook on different training methods for taming pets-gone-bad. I’m sure there must be a lot of incidence of this, with better methods than my primitive fasting/imprisonment method.
This bothers me, as well. I do not think it is very responsible of the owner to not have his dog in a secure area. I have 2 cats and 1 dog, all get along. I agree with you, I would have NO problem putting my dog down if it hurt another animal or child. I feel bad for the cat owner!!! I do think she did the correct thing.
hi ya i have to disagree on pts because a dog has attacked a cat,please advise me how you would stop that if the cat enters the garden,my husky done the same to next doors cat.i do feel for the owner because its there pet,but nature is what it is,cats hate mice,and most dogs dont like cats.i would like your opinon how i can stop my husky from killing cats if they enter my garden.i would do the upmost to stop it,but to put it to sleep is over the top.
charlie
Dear Dr Jones,
re dog attacking cat…
The issue may not always be as cut and dried as one might think where you’ve stated firmly that
any dog that attacks a cat should be put down. Why do I say this? Because sometimes what might look like an ‘attack’ might not be so. A
curious dog might simply want the cat to stand still so that he can sniff it but the cat, if unused to dogs, naturally runs away causing the dog to give chase. The dog, lacking hands with which to grab hold of the cat, uses the only grabbing mechanism at his disposal, his mouth, unaware of the potential crushing power of his
canine jaws.
In my case, I used to have Alaskan Malamutes, a breed with a rather high prey drive being not all that far removed from the wild wolf ancestor. Our dogs had always been raised in a home atmosphere and always right alongside our cats and all had always gotten along fine with never a quarrel. I had a young purebred male Mal, a livelyu and curious pup who, when ANY creature fled from him, felt compelled to give chase, just as the wolf does as the deer flees from him. Ever see a nature video of what happens though when the prey stops running away and turns to face the wolf? The pursuer shows confusion and sits down or circles around as though unsure what to do next…it is the CHASE itself that greatly influences the pursuit response.
Anyhoo, our own cats, being well-used to our dogs having all grown up together, seldom ran far from our dogs, knowing to simply sit down and let the dogs come up and sniff them as though to say “oh,
its just you” and then each would go on their respective way.
My mother-in-law was unaware that day that her cat was outdoors. When our young Mal tried to greet it as he would his own cats at home, being
unused to dogs, this cat naturally ran away from him and so he gave chase and before anyone knew what had happened, my pup had grasped the cat about the mid-section to cease its flight, sadly crushing the poor creature as a Mal’s jaws are among the strongest in the dog world.
It was a truly terrible ordeal all the way ’round and worse yet for the poor kitty of course who died from internal injuries. Should we then have immediately destroyed our dog as he had semingly ‘attacked’ my mother-in-law’s cat
causing her death? We all agreed no – it was a horribly tragic but completely unintended accidental death.
So you see, things aren’t always so cut and dried.
I am sorry for what happened to the cat, but please don’t punish the dog he was doing what comes naturally.
It is up to the human companions to protect and keep the four legged loved ones from harms way.
I have 2 dogs and a cat, my dogs love my cat they are all buds, play chase each other roll around and even sleep together. However, if a cat comes into our yard all bets are off with my dogs they will try to attack, I think it’s a territorial thing.
We need to keep an eye on our pets just like we do our children.
What a horrible incident, but as others have said some dogs are hunters by natural instinct. The problem is the owners. ALL animals, cats included must be resrticted to their own property for their own protection as well as the protection of others. Everyone agrees that dogs should be leashed or confined to thier property, but few agree that the same should hold true for cats.
This isn’t necessarily a case of a dog ‘gone bad’, just dogs being dogs. Owners must take more responsibility for thier pets.
This is a disturbing situation, although not knowing the details it is hard to comment. Was the cat in it’s own yard? Was the dog confined or were they both loose??? Once upon a time our neighbor’s cat used to come into our yard all of the time and actually taunt our dogs. They were confined to the yard and did what came naturally to them, bark and chase. The cat usually ended up in a tree but our neighbors often told us that they wouldn’t be surprised if one day they caught and harmed the cat. Thank goodness it never came to that, but the cat was really very antagonising.
This started me thinking about a serious situation that came up at our house recently – our German Shepherd (20 months male) did not finish his food (typical) and the bowl was left out (my fault). In the middle of the night I was letting both of our dogs out and our very old boy was innocently walking near that darn bowl and the GSD lunged and became extremely violent toward our old dog. It happended so quickly but I ended up in the middle of the two and the GSD got my wrist and I sustained and very deep puncture wound – tendon exposed etc. It all worked out in the end but I was completely shocked. It was so out of character for this dog and the older dog growled back, but was submissive. There is no contest there and the GSD is alpha anyway. We have had other similar situations and I avoid the food thing, but what is the best answer or solution? I can’t believe that it is only because the old dog is weaker. These dogs are very good pals all other times. They often sleep next to one another on the same small rug etc. Huge difference in age etc. but the young dog has grown up with the older one.
??????????????
I have a cat – and two dogs. I worked diligently with both dogs to know that the cat is not only off limits but the queen of the house. The puppy is still learning about cats with claws. The difficult part to answer – I don’t know how they’d be if they had a cat come into their yard. To them this is a wild animal and an intrusion into their space. Would they kill the cat? I certainly hope the answer is no and remains no. I live in an area where there are coyotes and mountain lions, so my cat if she goes out, goes out a window that opens into a completely enclosed dog run. Neither she nor the dogs can get out and nothing to date can get in…I wouldn’t trust her out any other way.
To euthanize the dog is not the answer. Caregivers are responsible for their own pet’s wellbeing. The answer lies in educating the caregivers about responsible pet ownership. There are many wonderful gentle methods of caring for and working with animal behavior issues, TTouch is one of them. You can read more at ttouch.com. Hopefully the dog’s caregiver will step up and address the dog’s behavior issues.
We can only plant a seed.
We have 3 cats and 2 dogs however; before the youngest dog and cat arrived in our home we had a four year old tuxedo cat that was a rescue 3 years prior. We had also taken in a female rescue dog from the pound. While she was at the pound she looked gentle but depressed. The folks at the pound said she got along with both dogs and cats. They lied!
For three days straight we tried training this dog but it kept ATTACKING all the cats and even our old dog anytime she was walking anywhere in the house. This dog attacked our tuxedo cat so bad that he ran away from home and never came back. I miss him but don’t blame him. We contacted the dog rescue agency to come get this dog and they took her to dog boot camp for several months of strict training.
We have another rescue dog that has taken all the pets out of depression and fear thankfully.
I don’t like the concept of putting down an animal unless it’s too sick or injured…I feel that there has to be away to deal with each situation.
Tina
I think in the case between dog and cat relationship, the owner plays an important role. My dog, Cookie, will not attack any cat. He just chases them for fun. However, he is labeled as ‘no good’ because he does not attack any stray cat by some members.
Well I must agree with everyone else so far.
Dogs will be dogs and cats will be cats. And as far as I am concerned they should all be tied up. My cat goes out on a cord as well as my dog. They each have to wait patiently until the other one comes in. The cat has to be nice to the dog and the dog has to be nice to the cat. We taught our cat no nails. she knows and immediatly retracts them. Will my dog chase other cats. Yes. Is she allowed to? No. I stop her. I will not allow my dog to hurt other animals. I will not allow my cat to chase birds and kill them. She will chase other cats out of her yard. she just about had one up the tree when she was just a year. My dog and cat sleep together even when we are not home.we got the cat when the dog was 6. dog is now 7 1/2 and the cat is 1 and a bit. But should the dog be destroyed? No. The cat should have been supervised or not out if owners were not home. Even though my cat is on a cord in our own yard i still look at her every couple of minutes to see that she is ok. she is terrified of the crows. and will hide under our deck.
now if i could only find a way to stop her from peeling the silicone off of the tub in the bathroom. she spits it out and then tries to drop it down the drain along with the bobby pins barretts and hair elastics. Brat cat is her nick name.i have to cover the drains with a guard so that nothing goes down.
I feel sorry for the cat owner. But You have to feel for the dog owner too. They probably feel bad about this but putting down the dog isn’t the answer. teaching the dog to leave it and not chase it is the answer. thanks for reading my banter. I will stop now. lol
Cats should be in, yes, I agree, as the common house cat is the most efficient killer on the planet with a whopping 1,000 prey animals. It decimates local natural fauna at an unheard of rate, mostly for sport, rarely for food. Dogs on the other hand, even when loose, can be trained to “Make Nice” with almost any animal and not chase. Had both animals been taken care of the way they should have, the tradgedy would not have happened… the blame is on the owners, for not restraining… and not training. Mr. Manley is nuts if he puts his dog or cat in a kennel for 24 hours! I can stop a dog from being agressive in just 10 minutes a day! No concentration camp tactics necessary! Please mr. Manley, don’t do that to your animals, but find a responsible trainer to help you!
I feel truly sorry for the cat and for her owners. I live here in Australia and lots of koalas get killed by dog bites, the reason is that the dogs teeth quickly penetrate the organs of the koalas. Would I think best is to put such a dog down? Definitely NOT. I believe it is the dogs owner who is responsible.
Aggression can have many causes, so I am not going there now. Just mentioning that our cat loved to tease our dogs…
Anyway, last year I adopted 2 wonderful dogs and according to the shelter they were fine with other dogs. As it turned out they are extremly dog aggressive and were never socialised! I would be devastated if somebody wanted to kill them! It is MY responsibility to keep them under control. Of course they are not allowed outside at night and they will not be together with other animals when not supervised. I even train them in order to get rid of their aggression and they are getting better. Please don’t blame the dog – blame the owner!
Besides, cats need to be inside at night, they kill way to many birds and rodents when outside at night.
Dagmar
I have a dog that is an escape artist, I say, as she will sneak out the door when ever possible. If there is a cat around she will chase it. So far they are better than she at finding a tree or cover. I truly don’t know what she would do if she got the cat or a rabbit or any other animal. We have two other dogs as guests which are small and she is jealous but OK with them around.
A few nights ago, I heard a thump on my back door. My dogs were inside but I though one might have gotten left in the basement which is near the back door so I looked there first. When I turned the outside light on the neighbor’s cat was on the step and I could see a large brown dog several feet away. The cat limped off the step and onto the stone wall close by. The next morning the neighbors found her dead with a gaping hole in her side. I have thought the dog must have shook or flung her at my door and continued to go after her on the the way home. We were all sad for it to happen.
