Neighbors' dogs attacked our cat. Are we being too harsh?

[Scurvy]

I have a problem with the bolded part of this response. My beagle is an escape artist and loves to chase the neighborhood cats...never hurt them, just chase for the fun of it. I endured a few passionate calls from my neighbors, and put a lot of effort into containing him, finally succeeding.

My problem is, the neighbor's cats roam free, generally in MY yard. They do their business in the sandy part of my driveway (as evidenced by the little piles of sand each morning), and sleep on my porch furniture and on my vehicles. So now my kids can't go out in the yard barefooted, I have to sweep the hair of off my porch furniture before sitting on it and I have to wash the cat tracks off of our vehicles and hope the paint isn't scratched.

The neighbors were incensed when our beagle chased their cats, but have no problems with their sweet little babies doing their thing on my property. I normally try to keep the peace with my neighbors, but these cats are getting on my last nerve.

You should shoot them.

. . . with a water gun, of course. Make your property unpleasant for them, and they will learn to stay away. Get a good water gun and hit them when they enter your yard. Or better yet get a motion-activated sprinkler, or one of those sprays that is supposed to keep cats away. Put double sided tape across the furniture for a while - cats hate that. None of those things will actually hurt the cats, but they will annoy them. It's a hassle and you shouldn't have to deal with it, but there are lots of ways to dissuade the cats from hanging out in your yard.

 

[luvmy3]

I have a problem with the bolded part of this response. My beagle is an escape artist and loves to chase the neighborhood cats...never hurt them, just chase for the fun of it. I endured a few passionate calls from my neighbors, and put a lot of effort into containing him, finally succeeding.

My problem is, the neighbor's cats roam free, generally in MY yard. They do their business in the sandy part of my driveway (as evidenced by the little piles of sand each morning), and sleep on my porch furniture and on my vehicles. So now my kids can't go out in the yard barefooted, I have to sweep the hair of off my porch furniture before sitting on it and I have to wash the cat tracks off of our vehicles and hope the paint isn't scratched.

The neighbors were incensed when our beagle chased their cats, but have no problems with their sweet little babies doing their thing on my property. I normally try to keep the peace with my neighbors, but these cats are getting on my last nerve.

I know exactly what you mean, I have a male cat that has become smitten with one of my indoor females and likes to show off his junk in my front garden. He rolls through all my mulch, and has dug some of it up to get to the sandy dirt underneath to use as his litterbox. She sits in the window all puffed up, meowing and breathing heavy, and sometimes banging herself on the window. Unfortunately there is no leash law for cats here so it is my responsibilty to keep him away so that he doesn't do any real damage If I only had a dog

 

[Mermaid02]

I know exactly what you mean, I have a male cat that has become smitten with one of my indoor females and likes to show off his junk in my front garden. He rolls through all my mulch, and has dug some of it up to get to the sandy dirt underneath to use as his litterbox. She sits in the window all puffed up, meowing and breathing heavy, and sometimes banging herself on the window. Unfortunately there is no leash law for cats here so it is my responsibilty to keep him away so that he doesn't do any real damage If I only had a dog

Get a have a heart trap.

 

[FergieTCat]

Since everyone seems to focus on the fence I have another question just to get opinions.

A few years ago my Dog was in his area (He had this cool little alcove that was always shaded since there were woods behind the house. He had a nice long leash but was still confined to our property.

One day another dog from down the street and my dog got in a fight. Being tied up and less mobile my dog lost and had a nice chunk of flesh taken out of his hind leg.

Would you consider the other dog owner liable? Note my house was NOT fenced in but the dog was on our property and leashed. There is and was a dog leash law.

Since everyone seems to care about the breed the other dog looked like a black lab but may have been a mix... ours was at least part Husky but I don't know what else, so both were good size dogs and around the same size.

If the dog came onto your property and attacked your dog, yes, I'd consider his owners liable.

I would be furious if my cat was attacked on my property. There is no excuse for NOT controlling your pet, dog, cat or otherwise.

 

[maxiesmom]

I would ask them to pay 1/2 of the bill. In your original post you mention that the dogs have been agressive to people before. They need a wakeup call. BUt since you really dont know if your cat went over on their property first, I would truly just ask for 1/2. If they own the property, i would think that homeowners would pay for it...I know a question ins companies ask us is if we have pits...The premium increases if we do. GOod luck whatever you decide...

