Tragic situation involving a neighbour's cat

Commotion Ocean · 03-11-2016 09:56PM #1

Firstly, I'd like to apologise for posting this in AH, I'd have posted in in Animals and Pets forum, but the content of this thread might strike a nerve with the community on that forum, so for that reason I'll park this thread here if that's OK. I might expect some more reasoned discourse here too.

My friend's alsatian killed a cat that ventured into her garden. Here's the background story.

A neighbour of a friend of mine has a few cats and my friend has a three-year-old alsatian. The cats would frequently pass through the garden (which my friend never minded about), but the alsatian was bothered with it and would often chase the cat away, the cats always got away on time.

However, her dad installed new overhanging trellises in the garden throughout the whole perimeter with flower boxes all around, (a bit like the one in the picture I've attached). No one in the house ever thought that it could impede the passage of the neighbourhood cats through the garden (they probably should have). The surface of the trellis is completely covered in.

We opened the door to let Lucy (the dog) out to pee, and walked towards the front of the house and suddenly heard screams like a banshee (presumably coming from the screeching cat) and barking noises.

We ran out and forced Lucy away from the cat, unfortunately, the poor thing passed away through the process. It obviously jumped into the garden and couldn't get out because of the trellises and the poor creature was cornered.

Such an awful death for the poor creature. I really feel sorry for the cat. However, the neighbour is trying to blame my friend and her family that the dog should have been more controlled and supervised when in the garden.

I realise that the dog has killed another creature and my friend is worried sick that the dog may have to be put to sleep. Her neighbour is adamant that she wants this and my friend is gutted that her dog and companion may have to go.
Does anyone have any experience with this kind of situation? The situation is very, very sad. Please try to be civil here discussing this.

It happened yesterday.

Thanks for reading folks.

beertons · 03-11-2016 09:57PM

I smell pussy.

emo72 · 03-11-2016 10:00PM

Your dog in your garden. If a random animal wanders in, there's not much you can do. Upsetting yes I agree.

tomwaterford · 03-11-2016 10:01PM

Tell the neighbour to fck off.....it happened in there garden where the cat shouldn't be

Maybe buy them a new cat to keep them chill??

Stigura · 03-11-2016 10:02PM

dfeo wrote: »

My friend's alsatian killed a cat that ventured into her garden. Here's the background story.

No. The 'story' ended there.

Cat allowed out to do as it likey. Trespasses into private land and comes unstuck. Period.
I mean, my god, how they'll wail and moan now. " It's their nature ", etc. etc. ad nauseum.

Dog's fine. Forget it. Let the neighbour construct a cat enclosure.

andekwarhola · 03-11-2016 10:02PM

It's awful but it happens. Have cats myself. Nothing will happen to the dog obviously, just following its nature (for some dogs). Probably should talk to the owner of the cat though.

Commotion Ocean · 03-11-2016 10:03PM

Surreptitious wrote: »

They are to blame, if the dog is killing cats. Especially if it happened before it shows the dog isn't trained or kept in a suitable environment preventing it from killing other animals.

Hi Surreptitious, it didn't happen before, the dog would normally shoo the cat from the garden as most dogs would, she's a big softie with human visitors.

893bet · 03-11-2016 10:03PM

Tell neighbour get ****ed and keep her cats under control if she is worried for their welfare.

Xcellor · 03-11-2016 10:03PM

Neighbour is upset understandably. It's nonsense to punish the dog for reacting in this way though. It's what dogs do. Like cats catch birds. Like birds catch worms. It's nature.

If you owned a bird and it flew into neighbours garden and was caught by her cat would it be reasonable to ask to have the cat destroyed. No.

SEPT 23 1989 · 03-11-2016 10:05PM

A cat would easily get up that fence

Dyr · 03-11-2016 10:06PM

Tell neighbor to f**k off.

Story ends

Commotion Ocean · 03-11-2016 10:09PM

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

A cat would easily get up that fence

Sep23, it's LIKE it but not the same. It's the most similar one I could find. Like I said, I can only assume that the cat became trapped. The trellis protrudes out 50cm or so, so when the cat claws up the fence, it'll be stopped by the trellis and the trellis is too high for the cat to reach without a middle ground.

Dingle_berry · 03-11-2016 10:14PM

I'm sure that before this incidident everyone thought the dog would never have hurt a cat, it was only the fun of the chase. What if next time it's someone else's dog that strays across the Alsatian? Or a person?
Part of owning an animal is being responsible for what it does. If your dog craps, pick it up. If your cat straying upsets your neighbours take measures to deter it and apologise. If you own an animal with the potential to cause harm be damm sure that you can control it.
The dog was only following its instincts the same as the cat was. Both owners are at fault.

hannible the cannible · 03-11-2016 10:19PM

Dingle_berry wrote: »

I'm sure that before this incidident everyone thought the dog would never have hurt a cat, it was only the fun of the chase. What if next time it's someone else's dog that strays across the Alsatian? Or a person?
Part of owning an animal is being responsible for what it does. If your dog craps, pick it up. If your cat straying upsets your neighbours take measures to deter it and apologise. If you own an animal with the potential to cause harm be damm sure that you can control it.
The dog was only following its instincts the same as the cat was. Both owners are at fault.

Wrong

suicide_circus · 03-11-2016 10:19PM

when the neighbour calms down they'll probably see this for what it is; nature taking its course.

muddypaws · 03-11-2016 10:20PM

You'll probably actually get a more reasoned discussion in API.

As a dog and cat owner, unfortunately the majority of dogs would kill a cat if they had the chance, a cat that they didn't know, in their territory especially. It is incredibly upsetting for the owners of both animals, but I doubt very much that the cat has never killed another animal, a bird, mouse etc. Nobody screams for the cat to be put to be sleep when that happens.