ABout the “Dog-Cat” attack issue:
I’ve been a dog breeder for over 25 years. My dogs have always been, for the most part, indoor pets. I have always had cats, and they, for the most part, chose to remain inside the house. While in the house, the dogs would give the cats a quick run while playing, and the cats always new the “safe places” that were out of reach. When my dogs would corner a cat, they would then back off and never hurt one of my cats.
While living in Southern California, my back yard was enclosed by a 6′ wooden fence. There was a 2×4 running near the top of the fence, and there were numerous “knot holes” in the fence. The neighbors cats would tease the dogs incessantly by peering at them through the “knot holes”, and then they would jump to the top of the fence and walk back and forth on the 2×4 teasing the dogs.
I never had an attack, as such, but had one of the cats fallen into the back yard, I’m sure they would have been attacked as they teased my dogs unmercifully. In that case, I would not put down any of my dogs as the cats were invading their territory when they should have been home where they lived.
I now have 4 feral Cats that live on my front porch, and they have learned to live with my Bloodhounds when I take them for walks. As long as the cats walk slowly, never do the dogs try and chase them. All 4 dogs will even come up and do a “nose to nose” with the hounds. If there are sudden moves, then the dogs will try and chase them even when on a leash.
We all have to be responsible for our pets to the best of our ability. My 2 indoor cats always remain in the house by choice. Even with open doors, they stay in the house. If dogs and cats are to get along, it seems to be a necessity of having them learn as puppies and kittens about coexistence. The best idea is to have both growing up with each other in order for a “safe house” environment.
I agree that this is a horrific accident — and Dr. Andrew you were undoubtedly running on high emotion and adrenaline when you wrote your e-letter. But I’m really surprised and sad to hear you say that you would have no problem euthanizing a dog that has attacked a cat. As an animal communicator, I can assure you that almost every case of bad behavior I work with stems from a problem with the humans associated with the animal. If the dog that attacked the cat was a stray or feral dog, it was instinct that caused him/her to attack. If it was a pet dog that attacked, it was the owner’s fault first and the cat owner’s second IF the cat owner let the cat roam outside. Humans must be responsible for their animals. Euthanasia is not a suitable answer….training and prevention are the answers.
This is such a sad situation. People have a habit
of turning their dogs into such unsocial creatures. They put them in their yards 24/7 and the only contact they have with anyone is when being fed. That is so unacceptable, this is why these things happen.
I have the sweetest dog. I also have always had cats. Daisy gets very upset if any cat mine or otherwise is bothered by any other dog or cat. She tries so hard to protect them. It’s funny she gets along better with cats, any cat, than any other dog. Daisy is part of my family not my yard.
I totally agree it is the owner to blame. I got a puppy from the Humane Society and immediately signed up for an obedience class. The first thing the trainer said was “If your dog is disobedient in any way, shape or form, it is your fault, not the dogs”. I see why she said that. Spending time training your dog is our obligation, to have what turned out to be an 85 pound dog that I can walk down the street and he sits, lays on command, etc – it was all worth it. The dog will go by instinct unless trained otherwise.
I have to agree with everyone who already said what I was thinking. The cat should NOT have been allowed outside! the dog should be confined to it’s own yard or leashed. Especially a dog who chases and attacks smaller animals.
But there is no reason this cat should have been allowed outside.
I work with a rescue and have adopted many cats and every adoption agreement I have ever seen for cats says you must agree not to declaw or allow them to go outside. The lifespan of an indoor/outdoor cat is considerably less then an indoor kitty. And all dog applications require that you must keep the dog leashed at all time if it is not outside in a fence it cannot escape from.
All 6 of my cats currently live side by side with my two adopted dogs and you frequently find them sleeping curled up in piles of dog and cat.
I feel terrible for the kitty and kitty’s owner but this was a case of human error…and poor kitty was the one who had to pay the price.
As a responsible large breed (140#) dog owner, I socialized my boy to as many situations as possible. I used the guide dog training program as a reference. It takes alot of work on the part of the owner but worth the time.
I would get lots of compliments of how gentle, well behaved he was.
Nothing phased Maverick because he had been exposed-seen it all … cats were just another ‘friend’… UNTIL the vet’s office permanent ‘inhouse’ cat walked up to my 3 year old Maverick who was laying by my feet and slapped him across the face.
The vet, 3 techs, office manager, and myself all were shocked at the cats behavior. My big lug of a dog was shocked … got this confused look on his face — like he was thinking “what just happened”.
From that day forward, Maverick decided he didn’t like ANY cat. It is a shame because he NEVER had a problem with my friends & neighbors cats before that day in the vet’s office.
So…because my dog now barks at cats…he is a bad behaving dog? Should the vet’s cat that attack my dog laying quietly on the floor in his office have been put down? I don’t think so!
I’ll bet if you check…In your town/city there is a leash laws for BOTH dogs & cats. The cats owners just don’t think the law applies to them.
Dear Doc Andrews,
I believe in “POR”(Pet Owners Responsibility) for their precious pets. However, as in people and every other living thing there are defects. Why a dog would attack a cat or a human attack another human etc probabl;y will never be known.
Yet we can be compassionate and take care of our precious pets and keep them from harm.
My cat is like my child and she will always be indoors. This way I am assured that she will be safe.
Safety, security & LOVE!!!!!
I am so sorry to hear of this trsgedy. I do hope that many benefit from all your help and resources.
Thank you.
I work as an animal assisted therapist and find many aggressive dogs. The owners have no clue as to how to handle their dogs. I work with the dogs, only if the owner is willing to put in as much time and effort as I am putting in. I don’t charge for my services so I expect the owners to do the work. I’m not there to work for them with their dog. It takes a long time for dogs to learn proper behavior…like not killing the cat, rabbit, or pet chicken. I don’t think it was the dog’s fault, but rather the owner
As an animal lover and having 2 large breed dogs, 7 indoor cats and one outdoor cat, I make sure that I am a responsible pet owner, but that is not the case for people who live in my area.
I live in an area where a lot of people are moving so they can have space for the animals.
Room for your animals is good but you still have to be responsible and not let your animals run at large because it is a rural area.
I have my back yard fenced which is about 1/4 acres and my dogs spend their time back there where they can run and play. The only time they are allowed out in the front yard is when we are out there and they are trained to not leave the yard and are trained for voice command.
I see every day at least 6 dogs that are let out at 5 am when I am up to run loose and I worry about my outdoor cat as he stays within my yard or the field across the street from me.
We also have cows and calves in a pasture across the house from me and dog owners do not understand that if their dogs are caught in the pasture the farmer has the right to shoot the animal.
Being a responsible dog owner means thinking of your neighbors and the effects of your animal using their yard and not yours. Who cleans it up not you.
My dogs are good with cats as they were brought into my house as puppies and learned to respect the cats just like the cats have learned since kittens to respect the dogs but for most people that is not something they take the time to think or do.
Dogs think cats are a toy to chase and that is because they have just been put out to learn that and not been trained to leave them.
I wish dog owners would think of the affect their animal’s actions would have on another animal owner if their dog hurt a neighbors cat or even dog.
We love our animals, Why can’t we put ourselves in our neighbors shoes and be a responsible owner.
It looks like everyone agrees that the owners of the cat and dog were not being responsable. These are called animals for a reason they were put here on earth for our enjoyment if we love them and they are part of our family we should protect them. Some one was not doing their job protecting their animal. Was the dog in his yard? Poor cat if the owner of the cat had been responsible this would not have happened. I have 6 dogs and 1 cat they never go out with out me. My neighbor lets her cats out alone thats why she is always replaceing them,she is not responsable, I guess she thinks all animals are replaceable how sad.Can’t wait to see how she feels when her husband replaces her. By the way my 6 dogs and 1 cat were some ones throw away animals now they are loved in a warm home and happiness every day Signed some one who loves to play with animals.
I have always had cats and dogs, raised together! While I have not had a problem with them, I dont expect other dogs to be so understanding! BUT, when a dog attacks a cat, what will it attack next?? Your little dog? Your child? If owners arnt responsible, it will only become more violent. I have noticed that pets today do not seem as well trained~and I do blame the owners. My cat does not leave the back yard~not allowed out at night~ever! She is now 15~my dog is 18~~and she does not like cats~but will tolerate her own~even kisses her when we are not looking~my dog is a little laso~
My other cat had to be euthanized due to a neighbors dog coming up on MY porch and attacking~when I took her to the vet~~with the neighbors owner~who was willing to pay, in order to avoid a lawsuit~the vet told her she needed to really consider euthanizing the dog, as it was so agressive. My cat was 22 yrs old~~at home~~and that neighbor insisted on still walking it by my house until another neighbor asked her what in the world was her problem. We dont see her or her vicious little dog anymore. Dr. I so agree with you, all of the neighbors really watch there animals and children, when outside~~a shame she doesnt seem to care!
I have 5 dogs and 5 cats. I live in the country. One of my dogs, Happy, came on my doorstep when she was about three months old. She must have been my previous neighbor’s dog. I also had a little puppy at the time. Happy was bullying my puppy and taught her to kill cats. The people who gave me the puppy said they “were good with animals, good with children and had the potential to be good guard dogs.” When Puppy (my puppy) had a litter of pups, one of my cats which was very friendly was right with the little puppies and the mother and the mother didn’t mind. They all got along fine. Only Happy was bullying Puppy, and wanting to hurt the pups. The mother dog grabbed Happy by the throat one time and I thought she had killed her but she was okay. Plenty of times I felt like euthanizing Happy, but I didn’t have the heart to do it. She is now nine years old and is actually a nice dog, but she absolutely can’t be around children or small animals such as cats because she bites.
I know that some people abuse dogs by hanging them by a rope. I saw one man do this to his dog one time after the dog had allegedly killed a rabbit.I had rabbits and Happy killed and ate them all but I didn’t punish her for it. I couldn’t imagine doing something like that to her. I think maybe somebody who had her when she was a puppy might have been abusing her and maybe that is why she goes for the throat. Needless to say, she is good now. She has improved a lot from how she was when she was a puppy. My cats stay locked in a room by themselves because the dogs would hurt them.
Before these dogs, I had two dogs: Sister and Cindy. Cindy was friendly and wouldn’t hurt a fly . Sister was good with cats and wouldn’t hurt cats unless they got too close to me, because she was very protective and guarded me and anything she thought belonged to me. She killed a few cats but it was because her guarding, protective nature kicked in.