I agree! And I really think you should either leash or put up invisible fencing for your cat. They shouldn't be out roaming around unleashed or unsupervised. That is a sure way for a cat to find trouble.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

First of all, I think you are definitely right to be asking for reimbursement of the vet bill. Had the owner's dogs not been out, you wouldn't have said bill.


I think the huge difference between dogs being out and cats being out is that dogs can actually seriously hurt or kill people.

I'd rather have 100 cats pee on my tires than have one dog even out... not knowing what he/she might do. My neighbor's two dogs get out often and they're fairly aggressive. She fosters dogs for various reasons and the last three she had got out a few times but they were nice enough where I could put them back in her yard. Not these ones, you can even get 20 feet from them. I haven't heard of them in a while, I wonder if something happened to them.

 

[babyrich]

If your cat was on your property and the dogs attacked on your property than I dont think you are being unreasonable in wanting your neighbors to pay the vet bill. If the cat wandered over to your neighbors property and was attacked, than I would not expect them to pay.

If the first scenario happened and your neighbor cannot afford it, maybe you can work out a payment plan. If they do not want to pay or feel they should, than I would take legal action; but remember it may cost more do that than the vet bill.

If the dogs have been a problem it might be best to call the local shelter and complain or the police, whoever would handle that in your area. I would not want to see the dogs put down; but if they arent being cared for properly, maybe a new home would be a better idea for them.

 

[luvmy3]

Get a have a heart trap.

I'm afraid I'd catch something else in there instead
Also, I don't know who it belongs to, and I wouldn't want to send someone's pet off to the shelter. I was thinking I could find some sort of spray to put in my garden to keep him away.

 

[moburg]

If that's true, how is it not equally an example that dogs should be kept inside too? Personally, I think it's cruel to keep a cat cooped up inside all the time. They are an animal that is by nature inclined to be outdoors, just like dogs. Uh oh though...now I've started a debate. Sorry!

It's not cruel. In fact, you would be adding years to their life. In addition to dogs and other animals, which you should be painfully aware of now, there are plenty of cars that will do far more damage than a dog will. Not to mention the fleas and ticks they have a tendency to bring into the house.

I have 4 very happy cats that are exclusively indoor cats. All were rescued from the outdoors, and I am very confident that had I not taken them in, they would be dead now.

Do yourself and your cats a favor. Keep them indoors!


Oh, and yes, your neighbors should pay for the vet bill.

 

[lillygator]

op was your cat roaming and they chased it back to your yard, or was your cat sitting on your porch minding his own business and the dogs flew over to your property to chase it and hurt it?

 

[MushyMushy]

It's not cruel. In fact, you would be adding years to their life. In addition to dogs and other animals, which you should be painfully aware of now, there are plenty of cars that will do far more damage than a dog will. Not to mention the fleas and ticks they have a tendency to bring into the house.

I have 4 very happy cats that are exclusively indoor cats. All were rescued from the outdoors, and I am very confident that had I not taken them in, they would be dead now.

Do yourself and your cats a favor. Keep them indoors!


Oh, and yes, your neighbors should pay for the vet bill.

Yes! What she said, however I think the neighbors should only have to pay half the bill. If the cat hadn't been out roaming, it wouldn't have gotten hurt. Nothing good can happen to a roaming pet. We have a responsibility to protect our pets.

 

[TheZue]

We really tried to have indoor cats. It worked for a couple years, then Freddy got out one day and that was absolutely it and he wouldn't stay inside anymore, he'd hide until we opened the door to leave and bolt. I can't even imagine keeping that cat in with kids, we couldn't do it when adults tried to contain him lol. Then later he figured out how to get the screens off the windows, he'd actually hang on to the screen Garfield style and rock back and forth until it popped out and let out the other one. Nobody here has air conditioning and unless we wanted to melt in the summer the cats were going out, not only that it was a huge risk that he'd fall out one of the upper floor windows when he popped out one of the screens while attatched to it. The screens were when we really gave up. Oddly enough our third cat hasn't had any desire to leave the house, she just sits inside and is angry all the time. Our cats are now 10 and quite happy & healthy. Funny thing is there are enough outdoor cats in our neighbourhood most of them stay in their own yards because that's where their territory is. I think indoor is preferable, but some cats will have absolutely nothing to do with it.

The plus side is our neighbourhood is now rat free; it was actually getting the point there were several nests including one in the roof of the condos behind us and we were constantly trying to get them out of our shed. This is a really nice neighbourhood too, not somewhere you'd expect to be brimming with rats. You'd even see them in the day time Within six months of our calico being on the loose they were gone; she is just a deadly rat killing machine.

