Cat Attacked - Pitbull Blamed

[Katdogs]

So proud my dogs came back from a stray cat in our yard recently but I couldn't blame them if they killed it. Jodie might do it deliberately but the labbies might squish by accident. After TD's experience though, the evidence would disappear.

(Jodie shares her bed with her own cat but is unlikely to allow an intruder)

[BlackJaq]

I'm not justifying anything, sorry if you didn't get that from my posts. I'm saying life out there is dangerous for cats and dogs, confine them to your property or keep them on leash when they are out and about to avoid serious injury and death. Not sure what is so hard to get about that.

[Guest Wildthing]

I get everything quite clearly.

I also understand this is a dog based web site and as such, attracts anti cat people. I think it is a pity cat and dog owners cannot get on together in this world.

There will come a time when cats will be confined to their own property by law, as dogs currently are. However, when that happens, all councils in this country (Australia) will need to re write their fencing rules and regulations to allow cat owners the ability to have a 2m high fence with a 35 degree angle bracket going onto their property with either chicken wire or netting attached all the way along the fence to stop cats escaping their own yard. Any shrubs or trees will also need to be cat proofed. whilst some people may not accept it, cats are very good at getting out of their yards, just like some dogs are.

I have no idea what will happen to all the suburban wild cats that are currently in existence. Perhaps some of you can make rational suggestions that do not include the use of gas, baits or bullets.

[BlackJaq]

Just FYI I own a cat. I don't hate cats. I own a large property and my cat is an outdoor cat. I understand that if a dog chewed on him or a car ran him over (however remote the chance with us being many km from the next road and property) it is my fault. I would not keep another cat this way. If for some reason I decided to get another cat after this one passes, it would be kept in a cat proof enclosure from the start.

Enclosures are not that difficult to acquire and they are getting pretty affordable now. If all else fails, you can probably knock one up from scraps or second hand materials.

So tell me again, what exactly is the issue here? That people are saying that maybe the cat owner has a teeny tiny bit of responsibility for what happened to her cat? Or that people are annoyed that another anti pitbull thing based on hearsay and breed bias is being flashed around on the news, over an event that would not usually be newsworthy at all. Clearly, from the media's point of view, this is about a pitbull attack, not a cat being mauled by a dog

[sandgrubber]

I don't detest cats. I detest free running non-native predators that decimate native wildlife. Cats that are confined to the house or a well built cat enclosure are fine with me.

As for ferals, many places in the US have programs (our local one is called "Operation Can-Snip" ) that neuter feral cats for free. These are generally inadequate and feral cat populations persist. I don't see why you rule out euthanasia. After all, we slaughter rats with very nasty poisons, and rats are intelligent, social creatures. If you don't believe this, google "rat agility" . .. you'll be amazed.

I can't imagine what would happen if there were as many feral dogs as feral cats, especially in urban and suburban environments. It would not be pretty.

[Christina]

I get everything quite clearly.

I also understand this is a dog based web site and as such, attracts anti cat people. I think it is a pity cat and dog owners cannot get on together in this world.

There will come a time when cats will be confined to their own property by law, as dogs currently are. However, when that happens, all councils in this country (Australia) will need to re write their fencing rules and regulations to allow cat owners the ability to have a 2m high fence with a 35 degree angle bracket going onto their property with either chicken wire or netting attached all the way along the fence to stop cats escaping their own yard. Any shrubs or trees will also need to be cat proofed. whilst some people may not accept it, cats are very good at getting out of their yards, just like some dogs are.

I have no idea what will happen to all the suburban wild cats that are currently in existence. Perhaps some of you can make rational suggestions that do not include the use of gas, baits or bullets.

There is no way what happened to your cat can be justified, so very sad & I am sorry but you are getting off track somewhat. Yes this is a dog forum but many have pet cats too & some like myself also breed & show cats so no it doesn't attract anti cat people here.

There isn't a battle between cat & dog people. Quite simply some dogs do instinctively kill cats & always will & others are fine with them however

When someone has a cat & just lets it go outside to roam the cat is at risk of all kinds of hazards & not only dogs.

There is no reason why they cannot be kept indoors & with access to an outdoor enclosure with a cat door or safe enclosed verandah. There is no need for councils to rewrite their already over kill rule book or even become involved.

This topic isn't about the wild cat problem but I doubt that many animal lovers in general would approve any of the above methods to solve it.

[OSoSwift]

I do not have an issue with cats, I own and adore them. What I do do is take responsibilty for what happens with my cats and take steps to try and negate anything nasty happening. As I said before, if the dog was off lead and injured the cat then they should be dealt with accordingly. If that cat was off it's property well the cat owner has no comeback. If that cat was on it's property but in an open yard then I still think that cat owner needs to take some reponsibilty for the predicament the cat ended up in.