Yet, I wouldn’t euthanize Sister. She was a lot of protection and a good dog. She also protected baby kittens and any kind of baby animal. As long as I told her that it was a “baby” she was okay. She wasn’t used to children so one time a man came with his five year old grandson and, I told Sister that he was a baby, so she’d be good. She knew the word, “baby.” The boy got upset, saying “I’m not a baby.” She wasn’t used to children, but she was very good around anything helpless, sick, or a baby animal.
When her mother was sick, Sister was protecting her mother, and wouldn’t let any of the cats or neighbor’s dog near her mother. Any other time, she was good friends with the cats and the neighbor’s dog.
So sometimes it is a protective instinct, besides a hunting instinct kicking in.
Also after Sister killed Peaches, a very sweet nice cat, I was very upset, but she didn’t know what she did. They say if you punish a dog two seconds later, it won’t work. You have to catch them right in the act.
Anyway, Sister died when she was 11 and a half years old. It was her heart. She was very smart and a good dog.
people all have different opinions about cats. Sometimes tomcats go to neighbor’s and fight with their cats and sometimes neighbors think you are stealing their cats if you have lots of cats and they happen to have a lot of mice, then they come and tell you to give them their cats back or want some of your cats.
My dad used to talk about a farm where he worked. He said the old folks went away for a holiday and while they were gone, the boys decided they didn’t like cats so they shot them all. Then somebody left a pail on the floor in the barn. The pail had a little bit of chop in it. In the morning they counted 27 mice inside the pail, so they had to get cats back whether they liked cats or not.
I have to keep my cats inside and then I had mice problems so I had to use poison. Next time I’m not going to have this many dogs and it has to be dogs that are good to cats.
A man once told me that his father had a dairy farm and wouldn’t allow dogs on his farm because he needed guard cats more than he needed guard dogs. He felt that the dogs would harrass the cats and then the cats couldn’t circulate freely to get the mice.
I found how to POST!! Yeah!!!
I’m sorry…I don’t know HOW to post at your blog.
I don’t know what others said about this, but I agree with you 100%. The
people should be severely fined and the dog kept on a leash at ALL times.
In addition, the owners should have to do COMMUNITY service by volunteering
at an animal hospital or pound for at least 3 hrs a week for 1-2 months so
they can SEE what animals go through as a result of similar negligence. If
it is EVER (attacking or NOT) found outside without being on a leash it
should be euthanized (and the owners given a MAX penalty, community
service…and possibly (if an attack occurred) JAIL time.
I’m serious BIG time…
Yes, I’m a cat person primarily, but I also do love dogs….was raised with
them and when I didn’t have one of my own, I would “adopt” (i.e. take over
the care, walking, playing with, training) of a neighborhood dog that was
not mine. Often the dogs in the neighborhood knew me, and the owners did
not. (If their dog was either tied outside all day or ran free, I felt it
was mine for the training and to love…..of course, I didn’t TAKE it….I
would just visit it and play with it and walk it, etc.)
That being said, some of the dogs (including my own -beagles,shetland
sheepdogs and miniature collies) did NOT like cats. If they had not been
rasied with cats, they generally did NOT…..however, I can tell you they
did NOT HURT the cats…they would chase them up a tree and then bark at
them while the cats usually stayed JUST out of reach and luxuriously bathed
themselves as if to say….take “THAT! You didn’t get to ME” LOL
Now I may be wrong, but I feel that an animal that would attack another (dog
or cat…I must admit, I believe any animal would attack a reptile or rodent
or even bird if it were loose and unguarded)
has a temperament that would make it likely to attack a human given a
situation where it was cornered or “teased”…by innocent children perhaps.
(I don’t mean tortured, I mean teased….when I was little I felt sorry for
a neighborhood dog and tried to get him to run through the sprinklers with
me on a hot day….he didn’t bit me, but did nip and frighten me enough to
let him go….I thought I was doing him a favor in helping him cool off…I
was THREE and in my own back yard.
Now, granted, IMO the cat owner was partially responsible. No pet, docile
or NOT should be allowed OUTSIDE without supervision or in a weatherproofed
penned in area…with a ROOF if it’s a cat obviously). When I lived at my
former home I wanted my cats to experience the outdoors and we had a roofed
pen built that was large enough to include my lawnchair so I could sit out
there with them.
(Because even then I realized that a loose and mean dog could dig UNDER the
pen if determined and hurt them). My neighbor would laugh at me. (NOT a cat
person, but still a NICE person.)
Now, we live(d) in the countryside and our neighbor used to shoot (diseased
or sick, elderly groundhogs that would not run or would move
slowly –thought they might be rabid). I once however saw him shooting at
one that was running JUST fine and took it up with him! He said, “THAT
groundhog EATS my wife’s GARDEN!” I replied, “So do YOU…does that mean I
can go get a gun and take shots at YOU too???”
Of course he thought I was not serious…..
OK….now you have some MORE feedback.
The love an animal gives is such a precious and unwavering gift….to not
protect them or allow them to threaten others is irresponsible. While
righting this I realized that the word negligent must have its root words in
Neglible (or negative) INTELLIGENCE!
Hugs to you and Michael and all the furry folks!
Remember (above) I mentioned a BEAGLE…well, he wasn’t really MINE, he was a neighbors, but a neighbor whose house I was always in anyways (I knew their child). One day we were in the kitchen and looked out the window….THE DOG had the cats entire head in it’s mouth and the cat was walking forward, the dog backwards (with the cat’s HEAD inSIDE it’s mouth). We panicked and while one of the owners went to get the dog, we saw the dog suddenly stop (on it’s OWN, before anyone even left the kitchen) and SPIT OUT the cat. The the cat chased him a little, the dog lay down and the cat started patting the dogs face until it AGAIN put it’s mouth on the cats head. They were PLAYING…weird game of play, but pretty darn funny!…just picture this beagle, ears flapping, walking backwards with a cat’s body coming out of it’s mouth walking forwards. Now THAT would have been picture worthy.
Quit frankly i am shocked that you would pts any dog that had attacked a cat without all the full facts.
I have been on both sides of the coin. My cat was attacked by lurchers whos owners had encouraged the dogs to attack my cat but she luckily survived.
My other cat “disappeared” when people were using cats for bait for dog fighting in the area.
My two current dogs are secure in my garden, but any cat that comes into my garden they would give chase & I am sure the pack element would kick in if they caught it. My elderly neighbor feeds every cat for a 10 mile radius, which means we have heavy cat traffic & they use my garden to toilet as well as taunting my dogs. would i pts my dogs for a attack.NO
Should i pts my cat for catching a bird or mouse? NO.
Also in this country cats have the right to roam & there is no leash restrictions for cats, but plenty of dog control orders in place. I wonder how many cat owners would be happy if my dogs used there gardens as toilets???
Dogs love to chase cats and I see nothing wrong with it … my two cocker spaniels will chase a cat when it enters our fenced-in backyard because the cat is in their territory. When a cat enters into their territory they are allowed to make chase, but I discourage them from making physical contact with the cat(and I’ve never seen evidence of that, thankfully). BUT… I don’t think a dog should be euthanized for killing a cat UNLESS it becomes a habit which cannot resolved with training. You may not realize the dog has an aggression problem until the first time, which should then be addressed with proper training to prevent future incidents. Remember, these animals are born with normal instincts to make chase. I don’t believe in this “eye for an eye” quick to kill attitude. Punishing a dog with a death sentence for doing what is in it’s nature. That would be nothing more than an emotional, personal vendetta.
Bravo! Dr. Jones….I agree with you 200%
This is a very sad situation, but I’m not sure that I would put the dog down. As others here have noted, many dogs have very strong prey drives, and while it is up to the dog’s owner to be diligent about the dog’s behavior, unfortunately, things can happen. I was told a story concerning a recently adopted ex-racing greyhound. While these dogs may seem placid and laid-back, they are sight hounds, bred to chase down small prey, and racing careers reinforce these hard-wired instincts. This particular dog got loose from its owner on city streets and grabbed a poor cat, killed it and ran back and forth in front of the training organization where the owner had been on her way to take a class with this dog, with the dead cat in its mouth. Would I have this dog killed? No, but I would suggest that this owner be more vigilent about staying in control of her dog while out in public and possibly muzzling him.
I have a mixed-breed dog that also has a strong prey drive. She lives to chase squirrels! We also had two cats (both are deceased now, but not because of the dogs!), and they knew not to run from Maggie. As long as they didn’t play the game, Maggie would leave them alone. I understand that there are some dogs that don’t know to leave the cat, or whatever small animal, alone, even if they are not running away from them, but that is where the owner has to step in and let the dog know that this behavior is unacceptable, period. The dog’s owner is supposed to be the person in charge, and if he or she says that the dog should leave this or that alone, then that should be the way it is. If not, then the owner truly needs to work, one on one with a really good animal behaviorist to help them understand how this works. Not only will the people be happier with the dog, but the dog will also be much happier with the people.
Reading the post about the kitty and the beagle playing together, I remembered how my two kitties, Smudge and Stumpy, used to terrorize my old dog, Shelby. They would wait for her to walk through a doorway, each of them crouched down on either side of it. Then, as she appeared in the doorway, on of them would jump up, grab her around the neck with both paws and give her a nip, let go and both cats would tear off in the other direction. Shelby would just stand there, looking at me, like “what just happened?”
We had a really large, young black lab staying with us for a while, Henry, and he was real curious about the cats, but not aggressive. He would stick his big nose at Smudge, sniffing her. She thought he was very rude, so she would beat on his muzzle with her paws (no claws!) and it sounded like she was playing a bongo drum. He seemed to enjoy it, because he didn’t move.
They’re so much fun.
I feel dogs who go after cats should be euthanized too. Even though some might be trained , they usually go back if training isn’t reinforced all the time. We had a dog that we had gotten from the humane society. She was very good around adults but around children she would snap and bite at them, even when the child did nothing. She almost took a neighbors 2 yr old son face off. If I had not been there to grab her. She would not listen to any command even though she was very well trained. It was like she saw red when she saw a child.I have 24 grandchildren, I could not trust her with them around. I wanted to put her down, but the humane society said I couldn’t that we were to return her and they gave her to another couple. I feel they are not being responsible and if she does bite another child they will be at fault! There are so many good dogs needing to be adopted that aggressive dogs should be put down.
I had a friend who’s dog (a Yellow Lab) killed one of her cats. I couldn’t believe the beggar was still alive. I told her that if he was mine I would have shot him myself! She was ALWAYS a big-time cat lover and didn’t even like dogs…I couldn’t believe it.