To those who keep saying, over and over, that this is why cats should be kept inside - we talked about this with our vet. His stance - cats seem to be much happier if they are allowed to roam, but they generally live shorter lives. So, happiness vs. longevity.

We let our cats decide. To date, every one has decided to come outside with us. A house is no more than a large cage to a cat. Also, some of our cats have lived nearly 20 years, so it doesn't always have the horrible impact on longevity that studies indicate.

I am not criticizing the decisions of those who decide to keep their cats indoors, but would appreciate the same courtesy from them for our decision not to do so.

Gotta say I'm a little concerned, I almost NEVER agree with you lol

 

[moburg]

Yes! What she said, however I think the neighbors should only have to pay half the bill. If the cat hadn't been out roaming, it wouldn't have gotten hurt. Nothing good can happen to a roaming pet. We have a responsibility to protect our pets.

It certainly is legal to allow a cat to roam free. It is not legal for dogs to roam free, so 100% from the neighbors should be expected.

To avoid future attacks, or cat pancake in the road though, keep those cats indoors! Give them a screened window or door to enjoy the fresh air.

 

[Nancyg56]

I think that the dog owners should at least offer to make a claim on their insurance/ I would hope that because the animal attacked was a cat the dog would not be euthanized.

I have a problem with the bolded part of this response. My beagle is an escape artist and loves to chase the neighborhood cats...never hurt them, just chase for the fun of it. I endured a few passionate calls from my neighbors, and put a lot of effort into containing him, finally succeeding.

My problem is, the neighbor's cats roam free, generally in MY yard. They do their business in the sandy part of my driveway (as evidenced by the little piles of sand each morning), and sleep on my porch furniture and on my vehicles. So now my kids can't go out in the yard barefooted, I have to sweep the hair of off my porch furniture before sitting on it and I have to wash the cat tracks off of our vehicles and hope the paint isn't scratched.

Yeah...................I am in the same boat and have real issues with cats roaming. Especiall when they are in my yard. My neighbors had never kept any of their multitude of cats in the house. They lose them frequently because the coyotes think that they make a nice snack but apparantly there are more to take the place. Anyway they have a big tom, not neutered, that is always prowling and sprayin in my yard. If it comes too close to the door my poor kitties go crazy with one actually going through the screen to chase it away. There is alway scat poop in my gardens, paw prints up my cars and dead birds in my yard. Not to mention the screeching that goes on when another cat comes too close. ANyway, this cat has been going down into a neighbors fenced in back yard and tormenting the dogs. The dog owners have let the neighbor know that in the event the dogs catch the cat it may end up dead............if their dogs don't get hanged trynig to get over the fence. Cat owners response? DOn't worryl, if they kill him they kill him.

I know that there is not a law but in my opinion, there should be. I should not need to worry that a cat is tormenting or teasing my own pets adn in the event one gets loose and harms the cat I may be liable. I should not need to clean up cat urine, poop and in my yard when I do not let my own out to use my home as a litter box. I should not have to keep the windows in my vehicle closed to keep the filthy flea infested ( maybe not but they always look it to me) cats from spraying the interior. Animals need to be kept in their owners yards, not left to roam in mine.

 

[palmtreelover08]

I agree that the dog owner should pay the bill. The cat was on your property. I would feel completely different if your cat was in their yard. All that being said, I'd like my neighbor to pay for my mulch and flower-beds to be re-done. Their cat keeps pooping in them, and making them smell!

I have two indoor cats who are very happy. Just because you want your cat to be happy outside, does not mean that I should have to have your cat in my yard. Maybe if I get a dog, your dang cat would stay out of my yard (not a good reason to get a dog.. I'm really only joking). But seriously.. keep your cat out of my yard. Pick your dog-poop up off the ground by the curb. It really is that simple.

 

[allison443]

I find it interesting that people think the determining factor in whether the dog owner is liable for medical bills is whether the cat went onto the dog's property. Legally the dog doesn't have a "free pass" to bite anyone that comes onto the dog owner's property, even if that person is uninvited. Think of the mailman, newspaper delivey person, someone coming to see if your kid can come outside to play, a friend dropping off something, a neighbor bringing over misdelivered mail, trick or treaters....if any of these people were bit by a dog even though it's in the dog's yard, the dog owner is still usually responsible. This is based on over 20 years of insurance claims experience.