Around here if my cat is outside and gets bitten by a snake then I have to take responsibilty for that, if it gets attacked by a feral cat, hit by a car etc etc etc, then yep my responsibilty. I do what I can to reduce those potential outcomes, confining cats, cat run etc etc etc.

So one again I feel very very sorry for the cat, I feel sorry for the owner as seeing your cat like that would be terrible. However the blame does not lay solely on the dog.

[tdierikx]

I'm not anti-cat... but I am highly allergic to them, and thus can never own one... *sigh*

But if I did own one, then there is no way I'd want it roaming all over the countryside and possibly being exposed to dangers like dogs or cars... exactly the same as I make sure that my dogs aren't able to be exposed to the dangers of roaming.

My brother has trained his cat to stay in the confines of his yard... and it never leaves there of it's own accord. He also fosters dumped/feral kittens who also learn from the older cat not to stray. Maybe more cat owners could take that sort of responsibility for their cats? Come to think of it, I've never seen Katdogs' cat roaming either... she's a lovely kitty and obviously knows that the best place is at home with her family.

Cats CAN be trained, although it's a bit different to training a dog, and is a lot harder due to the general disposition of cats - but it can be done...

T.

[JulesP]

I get everything quite clearly.

I also understand this is a dog based web site and as such, attracts anti cat people. I think it is a pity cat and dog owners cannot get on together in this world.

A lot of people on this site also have cats. What this site attracts is responsible pet owners. Letting your cat roam is not responsible.

[WreckitWhippet]

I get everything quite clearly.

I also understand this is a dog based web site and as such, attracts anti cat people. I think it is a pity cat and dog owners cannot get on together in this world.

There will come a time when cats will be confined to their own property by law, as dogs currently are. However, when that happens, all councils in this country (Australia) will need to re write their fencing rules and regulations to allow cat owners the ability to have a 2m high fence with a 35 degree angle bracket going onto their property with either chicken wire or netting attached all the way along the fence to stop cats escaping their own yard. Any shrubs or trees will also need to be cat proofed. whilst some people may not accept it, cats are very good at getting out of their yards, just like some dogs are.

I have no idea what will happen to all the suburban wild cats that are currently in existence. Perhaps some of you can make rational suggestions that do not include the use of gas, baits or bullets.

Wrong, I have a cat and he's every bit as much a part of my family as my dogs. He is kept responsibly as my dogs are. The dogs are confined to our yards the cat is confined to the house. He is not out wondering the streets, crapping in people's gardens and being a general nuisance as roaming cats are.

Cat owners should keep their cats in their own home or have cat enclosures if they wish for them to be outside, it's too easy .

[korbin13]

Most people I know have a dog and a cat. When we got our cat, we had to sign a 'contract' with the breeder that we would not allow our cat to roam. Obviously not a legal contract but a kind of an understanding. We take our cat out (in our yard) twice a day on a long line and a harness.

And as for fencing rules and regulations, here in WA you can have a fence over 1.8m, any higher and it needs council permission but I would have thought 1.8m is plenty high enough in conjunction with the brackets? We did think about going down this path with our cat but decided she could still harm wildlife so she is a happy 14 year old inside cat with her own cat grass pot!

On my walks with my dogs, I have come across two houses with cat runs out the front of their house, connecting to the inside via a cat door in a window, one is quite elaborate with little tunnels and two enclosures :laugh: So us cat owners are getting there!

[Smurf1]

We are currently going through an issue with the hypocracy of cat vs dog laws (ie. cats can do what they please and cat owners who take no responsibility for their cats, and yes I know that there are exceptions). So the cat being attacked by a dog and a $600 vet bill is "newsworthy"? And people get up in arms about the nasty vicious dog? How about the rottweiler, yes thats right a rotti, on lead on a walk in a suburban street with its owner who is walking away from two cats and then is ambushed by them unprovoked? Happened to us a week ago and so far the vet bill is at around $450 with the dog on 2 types of antibiotics and anti-inflamatories and she has to have another follow up vet visit so that bill will increase. The response from the cat owner when I informed her of the attack and the first initial vet bill of $234....."Bloody rediculous" and then she walked off (and I was polite at the time).

Our council ranger is being very good about it but they dont have the laws set up to do a lot about these cats who I have since found out have previously attacked another dog and are described by neighbours as "territorial" "very aggressive" and "vicious".

As a dog owner I have a raft of rules that I have to abide by as a responsible pet owner, I hate that cat owners arent held equally to account for their pet.