But when the dog was hit by a car they gave him Tylenol for pain which they shouldn’t have done. Later, when everyone was sleeping he came by me for comfort and he died in my arms…I gave him as much love as I could those last moments…poor thing.
I have many times been almost attacked, AND attacked by dogs. (Most of these encounters from riding bikes, jogging on public streets where these activities are enjoyed by the community as a whole).
In every single case, a low-functioning dog-owner, ranging from the unhinged and deranged to dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks with a good dose of criminally super-sized egos, was the culprit.
In every single case the owner has said well my dog wouldn’t hurt a fly. Only a stupid cretin who should NOT be allowed to compete for a dog’s oxygen on this planet would ever say such a thing about ANY dog.
I’d say EUTHANIZE (okay okay,legally of course) the owner(s) forthwith. There are billions of low functioning humans on this planet;I’d trade a few of them for a dog any day.
Laws on the books wrt. animals should be as unconditional as those for drunk driving in CA: if your pet is caught “harming”, you go straight to jail, no if’s and’s or but’s. Watch how many pet owners would straighten up their stinking act.
Only when THIS SORT OF EXTREME AND IMMEDIATE TACTIC is taken with recalcitrant, stupid, irresponsible, careless, insufferably ignorant humans will tragic situations lessen.
This was a sad situation that probably could have been avoided, but unfortunately hind site is always good at showing us what we should or could have done.
I feel like Dr. Andrew Jones, I put the responsibility on the pet owners. A lot of pet owners, I have found, since I have worked with about 15,000 over the past 40 years, don’t understand that much about dogs and their drives. Bad behaviors how to avoid them, spot them and fix them.
Dogs always give a sign before they are going to do something. It’s called body language. Now sometimes they are hardly noticeable, like the whiskers moving, ear movement or position, the body language changes, the tail position or movement, the look in the eye, the breathing, the tenseness of the muscles, but there is always a sign.
One must know their animal in a variety of situations and observe them. They must also proof or test their animals in a variety of situations to really know if they are trully trained. Prey drive can be difficult to control, but it can be controlled if you start at a very young age like as soon as you bring that pup home.
Dogs need to learn how to control their drives. Motion aggression can be counter conditioned to no longer be a problem. Most negative behaviors can be controlled but not without a lot of work, leadership, training and lived as a lifestyle.
If you know your dog has an issue, then you should do all in your power to contain and control your pet. Avoidance is one way of control but it doesn’t get rid of the problem.
You’re just not allowing your dog to get into a situation that stimulates the unwanted behavior. It’s a quick fix, but not a permanent fix. Repeated behavior becomes learned good or bad. Your dog doesn’t look at behaviors as good or bad they just react and repeat what brings them pleasure and rewards.
If you have a cat and allow the cat to roam outside, then you take the chance of having your cat get hurt. It’s hard, next to impossible to teach your cat to stay in your yard like you can teach your dog to do. One must count the risk when they allow their pets to do certain things.
If you have a pet that has a dangerous issue that you don’t have the time to correct, or the time to truly supervise, then the animal should be put down. It’s more then training it leadership and lifestyle.
I feel like Donna Groth when she stated that there are too many good dogs out there that need good homes. Aggressive dogs should be put down if they can’t be controlled. It is one of the hardest bad behaviors to keep under control. It needs strong leadership, training, counter-conditioning, and supervision. Like I said it’s a life style.
I find that a lot of people have problems with their pets because they don’t treat them as dogs, as animals. They seem to think they are little people in fur coats and that couldn’t be any farther from the truth. It boils down to lack of knowledge and responsible pet ownership.
I feel the difference between euthanizing a
poorly trained cat for prey instincts and a dog are quite different because one is a threat to humans (children, elderly,etc) the other is not. A cat will not attack unless cornered. It does not chase children down the street if loose, nipping at their heels. Cats do not travel in packs and they will strike (at a human) only enough to get away…should they knock the human over, they flee…they don’t stand there and continue biting them like a giant chew toy.
Sounds like I don’t like dogs…not so…..but I don’t believe people who cannot train the wildness out of the dog and cannot keep them confined should have them as pets. I could not keep a bobcat for a pet, no matter how wonderful he was when with me or my family…
One good thing is that many courts are getting harder on people with animals like this.
A friend of mine had a police dog (german shepherd). He was trained to attack. He was kind and sweet if the owner was around, but if not, he would attack ANYONE ….even started growling at the dad (owner) once when he was disciplining (scolding)his child. He held the child’s hand and was scolding him while the boy was screaming and trying to pull away. The dog must have thought the kid was being hurt, but it was the kid that was doing all the pulling ‘cos he didn’t want to be disciplined. (The guy was trying to teach the kid he HAD to stay at his side when they were outside…not run away (out of sight) or out into the streets,etc. because of the danger. They eventually were faced with the choice of having to move or get rid of the dog. They were paying something like $1000 a year extra on home insurance because of the dog and after the first nip the dog took at a non family member, no insurance would cover them.
It’s sad for the dog.
He was following his training….just as other animals that bite/attack are following their internal training (instinct) HOWEVER, if we cannot REtrain them, they are a danger to the neighborhood and should NOT be kept as pets.
The life of any animal lost to anything but natural causes is heartbreaking to me. Your response to this incident was wonderful. I believe that tragedies do happen sometimes that nothing could have prevented. However I have seen how pet owners do not make an effort to teach their animals what they need to learn. I have 1 17 year old Shih Tzu, 2 7 month old Shih Tzu and one 19 year old cat who has seen 5 dogs both little and big come and go and not one of them has ever tried to hurt her. I believe that she gets her 2 cents worth in early but I do not allow her to pick on the dogs nor the dogs to harrass her. Somehow it seems to me if you treat and teach your animals with love that how they behave. They are God’s most perfect creation, I believe they are never mean because they woke up one morning and decided to be. Something is wrong when a dog bites or a cat scratches and it usually has to do with a human. You are very good at what you do, Thank You…………Sharon
If that dog is so aggressive, I would consider if there was an underlying health issue like a thyroid problem. Especially with sudden behaviour changes and aggression I would check on that.
i have 5 dogs and 5 cats. One of my dogs (7 years old now) has killed a stray kitten 5 years ago, when i was not at home and once i caught her in action and managed to save the cat, the cat was severely wounded. She is a lovely dog and sleeps with my own cats, but stray cats in the garden…i couldn’t say she would never do it again. I will try my best to prevent this at any cost, but if all my doors are open and a strange cat is in my garden, if i miss the moment, it might be too late. She is always on a leash when walked and i do keep my eye on her and “punish” her in case she does chase a cat or even looks like she is going to. it has become less, but am not 100% sure she wouldn’t do it again. Would i put her down.. absolutely not. I do however think as dog and cat owner, that you have to take measures to minimize risk at all cost and indeed train your dog. If your dog is aggressive all the time then it is a different issue. I have a couple in our street with 2 of the most aggressive street dogs i have ever seen. The 2 of them have killed 24 cats. In that case the dogs should be either inside at night, or in a caged area where it is unlikely cats will enter. completely unresponsible owners
I also feel sorry for the cat and owner, but any cat allowed to run loose outside is in danger. I am a responsible dog owner who had a terrible experience when a cat was killed in my backyard a couple of years ago. I have an acre fenced in the back for my dogs. One evening, I sent them all out the doggy door to potty before bed. The next morning, there was a dead cat in the yard–he did not have any blood or even puncture wounds–may have been shaken. But, the cat climbed the fence and walked into my backyard in the night with my 4 dogs–2 were shar pei. The responsiblity falls on the person who owned the cat. I would not have considered euthanizing any of my dogs for killing a strange cat that climbed my fence in the night. Very saddened, but never blamed the dogs. I don’t let my dogs run loose. If all the dogs/cats in the neighborhood were confined, animals would be much safer. There have also been incidents of squirrels and even a Canadian goose killed in my backyard–I am saddened when this happens, but even wild animals that wander into an enclosure with dogs are at risk. But, a pack of dogs–however obedient–still have instincts that can trigger something when another animal intrudes on their area of containment. It is no different than a cat that kills mice, squirrels, and birds that come into their area.
