*Final update* Cat attacked by pit bull..he didn't make it. :(

[jlee]

Originally posted by: rahvin
How do you know? How do you know he wasn't off then came running back before he got caught? You weren't out there, you didn't have him on a leash. I feel bad for ya man, I wouldn't want my cat hurt either BUT responsible cat owner do NOT let their cats wander. The average lifespan of a cat that is allowed outdoors is 5 years, the average lifespan of an indoor cat is about 16 years. When we adopted our cat from the shelter they made us watch a video about all of this stuff. Your cat can be killed by other animals, run over by cars, exposed to diseases and other horrible things if you let them out to wander.

Keep your cats inside, it's good for you and it's good for them.

How do I know? I know because the two small cats we have stick right around our house. We are in a quiet neighborhood, all the way in the back. There are cats everywhere back here, and I don't remember one getting hit by a car at all..and we've been here over a year.

Keeping cats inside is NOT good for them! What do you think they are, animals who willingly pass up their natural desire to run, hunt, etc? The cat in question stays right around our house, and chases cockroaches & lizards...hardly a threat to anything. People wonder why their indoor cats are so destructive...it's because they're not meant to stay inside. Trust me, I know - we tried keeping them inside (as we did with my cat). Guess what? They become destructive! My cat would urinate on stuff inside, the kittens were not behaving..we let them outside, and they are perfect cats. Inside as much (if not more) than outside.. Granted, some cats may be perfectly happy indoors...but ours are not. If you like living with destructive felines, go for it..but in this case, it just wasn't going to work.

The dog lives a decent distance away..and as for this:

How do you know he wasn't off then came running back before he got caught?

The dog's fence isn't adequate. Even if my cat decided to terrorize their house, their dog (who - in the owner's own words "wouldn't hurt a flea"..this is a pitt bull, by the way) SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT.

Maybe you don't see the picture. Maybe you don't understand that this was not far from our house! IT WAS PRACTICALLY IN OUR BACKYARD! My 9yo brother could probably throw a baseball farther than this was..

 

[rahvin]

If the cat wasn't restrained from leaving your property than you ARE at fault as much as the attacking dog is. I'm not gonna pull any punchs on this bud. I'm sorry you don't know how to train a cat to be an indoor cat, I'm sorry you don't recognize the danger you place your cats in by letting them wander and I'm sorry that your cat was hurt because of your negligence (as much as the owner of whatever animal mauled your cat).

What YOU think happened doesn't mean you KNOW what did happen. Are you certain it was mauled by a canine and not by the native wildlife? A raccoon could easily do that much damage to a cat and could transmit rabbies in the process. There are consequences to letting your cats wander around the world and one of them is the cat coming home ripped to shreds by something that didn't enjoy it's presence. You need to deal more effectively with that fact and accept the reality that choice has imposed on the life of your cats.

 

[divinemartyr]

I have to agree with Rahvin to a degree on this one, that you can't hold the owner any more responsible than yourself, due to the fact that you both allowed your animals to roam free. Just because the dog is stronger than your cat, you both did the exact same thing in letting them wander. What if your cat had scratched the dog's eyes out? Certainly you'd feel bad too, but you would also have to realize that you didn't know your cat would do that. Next time, just realize what your surroundings are, before allowing the cat out to wander at will.

BTW, I also have a cat named Jake in my house. I do certainly hope he gets better.

dm

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: rahvin
If the cat wasn't restrained from leaving your property than you ARE at fault as much as the attacking dog is. I'm not gonna pull any punchs on this bud. I'm sorry you don't know how to train a cat to be an indoor cat, I'm sorry you don't recognize the danger you place your cats in by letting them wander and I'm sorry that your cat was hurt because of your negligence (as much as the owner of whatever animal mauled your cat).

What YOU think happened doesn't mean you KNOW what did happen. Are you certain it was mauled by a canine and not by the native wildlife? A raccoon could easily do that much damage to a cat and could transmit rabbies in the process. There are consequences to letting your cats wander around the world and one of them is the cat coming home ripped to shreds by something that didn't enjoy it's presence. You need to deal more effectively with that fact and accept the reality that choice has imposed on the life of your cats.

We recognize the danger...but again, I will say this was practically in our backyard. There isn't really anything dangerous here (except dogs who aren't properly restrained)..we aren't exactly in the boonies. I'm only 3 miles from Santa Fe Community College, and the University of Florida is on the other side of town..

Don't give me this "could be wildlife" crap...the dog was seen dragging our cat. If you want to think it's a racoon, so be it...but unless they're really good at disguise, it was a dog...and nothing else.

The owner wasn't concerned when he was told he needed to fix his fence. This guy, btw...you may think he's right next door, but it's a ways through the woods.

I'll add this as well - if it was a wild animal, I wouldn't be arguing as much as I am now. Dogs who kill cats are to be labeled as aggressive dogs, and treated as such...it is not normal. A cat going in his backyard is, well..normal.

 

[pulse8]

A cat going in his backyard is, well..normal.

