chuckandsteve Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Hi, My Staffy is no good with cats.. he thinks they are toys and plays rough with them like he would other Staffys Simply solution is no cats, which is what we decided. Anyway the other morning I get up and find he has cat scratches all over him. Go out in the backyard and find an injured cat under some renovation stuff, luckily my other dog lend us straight there. Poor thing had to spend 2 days at the vet as he had been bitten on the bottom, and was in shock when we found him. The owner was actually very nice about it, we offered to help with vet bills etc which she refused. So now we are stuck as to how to prevent this happening again or worse. The cat obviously put up a good fight, due to the number of scratches on the dog which is good. Is there some sort of training that could help... given we dont own a cat? Or is there a way to fence the yard and make it cat proof? I have seen ways to keep cats in but not cats out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 I suggest leaving your dog indoors or in a run at night . If he is in the habit of attacking cats .. then he is at great risk of losing an eye to a cat scratch! Also , left outdoors and being fond of biting cats, he may get more skilled, and you will be picking up bodies, not live cats.This is not a good habit to teach... even though cats should be indoors or otherwise kept safe . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckandsteve Posted December 14, 2011 Author Share Posted December 14, 2011 Yep he is being kept in at night now as is the cat. But he is home in the yard all day, and we can't leave him inside all the time as he is too active for that. I would really like to modify the behaviour, as if he ever escaped (not that I think he would the yard is very secure) I wouldn't want him attacking any cats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 A bit hard to teach him not to chase & kill cats, but really the onus should be on the owner of the cat to keep it indoors, or keep it from straying. A cat that strays kills wildlife & runs the risk of getting itself into fights or run over. So a responsible cat owner would keep their cat contained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 During the day, there is less likelihood of a cat attack..as cats are mostly nocturnal by choice. ..so leave him in the yard by all means ..with plenty to chew/do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan3 Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 I really applaud the responsibility you have taken in this matter, chuckandsteve. Unfortunately it really just comes down to careful risk management. It's possible to teach a dog to live with cats, but it's harder when the cats aren't yours, especially if you aren't there to supervise. Cat-proofing is quite difficult. It's much easier to keep a cat in than out. I've seen some people put hard plastic sheeting (acrylic or polycarbonate) around the tops of fences so that the cats have nothing to put their claws into, but they need to be very high. In some ways you may be better with easy exit points around your yard, in case a cat gets in and realises the mistake they have just made and wants to high-tail it out of there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mags Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 A bit hard to teach him not to chase & kill cats, but really the onus should be on the owner of the cat to keep it indoors, or keep it from straying. A cat that strays kills wildlife & runs the risk of getting itself into fights or run over. So a responsible cat owner would keep their cat contained. Totally agree with this but you also need to be concerned about your dog as he can be badly injured by a roaming cat in what should be the safety of his yard. Cat proofing is very hard if there are any trees/large shrubs near fence lines. Hopwfully neighbourhood roamers will very quickly learn your yard is off limits and stay away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckandsteve Posted December 15, 2011 Author Share Posted December 15, 2011 Thanks for advise. He lived happily with our old cat who hated him and stayed away from him, but since she passed he hurt a foster cat he tried to pick up (in his mouth) we decided no more cats. It was horrible searching the yard when he was covered in scratches, he must have gone back to play a few times to end up so bad. We just dont want to have to do it again. I might call and speak to a behaviourist, see if they think they can help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panto Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 I'm interested in this too, as my neighbourhood is rampant with idiot cat owners that let them wander 24/7 and get into fights with each other, often in the wee hours of the night with screeches that wake me up before dog even sets off. I worry one of those cats will end up over my fence one day. As much as I worry about my dog getting scratches and injury, I fear there will be only a feline body to collect after dog is through with it. Pls let us know if you come up with any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 I'm interested in this too, as my neighbourhood is rampant with idiot cat owners that let them wander 24/7 and get into fights with each other, often in the wee hours of the night with screeches that wake me up before dog even sets off. I worry one of those cats will end up over my fence one day. As much as I worry about my dog getting scratches and injury, I fear there will be only a feline body to collect after dog is through with it. Pls let us know if you come up with any ideas? If they are disturbing the peace there's a chance you have a few ferals around, in which case you can borrow a trap from your council and then have the ranger pick them up and assess them at the pound. If they are chipped they will be returned to the owners with a warning about confining their cats at night and keeping them off other people's property. Random FYI - not in response to the OP - I think you have done all you can under the circumstances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I'm interested in this too, as my neighbourhood is rampant with idiot cat owners that let them wander 24/7 and get into fights with each other, often in the wee hours of the night with screeches that wake me up before dog even sets off. I worry one of those cats will end up over my fence one day. As much as I worry about my dog getting scratches and injury, I fear there will be only a feline body to collect after dog is through with it. Pls let us know if you come up with any ideas? How about asking your council if they can loan you a cat trap and sending the buggers to the pound! Cats, like dogs, should not be allowed to wander. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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