This is a terrible thing to have to deal with on any level. What is happening here is primal behavior, plain and simple. There is a way to deal with it that is also very simple. But not necessarily easy. This is a case of DESENSITIZATION. The dog MUST be desensitized to cats and other animals on all levels. I have been doing rescues for over 30 years. I see this time and time again. One case that was particularly hard was the “recoil” after the attack. I worked at the local shelter here. A former schoolmate walked through the door in tears. Her beloved cat had been killed the night before by the neighbor’s dog, which happened to be a husky. When I asked for details, I was a bit surprised and angry to the answers I was getting. She had let the cat out to do his “nightly run”. ??!!?!?!?! As I was listening I was thinking to myself “are you completely out of your mind?” She chose to be an irresponsible pet owner. The cat was NOT neutered, she did not have a tie out restraint for him when he did go out, nor did he have tags in case someone found him roaming. To top it off she couldn’t not see any problem with leaving out to run all night. UN-NEUTERED. Not understanding how she was helping to keep me up to my neck in stray, ferrel, and unwanted explosive population of cat colonies in this area. And then she had the nerve to get aggressive with the reporting officer because he would not entertain the idea of any charges against the dog owner because the cat was killed in the dog’s yard. While I express my condolences about her tragic loss, I was not sympathetic about her behavior as a pet owner. I believe: cats should be kept inside. Some like to go outside, let them go. THEY MUST HAVE A TIE OUT CABLE OR ROPE JUST LIKE A DOG!!!!!! THEY CANNOT RUN LOOSE!!! I do not believe in putting a collar on a cat. Too dangerous. Sometimes kitties can be stupid and get themselves hanged. USE A HARNESS. Less chance of a hanging if they get caught somewhere they don’t belong. I DO NOT believe in de-clawing a cat for any reason whatsoever!!! It is their only defense. ESPECIALLY IF THEY GO OUTSIDE. If they are inside cats, you have their nails trimmed just like you would a dog. Vets and groomers will do this for you just like they would a dog. They make a special clippers tool just for cats. I use it myself. I currently have 7 cats inside that have claws and I don’t have shredded furniture. But they all have trimmed nails, too. A “Stream” squirt bottle is a wonderful tool while the cat is learning not to sharpen their claws on furniture. Or for teaching them to stay out of, off of, or away from things you deem necessary, such as the kitchen counter, the T.V., that high shelf with Great-Gramma’s antique clock she brought with her from the foreign land she was born in, etc… You must have a scratching post available to all cats. They have to sharpen. It is in their DNA as much as having to breathe. They can’t not do it. I also currently have 9 dogs in the “orphan house”. (Two of which are still pups. 8 mo. old, large-breed, Lab/Great Dane “throw-aways” because their previous owners didn’t spay and neuter the parents) here with the cats and all of them co-exist quite nicely. This would be because all of the dogs have been desensitized to the cats. They will be much easier to adopt out too. Dogs also have a DNA trait that must happen. They can’t not do it either UNLESS trained not to do it. This is the “Chase” factor. If you lived inside the mind of a dog, it is instinct to CHASE. It does not matter what breed the dog is, it is a DNA instinct. ALL DOG BREEDS ARE HUNTERS on some level. This is survival in the dog world. The DNA of thousands of years ago when all dogs hunted to survive is still alive and well and living in your dog. They can be trained not to chase. As listed above , punishment for bad behavior and praise for good behavior is the only way to retrain. Know what to do and what not to do. They need to understand that the Alpha (that would be you) does not find chasing other animals acceptable. If you wish to be a responsible pet owner, the FIRST thing you do is get the pet spayed or neutered. This is a must. It cuts the aggression by over half if not all, and their hearing improves 100% because they are no longer preoccupied with those thoughts of being elsewhere for reasons we shouldn’t need to address here. Not to mention the health reasons. Ask the expert that owns this blog. Educate yourself on your animal’s thinking. i.e. learn their language and then the training becomes real easy. It is not far off from teaching a child the difference between right and wrong. And the dog will learn faster than the child and the dog doesn’t talk back. Same concept, different language. We cannot expect a dog to learn our language because they are not wired with the same circuits as a human. We as humans are supposed to have a higher learning curve. Dogs don’t have that. The human is supposed to be smarter. That is why we must learn how to speak their language to teach them to understand us. Learn the language of the dog, cat (yes cats can be trained to do a lot of things) hamster, gerbil, G. pig, goldfish, whatever the pet is. Your frustration level goes down along with the animal’s frustration level and they are much happier pets because you will be a much happier owner. If you have cable, get to Animal Planet, they have plenty of informational shows on animal training, so does the library, so does the internet, so does the vet, so does the local shelter in your area. There is no excuse for bad behavior in pets anymore. Information is everywhere. You just need to go get it. I hope this helps anyone needing information as to what they should do. EDUCATE yourselves and then share that education with everyone you know that is a pet owner. They need it too. And they will probably thank you for it later. You will potentially save a pet’s life by educating owners on pet behavior. Especially children. If no one has taught them, they can’t teach their friends. Everyone needs some education in this area whether they are a pet owner or not. If not, they know someone who is an owner and probably needs to be educated. Be a more responsible owner, educate your friends and family, save a pet’s life, Pay It Forward for your sake and theirs.
Dogs can be trained with just a little time and energy. I watch Ceasar on ” The Dog Whisperer” and he trains the worse dogs to become wonderful pets. I know he has helped me in training my boston terriers quite a bit, just watching his show !!!
I don’t have much to say other than it was the owners’ fault on both sides. But a more pressing topic: My terrier just attacked my pet mouse. It is still alive, breathing normally, willing to drink and has a steady heartbeat. However, it is hunched over in the corner of the cage and is not moving much. I am convinced it is shock, because is cannot be a lung collapse, fractured bone or intestinal bleeding. My question is, would it help for me to stay up and hold it all night, or should I just leave it alone in its cage? I should mention that this is a tough mouse, having survived being neutered against the odds. Please advise!
I have a problem I have two Pappilons and recently adopted a stray cat At first they got along now the cat is going after the dogs and they are terrified I am starting to consider declawing the cat because she hurt one of the dogs in the face I dont want to hurt her but I am afraid she will really hurt the dogs What do I do
As my name says, I wish I weren’t here but am because I searched this topic after my cat was attacked in my front yard (right outside the door, actually) by the neighbor’s two dogs, a German shepherd and a terrier. Although I heard it and went immediately, they would not let go of my cat and were both working on him viciously and would not let go. My son threw a basketball at them and then came after them with a rake (I now wonder if they might have turned on him) and I got him inside – and spent the rest of the evening – and $300 – at the vet (and will do more of the same tomorrow). A number of the comments assume the cat is unwatched and out of its yard – this was not the case. I have never seen anything so vicious – and hope I never do again.
I have 2 dogs and 4 cats. My dogs and cats play nicely with each other. We used to take my one dog and a neighbor dog, with the neighbor on walks. Both dogs were not on leaches and I always told my girlfriend (who’s dogs they really are) that the dogs should be on a leash. Though if a cat wants out, I let them out..though from reading all the comments, I am sure I will get negative comments about hat, but on to my story… Most of the time my girlfriend would express to my neighbor her fear that their dog would attack our cats. It is a larger dog and when our neighbor first got it, would excuse its behavior as it doesn’t have brains yet. One day while my girlfriend was flying a kite in our backyard and our one cat was nearby, our neighbors dog attacked our cat. My one dog was outside too though my girlfriend clearly saw their dog attacking and our dog just circling around. Initially the neighbor offered to pay for the vet bills, but as soon as we returned and showed them the vet bills they decided that maybe it wasn’t their dogs fault. Needless to say we are no longer on neighborly terms with them and while I probably didn’t to the best job at explaining as I am sure I missed a lot of details, really goes to show that the owner of a dog is responsible for a dogs action.
I don’t under stand things like this but we’re dealing with crazy things like this. Ok to make a realy long story short,a week or so ago we went to Cleveland, Ga to take my little girl to baby land, my family has moved back in with my in-laws and they have 3 smaller dogs and about 5 or 6 inside cats and about 8 or 9 outside cats, and we have average size dog. So if you think about it, its alot of animals.. Well back to what happened, we went to baby land we were gone all morning and got home realy late. Well, when we came in the door we could not find the animals so we started looking and we found 4 of them in a smaller walk-in closet going crazy barking. We have no idea how long they were in there but they destroyed the closet, well as we got to cleaning up we found one of our and she was limp but alive we took her to the vet where she died. And then yesterday it almost happened again. We took this one the vet and he is ok. We have one female dog and she is just coming out of heat, none of these animals have ever been like this what could be causing this and how do we stop it?????
While I agree that the owner of the cat is responsible for the cat and the owner of the dog is responsible for the dog. I have (had) 5 cats and 2 dogs they all range in age from 1 year to 7 years, 2 cats are 1 year old 1 cat was 2.5 years old, one was 3.5 years old the dogs are 1.5 and 3.5 and another cat that is 7. Now all these animals have grown up together, they sleep together, they play together, they all eat in the same room on seperate sides of the room. Last week my 2.5 year old cat got hit by a car….ON MY PROPERTY. 4 days later my two dogs attacked my 3.5 year old cat and killed her….it was brutal if blood on the wall is any indication. Now I own all of these animals…there has NEVER been any aggression from any of my animals. They are all healthy and up to date on all vaccinations. All of the animals are spayed/neutered. My animals have never been exposed to “raw meat” or dead animals….so tell me why my dogs attacked my cat that they knew and loved?
This bothers me, why they don’t make a law that would protect some kind of animals to be safe and protected by others. and somehow the owner of that animal will take good care of it.
dog attack
My dog has grown up with cats his whole life, he’s 10 now. He knows the cats are off limits, he has never had aggression towards them until the last year. I don’t know what is going on… he just attacked on of my cats tonight. I don’t know what to do, I watch him, tell him no cat, I don’t even let him chase them. What makes a dog that has grown up all his life with cats turn around and attack them? and Now what do I do?? Get rid of the dog, put him down because now he is attacking the cats or do I get rid of the cats??
I have a very sweet dog. She likes everybody, and other dogs. She doesn’t like cats though. So you’re telling me that if my dog attacks a cat the right thing to do is put her to sleep? That is a little extreme. Like everyone else said, it’s an instinct for most dogs. And it is both owners responsibility to keep the animals contained. But, having an outdoor cat, you alwas have a risk that it’s going to get killed. And some dogs ACCIDENTALLY get out of the yard. Putting dogs to sleep for that is NOT necessay. it’s almost abuse! You can always go to training for your animals to get along. Like Cesar Millan the dog whisperer.
I think what you’re saying is mean. And people love theie animals, and wouldn’t kill them becuase they killed another animal!!
Come on people!!! Dogs have a natural instinct to go after other animals, cats included. If they actually get a hold of them, it can be bad. Just like you can’t get upset about a cat killing birds or mice; it’s what they do. And you’re a doctor? Don’t be naive.
i am 17 and i live with my dad just about 30 minutes ago our family dog of 3 years attacked one of our cats we have 3,he has never acted out before he is a pittbull but well behaved he loves our cats and has never been like this.But the past few days he has been acting kinda depressed and our cat Marley walked by his biscuit when he was eating it and he blew up and went after her my dad couldnt get him to quit she seems fine but im upset with the fact that our dog has never been like this before he has been weird like this for about 3 days now acting out when the cats even go by his food. our cat ran under the bed and hid when it all happend as the other 2 surrounded her and were cleaning her up our dog is now just sitting alone looking sad as if he knows what he did i just would like to no why he is acting this way and if we should be worried we love all our animals and raised all of them together they even sleep with the dog..so someone please let me no if you have heard of anything like this…our cat seems to be fine but has a limp when she walks.
It is true that dogs have the natural instinct to chase and bite which often will kill a smaller dog or cat. However this is not an excuse, these are cases of animal murder and if your dog kills another dog or cat, it is guilty no matter how natural or innocent the dogs instinct or intentions are.
Remind you that these are domesticated animals, all of their food is given to them, they don’t have to kill anymore. Thousands of years of temperament has “dulled” their prey drive. I believe being domesticated gets them out of the category where they can attack without punishment. These are supposed to be the higher class of animals, the civilized ones. A normal animal has to kill for food and fight for its very survival so a WILD animal attack is instinctual and normal.
Don’t try to deny the fact that both cats and dogs kill other animals for FUN. They aren’t hungry, they don’t have autopilot that makes them kill, its fun, they like it and will continue to do so until they are taught that it is not in their best interest to keep up that activity.
How you convince them killing is not the way is up to you, if you can’t then put the animal down as the doctor recommends before it harms anymore animals and their families.
There’s my two cents. I believe in the end the bottom line is just keep your cats and dogs on your own property or even inside your house if you live in an area with raccoons and other critters that might attack your pet.