A cat shouldn't be allowed to just go anywhere he wants. I don't think that should be considered normal.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: pulse8

A cat going in his backyard is, well..normal.

A cat shouldn't be allowed to just go anywhere he wants. I don't think that should be considered normal.

Do you not understand that this cat was practically in our backyard, and an abnormally aggressive dog was far from home?

 

[thedarkwolf]

I'll add this as well - if it was a wild animal, I wouldn't be arguing as much as I am now. Dogs who kill cats are to be labeled as aggressive dogs, and treated as such...it is not normal. A cat going in his backyard is, well..normal.

What do you mean its not normal? Most dogs will chase any small animals that run from them and if they are able to catch it guess what is going to happen. It is perfectly normal. All of my dogs were brought up around cats and if they see one outside even one of our own, when they sneak out and if they run from the dog, they will chase it. Thats why our cats stay inside.

 

[LordMaul]

Maul? What?

Oh, damn. Just a funny story about cats getting what's coming to them...

Er...

*me runs*

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf

I'll add this as well - if it was a wild animal, I wouldn't be arguing as much as I am now. Dogs who kill cats are to be labeled as aggressive dogs, and treated as such...it is not normal. A cat going in his backyard is, well..normal.

What do you mean its not normal? Most dogs will chase any small animals that run from them and if they are able to catch it guess what is going to happen. It is perfectly normal. All of my dogs were brought up around cats and if they see one outside even one of our own, when they sneak out and if they run from the dog, they will chase it. Thats why our cats stay inside.

Chase? Yeah. Eat? No. He was tugging on the cat's leg...

Any who disagree, keep in mind that the canine in question is a pitt bull - known as being overly aggressive.

 

[rahvin]

We recognize the danger...but again, I will say this was practically in our backyard. There isn't really anything dangerous here (except dogs who aren't properly restrained)..we aren't exactly in the boonies. I'm only 3 miles from Santa Fe Community College, and the University of Florida is on the other side of town..

Coyotes have been found living in downtown manhatten. If you think you can get away from wildlife you are nuts. By your own admission you have a wooded area behind your house. Wanna know what lives in there, set it on fire. For all you know there could be half a dozen wild predators living in there.

If your cats leave your property what happens to them is not the responsiblity of anyone but yourself. Period. I'm not saying the pit bulls fence shouldn't be fixed but I don't see you leashing your cats.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Originally posted by: CadetLee

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf

I'll add this as well - if it was a wild animal, I wouldn't be arguing as much as I am now. Dogs who kill cats are to be labeled as aggressive dogs, and treated as such...it is not normal. A cat going in his backyard is, well..normal.

What do you mean its not normal? Most dogs will chase any small animals that run from them and if they are able to catch it guess what is going to happen. It is perfectly normal. All of my dogs were brought up around cats and if they see one outside even one of our own, when they sneak out and if they run from the dog, they will chase it. Thats why our cats stay inside.

Chase? Yeah. Eat? No. He was tugging on the cat's leg...

Any who disagree, keep in mind that the canine in question is a pitt bull - known as being overly aggressive.

Was this pit bull known for being overly aggressive or are you just saying that because its a pit bull? Anyway it really doesn't matter as I said just any BREED of dog that is big enough to hurt a cat will chase it and if they catch it try to kill it. It doesn't make the dog aggressive. Its called insticts.

 

[marykristen]

What a pity the dogs didn't kill the person who abandoned the kittens.


==================

Dogs Kill Bag Of Kittens
Someone Had Abandoned Kittens Along Roadside

POSTED: 12:00 p.m. EDT May 28, 2002
UPDATED: 12:05 p.m. EDT May 28, 2002

MOUNT PLEASANT, Wis. -- Dogs killed five kittens after someone abandoned them along a Mount Pleasant road.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf

Was this pit bull known for being overly aggressive or are you just saying that because its a pit bull? Anyway it really doesn't matter as I said just any BREED of dog that is big enough to hurt a cat will chase it and if they catch it try to kill it. It doesn't make the dog aggressive. Its called insticts.

Any dog? Why is it we've never had problems with dogs before? We've had cats for a long time..neighbors have had dogs - and this isn't even our neighbor.

May I inquire as to how this turned into a lecture on how to take care of cats? Seems as the ATOT crowd loves to criticise..or is it just me?
I think I'll stick to FS/T from now on..

If your cats leave your property

Our property becomes county property 3 feet past our back porch. This happened in property directly adjacent to our house, which we have permission to use. Is that enough for you?

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: divinemartyr
I have to agree with Rahvin to a degree on this one, that you can't hold the owner any more responsible than yourself, due to the fact that you both allowed your animals to roam free. Just because the dog is stronger than your cat, you both did the exact same thing in letting them wander. What if your cat had scratched the dog's eyes out? Certainly you'd feel bad too, but you would also have to realize that you didn't know your cat would do that. Next time, just realize what your surroundings are, before allowing the cat out to wander at will.