PS. I'm not saying that the dog in the article is innocent, if it was offlead and roaming that obviously is not right just highlighting the double standard in the laws and requirements for responsibility between cat and dog ownership. I KNOW that had our roles been reversed and it was the rotti attacked the cat (she's a sweetheart and wouldnt do that and wouldnt be allowed in a position to do that) we'd be in all kinds of trouble.

Edited November 30, 2013 by Smurf1

[sandgrubber]

A most uninformative news story. Were either of both of the animals roaming?

I don't have a cat, I don't hate cats, but I deeply resent having them freely trespass on my property, hunt small native animals, yowl at night, and crap in kiddies sandboxes. If you want to have cats, fine, but keep them on your own property.

I used to live in South Fremantle. Rumor had it that we had no stray cats in our neighborhood cause one of the local fishermen viewed cats as good cray bait. The rumor was probably false, but it provided an incentive for people to keep their cats in at night.

Until there are decent laws to keep cats confined, there will be people wishing malice on cats. For good reason.

[Alison03]

It's awful the poor cat was attacked but it shouldn't have been roaming on the street. Many cat owners don't keep their pets confined, they have free access to everyone's gardens and hunt all night. I've owned cats myself and kept them in at night in particular (that's back in the day when the cat was put out at night) because I couldn't cope with the carnage they created in the local bird life.

We have a lady who lives on acreage behind us who owns many cats, until we got our Shihtzu cross these cats were in our garden every day and night yowling, hunting and spraying. Now they recognize it as a "no go" zone, due to our dog's regular patrols of the area. It's nice to have our garden back without the terrible cat smell. Our dog sleeps on our bed at night, so she's not outside at night but the cats still avoid our garden.

Our dog has the worst possible intentions where cats are concerned and if she caught one it would be a full on fight, trying to stop her having that prey reaction is like telling her not to breath. I'd hate for her to catch one of the cats, but if it was in our garden at the time, what she did would be beyond my control. I can't cat proof my garden (and we have tried) my responsibility is only to keep my dog from escaping.

[mixeduppup]

Anti cat people, lol. So I'm a member of a cat forum as well, does that make me anti dog? Oh wait...

As for cats roaming, it's one of my pet hates. I have one inside cat and two cats ina permenant outside enclosure. I would never let my cats run free for risk of not only being attacked by a dog, but hit by a car, in a cat fight, trapped, caught, snake bite, the list is endless. My cats stay secure just like my dogs do. it's pet ownership 101.

Edited December 1, 2013 by mixeduppup

[~Anne~]

Sure, cats should be confined. It is that simple. However, the broader view of the issue isn't.

The cat in this scenario was owned by an elderly person I am sure I read. She's probably kept this cat like she has all the cats she has owned over her life. She's kept it the way the vast majority of cat owners still do and the way the majority of people on this forum with cats, still do and have done!

These arguments are stupid. It's less about acting responsible then it is about a common way to keep a cat that is well within the law.

Is it the best way to keep a cat? Not in my view but keeping a cat inside 24/7 without access to an outdoor enclosure is, in my opinion, just as inadequate.

[Zhou Xuanyao]

I don't consider roaming cats a big deal. Having said that, just as when dogs are loose sometimes harm comes to them, whether it be in the form of cars, dogs, people or otherwise, that's just how it goes. I think running a story about a dog attacking a cat is just a bit absurd.

[tdierikx]

It's "newsworthy" if they can call the dog a "pitbull"...

T.

[HazyWal]

I don't consider roaming cats a big deal. Having said that, just as when dogs are loose sometimes harm comes to them, whether it be in the form of cars, dogs, people or otherwise, that's just how it goes. I think running a story about a dog attacking a cat is just a bit absurd.

YOU may not think it's a big deal but as in my case where my greyhounds cannot use their own yard unsupervised because the cats next door keep coming over the fence it is a big deal and a pain in the arse. It limits everything I do, how long I can go out for as they are locked in the house.

[M United]

I don't consider roaming cats a big deal. Having said that, just as when dogs are loose sometimes harm comes to them, whether it be in the form of cars, dogs, people or otherwise, that's just how it goes. I think running a story about a dog attacking a cat is just a bit absurd.

YOU may not think it's a big deal but as in my case where my greyhounds cannot use their own yard unsupervised because the cats next door keep coming over the fence it is a big deal and a pain in the arse. It limits everything I do, how long I can go out for as they are locked in the house.

I agree, im in that situation to but worse. My dog barks at their car after it comes over into my house and continues her barking (for 2-3 minutes) until i call her back in the house. The neighbor then calls the council and the rangers see us a barking complaint. I then explained the situation and also advised them to do a test at random times if they don't believe me and to leave me alone (as they had come a few times in the space of a few months) or else ill take legal action and i haven't been bothered since, its been over a year now. There is a bit more to the story of course but it was not on topic.