Hi, we rescued a 6 month old pure-breed husky from a animal shelter some 12 months ago & she’s the softest, most lovable creature ever, we also have a 3 yr old Husky/Alsatian who’s the dominant one but as we’ve had her since a pup, she is well trained too. Our pure-breed is the worry though, as she always wants to chase cats, even when on lead she can smell them or see them miles away but my concern is, already she has chased & caught 2 cats who’ve come into our garden, she’s chased them from one end to the other, knocked them off the 4ft wall we have around our property as they’ve tried to escape & chased them, catching them both, the first one stood up & fought back but the last one was a little smaller & she had it pinned to the floor until I slapped my hands together, making her let go!
I got her & my Husky/Alsatian in the house & went to look at the cat, it wasn’t quite fully grown & it looked like it was badly injured, so I went inside to get some gloves, so I could pick it up, by the time I got back to it, it had gone, i couldn’t see where but I don’t think it will survive the attack!
Now I’ve told both my dogs off & have ignored them since the attack but can someone tell me how I can stop our husky from attacking cats & how do I stop them from coming into our garden, as that’s our dogs territory, so I can’t really find it in my heart to really blame them for protecting it against any other animal that wants to enter!! Any help would be appreciated thanks.
I have 3 dogs and 3 cats. outside mostly. 2 wooded fenced in acres. Recently the dogs attacked and killed 1 of the three cats. These animals were raised together. 3 years old. Left the body on the porch. I punished all three dogs because I didnt see who did it. No food for 24hrs and a good spanking after i took them over to the dead body. That was a week ago. Today my husband caught the Nuetured male dobie/rot mix with another cat in his mouth. This cat was here before they came to live with us. Grabbed him by the stomach. A few puncture marks, none deep and swelling on side of stomach. I hope there are not internal injuries. I called vet when I got home from work but closed. Will call tomorrow morning. Cat REALLY shook up!!! Husband said he lost one of his nine lives there. If my husband hadnt of seen it on his way out to work and yelled at the dog I am sure he would have killed him. I cant understand this behavior!!! Years have gone by and nothing like this ever happened. Why now? and so frequent. Husband is allergic to cats so I cant KEEP them in the house!!! CAt is in house now of course! Dog is loving, affectionate and submissive to us, but he is a guard dog. We live back in the boonies and my husband got him and his sister (spayed) to protect me when he is away. He is territorial with other undesirables such as wild hogs, armidillos, possoms, snakes and such. He doesnt just chase, he kills. Anything that gets through the fence, look out! My husband rewards him for this of course. But back to the point. All these animals grew up together. Years have gone by and never have they attacked the cats before. Chase…..yes. Harm….no. My choice is get rid of the cats(find homes for their own safety if I am lucky enough) or get rid of dog. My husbands favorite. I love them all!!!
I am having a real hard time dealing with an issue that happened this past week. My sister is fostering my 3 cats because i can no longer have them. She has had them for almost 4 years now so they are a part of her family now. Also in the house are 2 other cats and a dog. Then my neice decided to adopt a shelter dog that is a year old and was very well behaved. The other day my sister heard the cat crying and when she went to check on it, the rescue dog had the cat by the throat. My sister tried to pull the dog off the cat, but the dog wouldnt let go. Finally she grabbed a broom and hit the dog until it released the cat from his jaws. My niece took the dog back to the Humane Society that very moment while my sister rushed the cat to the vet. The cat was in extreme shock and it head was swollen twice the size it should be. However she did survive, but the shelter uthanized the dog. They had already had the dog for 6 months and was on the urgent adoption list so when this accident happened the only answere thay had was to put the dog down. I feel extreme quilt that i did not adopt the dog myself and give her another chance. Although i have small grandkids and was not comfortable witht he fact of the dog being around the children. I dont know if the Humane Society did the right thing or if im sure i did the right thing by not bringing the dog home with me. My neice was heartbroken because she was so proud of the dog and how well behaved it was. Who knows if this was just a one time accident or what even provoked the dog to attack, but im still not convinced that uthanization was the answere. Any one have any comments to make me feel like i made the right choice?
I work in a vet clinic, and over the weekend I actually saw my first cat attacked by dog case. It was gruesome. The cat ended up crashing right as we were putting it down. it was extremely sad.
But we have to understand, dogs. They all have a prey drive. No matter what we do they are going to have one. We can try to suppress that drive. A co worker has strict rules for her dog. Her dog knows he cannot touch the cats at all. It’s a prevention method. When she leaves the house, her dog gets crated. Prevention method. If we are going to have dogs, we have to understand their behavior and traits. It’s a horrible thing to see cats attacked and killed by dogs.
But putting a dog down just because it followed it’s instincts? It’s like saying “I want a dog, but as soon as it acts like one, It’s gone.”
If someone has cats, take responsibility. if you want your cat to be outdoors, accept the fact you are allowing your cat into a dangerous world where it can be hit by cars, abused by kids, and attacked by other dogs, or other cats for that matter.
If you have both in your home, realize you are having two opposite species in your home. They were not meant to be in the same pack. they have entirely different behaviors, and communication patterns.
If a dog has attacked a cat, put it in obedience classes. Do the work to ensure that it won’t happen again. or if you can’t emotionally handle that your dog attacked another animal, do the right thing, and find it a more suiting home.
my cat was recently attract by a dog while sitting on the front steps. The owner of the dog had a leash attached to the dog but didn’t not have the leash in his hand. the cat was just sitting there he is very friendly and not scared of any thing. At the time the “owner” said he would help with vet bills but now claims he is not the animals’ owner. Seeing how this dog is obviously vicious and lives in an apartment complex he should be put down. I’m sorry but a vicious dog is a vicious dog no matter how you put it. I will be taking this person to court. My cat has had to under go several surgeries to repair the damage that this dog has done. The other dogs in the neighborhood see my cat all the time and never bother him. I’m sorry but dogs shouldn’t be allowed to run wild and untrained through out the neighborhood. If owners don’t want to take responsibility for there animals then they shouldn’t have them. I completely agree with the vet on this. If your dog shows aggressive behavior you need to keep it on a leash and in your yard and a way form people and other animals.
Why should have to keep my cat inside he likes to sit out on the porch and enjoy the sun. There are plenty of products out there now where dogs can be kept inside 24/7. If you feel my cat should have to stay locked up all the time maybe should try it with your dog.
My cat was just attacked today. She was on my property, and the dogs entered my property, and squeezed under the partially opened garage door. They hunted my cat down, tore up my garage, cornered her, and proceeded to bite her, over and over, shaking her as dogs do with prey. My 89 year old mother witnessed the entire event. She went after the two dogs (pit bull and standard poodle)with a broom.They released my poor cat, surprisingly. She called me at work (I was in the middle of class, as I teach 2nd grade). She thought the kitty was dead. I rushed home (45 mins. away), and found the Animal Control Officer (my poor mom called them) getting ready to speak to my scum bag neighbors across the street. You see, I’ve had soooo many problems with these neighbors’ loose dogs for 10 years now. I’ve called “Animal Control” about these sleazy people repeatedly. My cat is at the emergency clinic at this very minute. She seems to be stable, thankfully. My out-of-pocket expenses thus far for just this attack? $1800.00~When can we say–enough is enough? I plan to pursue this legally. I will go to court, I will show the courts my documentation of every time I’ve called and made reports. I am so angry right now. Any suggestions?
I am a cat lover but it is unfair to euthanize a dog for doing something nature programmed him to do. Some dogs are just more territorial and they are convinced they have to guard their territory at any cost. Cats can kill other cats for the same reason.
Sunday, June 13th, my 95 lb., 3 1/2 year old shep mix suddenly attacked one of my cats that she grew up with. She slept with her and the other two. They all ate together. What provoked this attack? The dogs prey instinct. The cat went to pllay with one of it’s own toys, and the cats movements must have mimicked what prey would look like to my dog. All animals were indoors. Cats are indoor only and dog is only out if we’re with her. After two major surgeries in less than a week, my kitty is coming home tomorrow 🙂 You can’t blame this on the dog or the owner. It’s INSTINCT, which the dog, nor it’s owner, can control. My dog and cats are now permanently separated, because I don’t know if this will happen again, but I’m not willing to take that chance. I think more people need to learn the difference between INSTINCT and BEHAVIOR
We live on 80 acres but we allow our 7 year old border collies to come inside during the day/evening when we are home. They have always been the most behaved dogs but do intently watch and herd cattle and horses. They do chase outdoor cats, rabbits etc. It is natural for this breed. We have an indoor cat we have had 3 years. Yesterday, the dogs cornered her in our basement bathroom while I was upstairs showering and I found her lying flat, breathing very heavily, wet and very smelly. I found no external wounds. I don’t know if female cats give off a scent or if the smell is from her urinating and having bowel movement but it is very smelly.
She has been walking around very slowly today and stays in dark areas. She has not ate or drank anything since the incident. We did get her to go in the litter box once.
I am hopeful she is just sore, scared and in shock.
The dogs have been punished and are not allowed indoors. I was frustrated as they have been together for 3 years and this is her home and she shouldn’t have to worry about being harmed in her own home.
Sadly, I’ve been put in a similar situation just recently. My neighbor’s cat (a little “off the charts” in behavior) has been allowed outside. My Husky (whom I recently adopted as the 5th owner) who is barely 11 months old has been taunted by this cat. The neighbor’s employee saw the cat jump up on the fence, “sucker bat” my dog in the face (who would jump up to look for his friend, Kona) and run! Last week, I was outside with my dog and granddaughter to let him potty. I heard comotion behind the shed and immediately ran back. My dog had the neighbor’s cat by the midsection and was shaking her like a ragdoll – on my property. I immediately made him release and crated him. The cat hid and later came home. The wounds are horrific! The vet has warned the neighbors to warn me that I “need to watch the dog around my granddaughter”. Uh, DUH! I’ve only had this pup for 2 months. One of his previous owners garaged him for 5 months and the last “didn’t know he was going to get this big” – yes, he’s a registered Husky. I have now been “encouraged” to put him down.
This boy has responded extremely well to obedience training. He responds to both silent hand signals and voice commands, does not “pull” when walking. He has instincts to jump the fence however, I am outside with him because of his instinct as a Husky.
It would break my heart to give up on this very smart youngster because of abusive “parents” and “aggressive” personality. To me, that’s like giving up on an adopted or foster child because they aren’t angels.
My dog was IN HIS YARD. The cat was IN MY DOG’S YARD. What are we suppose to do beyond that?