BTW, I also have a cat named Jake in my house. I do certainly hope he gets better.

dm

We do realize what our surroundings are..we have been here for 15 months now. Our surroundings are quiet, and there's not a whole lot of stuff around here...again, this guy lives way back in the woods.


Let me ask you this: If my siblings were playing out in the yard, and this pit bull killed my 7yo sister, it would be okay? It's okay for this animal to come way over here and nearly kill our cats...so would it be okay for it to kill a child? You'll say "But no, that's different!" How so, besides the obvious (cats aren't humans, and vice versa)? Pit bulls are known for aggression, and have killed children. Yes, all dogs might...but quite often, it's pit bulls.

Go look up "pit bull attacks" online - read all you want. I'm sure you'll find more fatal pit bull attacks than you will cat attacks.

 

[marykristen]

Are your cats spayed/neutered? Male cats that havent been neutered often spray indoors. It has nothing to do with them being destructive because they want to be outside. I have 4 cats and all are indoor cats and they are perfectly happy (I live on a busy road so I would never let them outside). Three of them are male and two of those males had a spraying problem untill they were neutered.

When I was a child I had a cat get its stomach ripped open by a neighbors dog. The vet stitched him up and he had a long life, and remained an outside cat. Anyway... hope your cat is ok.

Originally posted by: CadetLee

Originally posted by: rahvin
How do you know? How do you know he wasn't off then came running back before he got caught? You weren't out there, you didn't have him on a leash. I feel bad for ya man, I wouldn't want my cat hurt either BUT responsible cat owner do NOT let their cats wander. The average lifespan of a cat that is allowed outdoors is 5 years, the average lifespan of an indoor cat is about 16 years. When we adopted our cat from the shelter they made us watch a video about all of this stuff. Your cat can be killed by other animals, run over by cars, exposed to diseases and other horrible things if you let them out to wander.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: marykristen
Are your cats spayed/neutered? Male cats that havent been neutered often spray indoors. It has nothing to do with them being destructive because they want to be outside. I have 4 cats and all are indoor cats and they are perfectly happy (I live on a busy road so I would never let them outside). Three of them are male and two of those males had a spraying problem untill they were neutered.

When I was a child I had a cat get its stomach ripped open by a neighbors dog. The vet stitched him up and he had a long life, and remained an outside cat. Anyway... hope your cat is ok.

Yes, they are all neutered..and my cat's destructive behaviour immediately ceased when he was let outside. He was actually neutered before we took him home

Update from the vet - Jake's back is not broken, which is good. They don't know the extent of spinal cord damage, and he has a fractured sternum. Last I heard, he was still in critical condition, but doing better than he was at first.

 

[Amused]

If anyone or anything ever did this to my buddy there'd be hell to pay.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: HellRaiserandBeerDrinker
1 Bird is worth 10 cats

Here, my cat has something to say to you...

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

Sorry to hear about your cat. Cats heal amazing well, so don't worry too much.

 

[dakata24]

i know with dogs, there are leash laws, keeping dogs inside a enclosed area ,etc.. but is there anything like that for cats? i doubt it. if that was the case, alot of people would be in awhole bunch of trouble..

 

[slpaulson]

I really do feel bad for you and your cat. I have cats and I would be very pissed about the guy with a broken fence too. I also think it is bs that he gave the dog the opportunity do what it did. I really do hope that your cat turns out just fine.

But you guys who call a dog overly agressive for going after another animal are either nuts or have never owned a dog. My golden retriever who is the most friendly dog to people and cats will chase a rabbit or a squirrel that is running in the woods. How is that any different than a cat going after a mouse? That's what dogs do. They chase animals that run from them...

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: cRazYdood
I really do feel bad for you and your cat. I have cats and I would be very pissed about the guy with a broken fence too. I also think it is bs that he gave the dog the opportunity do what it did. I really do hope that your cat turns out just fine.

But you guys who call a dog overly agressive for going after another animal are either nuts or have never owned a dog. My golden retriever who is the most friendly dog to people and cats will chase a rabbit or a squirrel that is running in the woods. How is that any different than a cat going after a mouse? That's what dogs do. They chase animals that run from them...

I didn't think it was normal for a dog to go to a different neighborhood and try killing cats...maybe I'm wrong...?

 

[chickendinner]

Poor cat.

 

[Linflas]

CadetLee - I have seen endless debates about cats indoors or outdoors. All I can tell you is that I cannot imagine going through what you are right now with your cat with one of ours. The surest way I have been able to prevent this is to keep all our cats inside period. They are happy, well fed, and healthy. I do not have to worry about some future serial killer getting a hold of one of them for whatever warped purpose they feel the need to inflict on them, about some pinhead accelerating to hit them if they are crossing the street, or any of the myriad of other dangers that they would be subject to if they were allowed outside. The bottom line for me is that no matter how many leash laws there are on the books I have no control over what other people allow their dogs to do. Outdoor cats can be conditioned to be indoor cats if you are patient and chances are you will never have to go through this with another pet you care for.

 

[jlee]

One final bump..