OP did you speak to your neighbor about whether their insurance policy would cover your pet's medical bills?

PS I am also in favor of keeping cats indoors! That's what we do.

 

[palmtreelover08]

I find it interesting that people think the determining factor in whether the dog owner is liable for medical bills is whether the cat went onto the dog's property. Legally the dog doesn't have a "free pass" to bite anyone that comes onto the dog owner's property, even if that person is uninvited. Think of the mailman, newspaper delivey person, someone coming to see if your kid can come outside to play, a friend dropping off something, a neighbor bringing over misdelivered mail, trick or treaters....if any of these people were bit by a dog even though it's in the dog's yard, the dog owner is still usually responsible. This is based on over 20 years of insurance claims experience.

OP did you speak to your neighbor about whether their insurance policy would cover your pet's medical bills?

PS I am also in favor of keeping cats indoors! That's what we do.

I don't think anyone here is stating that it is ok for a dog to bite a person, or is given a "free pass" when it comes to people. Although I do feel bad for the OP's kitty, if the dog was in its own yard.. it kind of does deserve a "free-pass" to attack the kitty. The kitty would be invading the dog's home. The dog would be protecting its turf, or who knows what.. playing w/it, just having the thrill of the chase whatever. It is a dog. It is not thinking..oh wait, this is someones pet. The dog views the cat as the same thing it does a squirrel or rabbit in the yard. Some dogs will attack..some will lie down and watch them. If the dog bit a person, it would be a completely different discussion.

For the record, my parents tiny dog killed a chipmunk once. I felt so bad for the chipmunk, I didn't talk to the dog for days (I was 6). Dogs will be dogs when it comes to instincts with other animals. The only way to keep your cat out of someones yard is to keep it inside.


A PP said they can't imagine that once a cat gets outside, that it could/would be trained to not go outside. I rescued a cat from a shelter, who was left outside when someone moved. They estimated the cat was "out" for more than a week. This cat tried to get out of my house when I first brought it home. As soon as it went for the door, I kept a squirt bottle of water at the door, and would squirt the cat once. In two days, the cat was trained to not go near the door. The cat is happy, and healthy inside and I don't have to worry about it getting hit by a car or attacked by another animal. Maybe my cat is the exception, but I think it can be done.

 

[Scurvy]

I find it interesting that people think the determining factor in whether the dog owner is liable for medical bills is whether the cat went onto the dog's property. Legally the dog doesn't have a "free pass" to bite anyone that comes onto the dog owner's property, even if that person is uninvited. Think of the mailman, newspaper delivey person, someone coming to see if your kid can come outside to play, a friend dropping off something, a neighbor bringing over misdelivered mail, trick or treaters....if any of these people were bit by a dog even though it's in the dog's yard, the dog owner is still usually responsible. This is based on over 20 years of insurance claims experience.

OP did you speak to your neighbor about whether their insurance policy would cover your pet's medical bills?

PS I am also in favor of keeping cats indoors! That's what we do.

Yes, but cats aren't people. They are property, even though most of us who own them don't view them as such. If you throw your frisbee into someone else's yard and their dog destroys it, I suspect you could never force them to reimburse you for it. It's your fault that your property ended up in their yard, and it's your fault the dog destroyed it. They aren't liable for that. Different laws apply to people than those that apply to property. And as you mentioned, the dog owner is usually held liable when the dog bites a person on their property - but that isn't always the case, even with people. I have never heard of dog owner being held responsible for their dog destroying an item that was placed in their yard without their permission. Since pets are legally considered property, I imagine that the same would apply even if the "item" was actually a pet.

ETA - And really, the more I think about this, the more I realize it would never work to enforce such a thing. It's like saying you would be held responsible if I allowed my pet bird to fly free through the neighborhood and your outdoor cat who was always secured in your yard killed it. You would have no way of preventing that, short of never letting your cat outside. There's no way on earth a reasonable person would hold you responsible for that, and they'd laugh me out of court if I tried to pursue it.

 

[Colleen27]

Absolutely, and I'd report the incident to animal control as well. They likely wouldn't take any action beyond a warning at this point, but I'd still want the paper trail if I were the one living in a neighborhood with people who can't manage to contain their dogs. It could just as easily be a child next time...

 

[Disney Doll]

I am a dog person.

I think the risk of a roaming dog injuring someone is far greater than the risk of a roaming cat.

Your neighbors should pay and they should also learn how to contain their pets before they harm a human and need to be put down.