Hi,
Ive never been a “softie” towards animals but the loss of my kitten this week has hit me really hard
My girlfriend and I adopted our first ever kitten 3 months ago at 8 weeks. She was our joy and had so much charachter. She was naughty and mishevious.
Anyway, at about 2am sunday morning we woke up as she was standing on my bed(she would normally sleep with us) giving her meow moans. I looked around as I though maybe she saw a rat or something. I turned and went back to sleep. I then woke up as she was carrying on but she was now in the bathroom. I got up and when I called her (Pancakes) another cat came bolting out the bathroom, I reacted by chasing the cat out, in the meantime Pancakes jumped out the bathroom in a fright.
She knows and never goes into the back garden as my dogs are there , 3 of them.My heart sunk when I hear the dogs get into a fight and I heard her bell jingle. I ran outside and threw my dogs off of her. The had cornered her. I grabbed her and ran inside and wrapped her up in a towel. She was very limp but still alive. I looked to see any bite marks or bleeding but couldn’t see anything. Her big eyes looked up at me and she reached out her paw and grabbed me and let out a soft “meow”. When I heard her breath I realised she might have a punctured lung. She tried to stand but would lie down, then switch sides. When she tried to crawl away from me and be by herself I realised she was dying. I didn’t know what to do, I phoned the vet and she told us to meet her.
As I grabbed my keys I held her and realised at that point that I was losing her. She slowly closed her eyes before she passed away. I drove to the vet anyway and she apologetically told me she was gone.
Everyone was heartbroken and in tears.My mother was in tears and my girlfriend. She really touched a lot of peoples lives in the short time she was with us.
The hardest part was having to hold her and have her watch me watch her die. I could feel her reaching for me for help and I couldn’t do anything about it.
My girlfriend feels if only she had listened to her and see what was wrong he wouldn’t have been scared and jumped out the window.
We were very careful with her and the dogs. We tried introducing her to them but she was resiliant to her, hence the reason she would not go near the back.
Only because a neighbors cat had climbed through our window did she jump out and into the back garden where the dogs were waiting.
Anyway, thats my story.
We will miss you Pancakes.
Hi, my kitty just died and it was because of my dog. He is really big so she never had a chance, but just thinking about the incident makes me feel guilty because I feel that I could have saved her. I feel horrible right now and that is why I’m trying to find a way to get my dog to like cats. I was looking for a home for the kitty because I knew my dog doesn’t like cats. I put fliers out but no one ever called to adopt the kitty.
I looked up “dog attack house cat” and found this blog. Unfortunately I am going through this personally and was looking for advise, but am appalled at some people’s careless attitudes. It is breaking my heart, but right now MY cat is in surgery because MY dog attacked it. I have the sweetest (usually) cattle dog mix that my husband I adopted 5 years ago. She was abused and has cigarette burns and scars on her. We worked with her for 6 months before she would even get close to my husband. Since then we have added two other rescues to the mix, which she plays with just fine. She has been a great dog for the past 5 years, but over the past year we have had to stop her from hurting our cat 4 times (who we had before she came into our lives). She has gotten more aggressive in the past year, and although I love her dearly, when you witness your own dog tearing apart your own cat, unprovoked, and in your house, there is little to do. She might be doing it because the abuse she had is causing behavioral problems now that she is about 10, or it might be just her wild animal instincts (as a rescue should could have been wild before the last owner abused her, I don’t know). She is 40 lbs and it took my 220 lb husband 5 minutes to get her off the cat as she was baring teeth trying to get it. There is an intense determined look she gets when she is in attack mode (opossums and frogs mostly). I have had dogs my whole life and I feel that this instinctual killing side of her is something that I cannot train out of her… not at the age of 10 with an unknown abusive past. Tomorrow I will be euthanizing her, because my husband and I would like to eventually have a child and we cannot guarantee that she would not hurt a kid nor our little Boston terrier or the cat when she gets home from surgery tomorrow.
Before you hate dogs for attacking and think owners are all careless, please consider that us responsible owners go through this also, even after having animals for years. My Daytona is a member of my family, but I just witnessed her maul my cat because I thought she never would hurt a fellow house pet. I will put her down because she might kill a neighbor’s cat or child. I will cry myself to sleep for nights because I am responsible and am trying to do the right thing for this usually happy, but abused dog.
I am having anxiety as I am writing this. I have 3 labrador retreivers (2 of them are rescues) 1 I have had since 16 mo and the other I have had for 1 year he is around 2yrs old. It is christmas and I am taking care of my brothers other 2 female labs. One which unfortunatly had her eye removed on Chrtistmas eve and is recovering at my home. All of the dogs get along and I have one cat. He is a good boy and the dogs usually leave him alone. However last night the cat ran through the house and all of the dogs chased and cornered him. I was upstairs when this happened and I ran down stairs to find them packed up around him. I immediatly yelled and removed2 of the dogs and the others backed off. The cat was traumatized I picked him up and gave him a quick check over he ran under the bed and would not come out. My husband pulled him out and checked him again and it looked like he was shaken and there was 1 tooth mark and slobber all over him. He ran under our Jacuzzi and he has not come out. He is limping but using all of his legs. We believe he has bruising on his hind end. I called the vet and she said that cats are resiliant and if he has spinal problems he would have problems with his legs. She stated he most likly has superficial injuries (bruising pulled mussels). I am worried sick and I moved his food and litter into the ensuite with a pillow and closed the door to provide a safe place. I checked in on him this AM and he was in a crouching position looking at me but does not want to come out.
What am I suppose to do? Will he come out? Will he get over this trauma? How do I help him adjust? I never leave the dogs in the house when we are not home. They are also separated at night when we are sleeping. My brothers dogs are going home this weekend. So things will get back to normal. Any ideas? How can I help the cat recover?
Hi i just got a knew dog from the dogs home they didn’t tell me that she didn’t like cats and yesterday she attack my cat she didn’t puncture he’s skin but he’s got a few bruises i don’t know what to do i don’t know whether to get rid of her because i love her to bits shes great with people but not other animals but I’m scared that she’ll attack him again and that next time she’ll kill him please give me some advice.
My cats have always been allowed outdoors, but they have always been kept in my own yard on leashes and harnesses, and I have always stayed outside with them. A few days ago, my next-door neighbor was walking her monster-sized dog past my house, when it suddenly broke free from her “control” and went after my two youngest cats. If it wasn’t for my biggest and oldest cat’s lightning-fast run to their rescue, claws whirling, the dog would have killed my youngsters. As it was, my old cat distracted the dog just long enough for its owner to get hold of it again. She of course insisted that her beast was “just playing.” Yeah. Right.
Now I’m afraid to ever let my cats out in their own yard again, knowing there’s a dog with killer instincts next door. The favorite time of day for me and my cats has been permanently ruined. I could fence in an area of the yard to help protect them, but this giant dog can jump the five-foot fence around his own yard. All I can say is if one my cats ever gets out of the house accidentally, and this dog hurts it, this dog WILL be euthanized. One way or another.
My dog was brutally attacked by the neighbor’s cat. The cat was in our yard on the back porch and the dog saw it and went to chase it off of our property but the cat just sat there and sliced a foot long laseration on his belly and groin area that required internal stitches and staples. Cat owners just let their cats roam free and I don’t think that is right. If my dog pooped on my neighbors yard then I would have to clean it up or be liable to pay a fine but their cat can come poop on my porch with no concequence. This was a thousand dollar emergency room visit for my dog and the payment was due that day. The sword cuts both ways on this subject and cats are not the only victims of attacks.
I sadly have a story very similar to this. I have three cats and my neighbours next door have 2 dogs. One of their dogs has been known to be aggressive with other animals and has attacked my cats over 5 times over the past 2 years, chasing one away who never returned (I since got another one) and causing another one to require stitches. It had even run into my home, grabbed one of my cats by the next and shook it violently outside…she luckily escaped and came back a day later. Sadly, just yesterday, the dog got ahold of my black cat when it had gotten outside and killed it by breaking its neck.
I am obviously very upset at the owners since they have been told countless times to keep their dogs, especially the violent one away from my property. It is cases like these where people must ponder “what if this was my pet”.
The truth is that there is really no excuse for a dog to be attacking another animal. Dogs like that should not be owned by anyone and should be put down, no question about it.
In the original story, let us consider the cat to be a small child who was running away from the dog in fear. The dog gave chase to the child and inflicted such severe wounds that his/her parents were forced to make that gut-wrenching decision. What then, do all of you people think should happen to the dog that attacked the child? The answer is obvious…
Pet’s and humans should be treated alike. They live with us, they are our companions and it is our duty to protect them to the best of our ability. If a dog were to kill a human, there is no question that 100% of you would agree that it should be put down.
I just recently moved into a house. I started letting my cats outside in our well fenced yard. unforunatley the gate was somehow left open and my 4 year old cat was attacked by 2 dogs. Out of 4 dogs that the neighbors neglectfully let loose out of thier yard. The attack happened on MY PROPERTY! That is down the road. So how should I not blame the dogs & thier owners. Ive seen those dogs countless times running up and down the street nabbing pets like, puppies, kittens & rabbits back to thier property and basically ripping them apart alive. Those are peoples pets!! Who are wondering what happened to them!! My cat got lucky cause we heard the dogs barking in our yard and ran out and saved her from getting hurt worse. She ended up with a fractured leg and a dislocated foot. So she got lucky!! Im also blessed to have my neighbor because im friends with there daughter, paying for all the vet bills. Its a very stressful situation. Im so sad to hear that this cat was not as lucky as mine. It breaks my heart. I dont think the dogs should be put down but I think they really need to get control of them and if they cant… well they will be hearing alot of complaints from me with the police & local humane society after these vet visits are all said n done with. I shouldnt have to live in fear of a pack of 4 crazy dogs runnin a muck killing pets in my own neighborhood.
