crazy and awful experience

[julie Graf]

ok, i have to tell someone. i just had my back door open for fresh air. i have two dogs. i have no idea what the heck the thing was thinking, but a CAT walks in the back door, and of course, my dogs chase it. well, they ended up cornering it in a closed stairwell and beating it up pretty bad before i could drag them both off of it. wouldn't it be my luck i am home alone and had to deal with this instead of my BF. well the cat was in pretty bad shape. i figured it was my neighbors - they have 7 of them - so i went over there and he came and got it.

it was pretty gross seeing my dogs attack the cat. the cat was outnumbered and cornered and pretty much had no chance. my dogs were not really too interested in listening to me or helping me get them off of it.

now i get to go to bed with that vision i my head.

hopefully the cat will spread the word (if it lives) or at least not come around anymore.

[Tim Wagner]

I feel for ya. Our Dog has killed one cat of our own, and nearly killed another. Both incedents involved food. I sure your dogs were only protecting territory.

[Walt Caza]

Hi Julie,
Sorry about your trauma. Not passing judgement, or attempting to
assign blame at all...
but emotionally, it might feel better to check in with the cat owner
to see how the cat is doing, demonstrate your regret, and perhaps
offer to help with any vet bills, in an effort to smooth relations
and maybe feel a bit better about things.

Not as any obligation, just a goodwill gesture if you are so inclined.

I recognize how it unfolded, and that you did the best you could...
but, in the end, only kindness matters.

(braces himself for the scorn of others)
be well,
Walt
:)

[julie Graf]

Walt,

while i feel bad for the cat and it's owners, who are nice people, I also don't think me or my dogs are to blame. they have 7 outdoor cats that roam the neighborhood and mark and poop everywhere. so if their cat walks into my house, i'm not claiming responsibility. they know my dogs do not get along with cats. i wouldn't expect them to pay for my dogs vet bills if it wandered in their house and one of their dogs attacked it. don't get me wrong, i like cats, but if you let them loose, then you can't hold people responsible for what happens to them in the natural course of things (getting hit by a car, mauled by a dog)
i do plan to head over there today to see how it's doing. like I said, they are really nice people. and they were not angry or anything.

oh well - back to work today. i have to clean up a flood. good thing it's only about an inch of water - i really feel for anyone who has been flooded for real.

cheers,
julie

[Greg Cole]

Hi Julie,
Witnessing something of that nature can certainly allow you to see the ancestry of domesticated animals. I am sorry you had to see that, but at least the ending wasn't akin to the outcome of the ancestors. When canines revert to said ancestry, you either need to intervene ASAP or stay out of the way. Back in the hill where I come from, that intervention is usually a boot or a 2x4.....
Our little puppy was hit by a car at 5 months old and our 6 year old boy was a mere few feet away at the time. Thankfully the dog only had a broken leg (required surgery etc but most 8 pound puppies don't meet a car tire and live to bark about it!) but he's a-ok now, the dog and the child. Our litttle guy would wake up in the night for weeks with "bad pictures" in his head from seeing his bestest little friend stuck by the car.
I'd have glady accepted any good faith in that situation, at least an "I am sorry" sort of generic appology, as the one driving the car lives ACROSS THE STREET & knew the kid was outside playing with his puppy.... and the girl was on the phone when she hit the dog and... Grrrr.
I feel your pain about the free to roam felines and pooping, marking and leaving scratches on the roof n hood of my truck with their dirty feet.
Do what you feel is right in this situation, I seem to remember reading something about your neighbors in your tree post. You have to live next to these people, I know how I dealt with an old neighbor who had 2 big dogs left outside in a 10 x10 kennel 24/7/365 that NEVER STOPPED BARKING.:rolleyes:

Greg

[Mike Cutler]

Julie

It's tough to watch a "dog in action", and sometimes we forget, or lose sight of the fact that they are a highly evolved predator at their basic core, no matter how big of a couch potato they appear to us.

I had two vizsla's, one now, and they took a cat in the open in our backyard with a classic pincer move. They hit like a hammer and it was over before I could even get to them, 30 yards.

I don't think you are too blame in the situation. Your dogs were under control in your house.

[julie Graf]

i just had dinner with the neighbors - they really are nice people. They were very apologetic, as was I.

The cat is fine - minus about 3 inches of tail! yeah, one of the dogs ate part of it's tail. so, it's name was Tony, now it's Too Short Tony.

it apparently is a smart cat and played dead so the dogs didn't "kill" it. heck, i thought it was dead!

alls well that ends well.