Legally, I don't think the cat owners can do anything, dogs have to have licences, cats don't, they are viewed as vermin, and really have no legal rights.

The dog is a restricted breed, but was on private land, so that legislation doesn't apply. I would suggest that your friend gets a dog licence and ensures the dog is chipped, if not already done, in case the dog warden does call.

degsie · 03-11-2016 10:22PM

Hope the dog is ok.

heroics · 03-11-2016 10:22PM

Dingle_berry wrote: »

I'm sure that before this incidident everyone thought the dog would never have hurt a cat, it was only the fun of the chase. What if next time it's someone else's dog that strays across the Alsatian? Or a person?
Part of owning an animal is being responsible for what it does. If your dog craps, pick it up. If your cat straying upsets your neighbours take measures to deter it and apologise. If you own an animal with the potential to cause harm be damm sure that you can control it.
The dog was only following its instincts the same as the cat was. Both owners are at fault.

Nonsense. We have had dogs and cats over the years that caught mice rabbits birds rats etc. I'm fairly sure some of the dogs would have killed a cat if they could get it. Never any problems with kids or adults around any of the dogs.

The dog was in the owners closed back garden. If the owner of the cat was so worried about it they shouldn't have let it roam the neighbourhood. Nothing will happen to the dog or the owner. It's just nature

P_1 · 03-11-2016 10:22PM

At the end of the day it was a cat and not a child, it happened on private property and not on public land. In short, the neighbour wouldn't have any legal right to expect the dog to be put down.

FortySeven · 03-11-2016 10:23PM

hannible the cannible wrote: »

Wrong

Seconded.

Cats are fair game to a dog if they impede on their territory. 99% of the time the cat will win. This is the 1%. It happens. Dog was in a controlled environment on owners property. End of.

strandroad · 03-11-2016 10:28PM

FortySeven wrote: »

Seconded.

Cats are fair game to a dog if they impede on their territory. 99% of the time the cat will win. This is the 1%. It happens. Dog was in a controlled environment on owners property. End of.

I agree as well, and I own or owned both dogs and cats. Dogs will try to attack cats given the opportunity, and this particular cat clearly wandered onto this particular dog's territory. That trellis is nothing for an adult cat to climb on BTW, I've seen cats scaling bigger overhanging structures.

It would be different if your friend's dog attacked the cat on the road, mind.

StanleyOllie · 03-11-2016 10:32PM

Dog was only doing what comes naturally. Dog was on private property. Cat was let out at owners risk. If cat killed mouse or rat would they have wanted to have cat put down. Yes its sad for owner but the dog wont have to be destroyed.

Aurum · 03-11-2016 10:39PM

A dog owner is only liable for damage done by their dog to another person, or to livestock (which doesn’t include cats). There is the possibility that the cat owner could petition the District Court to have the dog classified as a “dangerous dog”, and then put to sleep, but on those grounds it’s highly unlikely they’d succeed. Tell your friend not to capitulate, if this is the only violent act it has ever committed there is no reason for it to be put down.

Aineoil · 03-11-2016 10:40PM

I agree with all muddy paws has to say.

Make sure your friend has a licence for his/her dog. Here's a link.

http://www.anpost.ie/AnPost/MainContent/Personal+Customers/More+from+An+Post/Dog+Licence/dog_licence.htm

Getting the dog chipped is excellent advice too, maybe the dog is already.

This is a very upsetting for both pet owners.

FISMA. · 03-11-2016 10:42PM

dfeo wrote: »

We ran out and forced Lucy away from the cat, unfortunately, the poor thing passed away through the process. It obviously jumped into the garden and couldn't get out because of the trellises and the poor creature was cornered.

Next time, peg it in to the ditch and let on nothing.

Then give the dag a treat.

Commotion Ocean · 03-11-2016 10:44PM

Hi everyone, thanks for the replies so far. The dog is chipped and there is a valid license for her. She isn't a pure German Shepherd, by the way, she's GS with God-knows-what and she's from the shelter.

pwurple · 03-11-2016 10:45PM

Tha uncontrolled wandering cat had probably clobbered all the native wildlife in a decent radius, and the owner is throwing a wobbler about a dog contained in a back garden?

Your friend should do absolutely nothing. No action required here.

Aineoil · 03-11-2016 10:54PM

dfeo wrote: »

Hi everyone, thanks for the replies so far. The dog is chipped and there is a valid license for her. She isn't a pure German Shepherd, by the way, she's GS with God-knows-what and she's from the shelter.

Thanks for that feedback. I don't think your friend has anything to worry about.

Aineoil · 03-11-2016 10:55PM

pwurple wrote: »

Tha uncontrolled wandering cat had probably clobbered all the native wildlife in a decent radius, and the owner is throwing a wobbler about a dog contained in a back garden?

Your friend should do absolutely nothing. No action required here.

Totally agree.

AgileMyth · 03-11-2016 10:55PM

The dog should be controlled at all times. But the cat can wander around into anyone's garden. Bit of a double standard. Tell her to get ****ed.

Alsatian is a stupid made up word. Its a German Shepherd.

SeanieMon · 03-11-2016 10:59PM

It's nature, what does the neighbor expect? Some dogs may kill cats, it's tragic but it's reality... The neighbor really needs to get a grip. There are people walking the streets who have murdered other human beings, yet someone wants to put a dog down for it's natural, instinctive compulsion... Might sound an extreme analogy, but the doggy lives in my opinion. Long live the dog!

Tragic situation involving a neighbour's cat

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