We have just experienced a tragedy greater than most written here. We own 2 dogs and 2 cats. One dog husky and the other English lab. We’ve had the husky for 6 yeas and the cats for less than 2 yrs. The Lab is one year old. My cats and dogs have always gotten along. No sign of aggression. In fact my yellow cat and husky even sleep together and seem affectionate. The dogs are known to all to be gentile and sweet. The cats are inside cats. The dogs are either inside, leashed, or walked. For about half an hour a day the get to run around free inside our gated yard. During this time the 2 dogs chase each other and run around with high adrenaline. So as far as the comments made about these things happen to unresponsible owners I would disagree as I consider myself a responsible owner who has not had any problems with the animals before. Two days ago my yellow cat got out accidently (only happened once before in two years). And it happened that we were not aware and my little girl let dogs off their leash for the usual run. After about 20 min I look outside and see our dogs over what seems to be something raggedy/ floppy. Could not make out what it was. I realized after a few seconds and to my dismay that it was my yellow cat. I especially saw the husky biting the cat and flipping limp body in the air. The lab was excitedly baking and right there too but not sure how much involvement in the attack he had except being in the “pack mentality” and contributing to the chase”. My husky had about 10 to 15 scratches all over his face (the lab did not) indicating husky must have done most of the attacking. Anyway we took the cat to the vet. Several puncture wounds. They helped cat out of going into shock (organs shutting down) however went from bad to worse with seizures and fluid coming out of nose…. Stopped breathing … They brought her respiration back. Then Heart rate kept dipping to 5 beats per minute. Finally vet thought best to euthanize because cat wasn’t going to make it. Not only did We lose a sweet loving cat tragectly but my own dogs who knew the cat and get along with the cat did the attacks! The stories above seem to have experiences with cats that are not in the household. This is much worse. I feel that I have lost 3 pets in one. I don’t feel Ike I want my dogs anymore. Before this incident I felt I had the best dogs ever. Loving to family… Wouldn’t hurt a fly…. Etc. I come to this site for help. I don’t know what to do. I am very sad.
Last Wednesday, my cat of 15 years was attacked and left paralyzed and wounded by my neighbor’s black lab. I had to have her euthanized on Friday. I am heartbroken. The dog busted out of my neighbors yard to get at my cat. This is the second cat the dog has attacked. Last one was a stray who died shortly after the attack. I feel like the dog should be put down. I have a huge vet bill and no cat. I am an animal lover. I have had three black labs in the past 40 years and they NEVER showed any aggression towards another animal. This cat has been around dogs her whole life, they slept together, played together. So when you all blame it on the irresponsible owners, you are wrong. I am responsible. Perhaps my neighbor is the irresponsible one because she is delusional thinking this behavior is okay (an accident she called it) Baloney, I say. If it happens again, I am calling animal control and demanding the dog be put down.
I think ALL the people out here– calling themselves “animal-lovers” and “cat-lovers”, while possessing a dog– and speaking here against putting-down a killer dog which has BUTCHERED and cruelly killed a feline cat (and that is the word; BUTCHERED, no other word correctly conveys the cruelty of the killer-dogs’ acts)– are nothing short of HYPOCRITES!!!
These hypocrites, clearly BIASED TOWARDS THEIR OWN KILLER DOGS, are all so merciful and so-very-emotional about euthanasia done to murderous dogs– when it comes to the dogs, their own or others–
and what about addressing the cruelty and outright MURDER done by the killer-dogs???! WHAT ABOUT THE SHEER TERROR AND FEAR (not even talking about the unbearable PHYSICAL pain the cat suffers at the mouth of these murderous and dastard killer dogs!) THE CAT FEELS AND EXPERIENCES BEFORE THE KILLER DOG HAS KILLER HER/HIM?– WHAT ABOUT THAT???!!! Where’s the sensitivity of these hypocrite dog-owners and “so-calling-themselves animal-lovers” when it comes to thinking about WHAT a feline cat has to bear before she/he is killed brutally and so-cruelly by MURDEROUS DOGS and their insensitive and stupid and SELFISH OWNERS???!!!
I don’t care what others here think of me; I think a dog which kills a cat is NEVER-NEVER-NEVER justified. A cat kills a mouse and eats it. Heck, every animal kills another to EAT it. Why the heck do these murderous dogs kill cats anyways since they DON’T EAT THEM???
I think that not only do dogs who have killed should be euthanized, effective immediately after attacking a poor, defenseless cat– in fact these same dogs should be killed in the same cruel and murderous manner in which these dogs killed the cats. Tit for tat. Maybe that will “open up” some sensitivity towards others and others’ pets, in the hypocrite dog-owners and let them RECOGNIZE the EVIL and MURDEROUS tenancies in their own dogs.
A DOG IS MAN’S BEST FRIEND??? Yeah, cause a dog is a murderer and a hypocrite JUST like the man is… Maybe, that’s why they’re man’s “best friend”.
Also, I wish– I really wish this– that a dog-owner who sees their own dog BUTCHERING a cat– and is still against the euthanasia towards their killer dogs as a result of that– should be bitten themselves by their own killer dogs– so that they can ‘get an idea’ of what the poor cat their dog had butchered went through at the hands and jaws of their murderous dogs!!!
Hi, my friend’s cat was brutally attacked by a German Shepherd another friend brought from a rescue to see if he was “cat friendly”. left the Bengal young cat with a first vertebrae separation. He is now in a body cast and it has been one and half weeks. My friend and son are feed him wet cat food and taking him out and hoping a miracle will make him better. anybody ever have this experience. thank you. Sheila
My cat, Sassi, was attacked yesterday by my neighbor’s dog. She was in my yard and when spotted by the dog, she began running so the dog chased her. The dog attacked her for about a minute before I stepped in and grabbed my cat. I was horrified!! My neighbor couldn’t control her dog because the dog is too large & my neighbor has a bad back. My cat was so afraid that she peed on herself! She is visibly disturbed and has been under the bed ALL DAY LONG. She doesn’t seem to be harmed physically but she is not the same! How long does this last? She is so withdrawn now.
I know this is a post late into the game, but found this site while doing some research after my nxt door neighbor’s dog tried to kill me (once again) through the wall between our back yards. I say kill, because this dog IS a killer..I’ve heard the kids brag about how their dog killed something in their yard & how cool it was to see the blood all over the place. Really? I also know for a FACT they have trained their dog to pull cats (mine) off the wall. Isn’t it enough for them to just keep the cats out of the yard? The fence(wall) is Switzerland…neutral territory..I know my cats don’t go in their yards..I am vigilent & diligent…My cats are indoor/outdoor rescued from the outdoor, cats. Cats are natural out-door inhabitors..regardless of what you idiot cat-haters think. Cats are cats..You have birds crap in your yards..you have dogs hiking their legs on your cars..big deal..oh yeah, and I have dog dung in my yard constantly & I’m not trying to shoot them (altho, legally I can carry a gun)..I’m not trying to poison them, beat them…but they DO it..of course, so do the coyotes, the bunnies…the hawks, owls…and no, I don’t live in the woods!
I know this dog is going to do something terrible as I have seen & heard how they train him/her. I also know how the dog drags the two lovely children down the street when it wants to..and has!
To say the least, if I hear this neighbor woman and/or her kids sic that damnable dog on me, my cats, or anything else, I am going to have them prosecuted for all I’m worth..or them..because my cats never killed a damned thing, but their dog has & will continue now more than ever.
It is not the dogs fault about what happened, and i dont believe that euthanization should be used unless in dire situations. Dogs continue to get put down for faults of their owners if a dog is properly raised and cared for and restricted to there yard then there wouldnt be hardly any problems like this, the owners that raise there dogs to be vicious or cruel and treat them badly should be the ones punished not the animal, my point is when you take on the responsibility of a pet then you should treat them like your family you wouldnt let a 5 year old kid outside your house and not check on them and make sure they stay in the yard etc. I just wish people would take better care of there animals and realize if they arent willing to care for them 100% they shouldnt have a pet in the first place.
I have been feeding 3 cats for 4 years in a row. They were stray cats. Two of them died because of dog attacks, and I continued to give food to the third one for almost after half year. Today after I fed her for the last time, I saw her being bitten by 5 dogs, and i run to save her, but i couldnt. I went out to check for her, but her colon was out of her body. HORRIFIC. I went home cried like a little kid for 3 hours., and then I decided to put some food beside her for respects.
Any dog who attacks a cat must be put down. No excuse. No exception. I do not understand why people always justify dogs and people hate cats. Cat owners usually love dogs, but dog owners hate cats and they even rejoice when a dog kills a cat. I would absolutely kill a dog attacking a cat. A dog attacking a cat is a dog attacking a child. Period. So, it is stupid to say “it’s nature”. Well, if it’s nature, it is nature when a dog kills a child (even though a lot of times children torture and provoke dogs”. So, in other word, there are many, many crazy dog owners who instigate their dogs to kill cats. I would kill a dog immediately if I witnessed a dog killing a cat
sadness
Animals kill that’s life, dogs kill instinctively, cats also. In many cases cats are wiping out native bird species around the globe. In fact many of the natural instincts of cats and dogs are desired intentionally for human entertainment. The prey instinct of cats are used to bring humans entertainment while their cats cased a laser pointer to bats at a feather toy. The territorial instincts of a dog are desired for protecting the home or business. The only thing I see here is unrealistic and irrational people going at each other over nature. The worst is the “my cat/dog doesn’t kill, it most assuredly does and your simply being intentionally obtuse.
Mankind has placed arbitrary moral standards upon ourselves about using our instinctual desire to use violence but those standards are man made not natural. Even then there are countless loopholes (war, self defense, policing, etc) and the system is far from perfect so violence is quite common among people as it is among all animals. So yes while society has laws animals don’t obey or give heed to them they exist in their natural order and act out of their evolutionary instincts without concern for human morality. Even us humans give little heed to the law when it’s not convenient for us we just make up justifications for our actions. So any moral argument either way is a hypocritical waste of time and oxygen.
The problem here is the enslavement of animals for human companionship if we’re going to be honest. If you want a companion find a person and become their friend. If you want a child, adopt, foster, and/or procreate. Don’t use an animal as a proxy for either and don’t be shocked when an animal acts like their natural instincts dictate them to act as they’re supposed to act.
There is no amount of training that can’t make an animal stop being what it is instinctively capable and willing to do. All it can do is possibly mitigate the chances of the natural instincts being expressed.
I’m sure no veterinarian will say this because they make their living on the enslavement of animals for human entertainment and companionship. No pets means most veterinarians have no occupation anymore.
The fact still stands though that a dog is a dog it’s an animal. It’s not vicious it’s not dangerous it’s a dog. As nature evolved it as a wolf until mankind began selectively breeding them into canines for work at first and later for human entertainment and companionship.
As far as euthanasia goes in this situation the owner has the legal and moral right to terminate the life of its property as dictated by the laws of their state and locality. Should it happen? Who really knows, but I do know all this petty dog v cat nonsense is silly.
Animals are not moral creatures, nor are human beings if we are going to be honest, so stop trying to apply a human social construct like morality to animals that do not have the ability or desire to comprehend let alone capacity to live by human morality. We can’t even live by our own moral standards yet we expect other animals to do so? SMH