4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[dogs and chickens]

Oh My!

 

I went up to check for eggs today (as I do about every half hour or so - well you never know!!!!). I have had loads of cats in the garden lately - never really been a fan of cats, and never really had them in the garden before but they have started to be chicken worry'ers! Anyay today I went to check for eggs and all the girls were up one end of the orchard, slightly weird as they are normally happily free rangeing over the whole area, I looked for the eggs - none found again and turned round, at that moment two things happened I saw the cat laying in the long grass of the orchard and so did my big flat coat retriever! He lept the fence and grabbed the started cat (he hates cats and will always chace if the moment allows)! He swung the thing round and round in his mouth blood flying everywhere , he then by accident I think let go and the cat went zooming through the air He then gave chase to the poor thing who was trying desperately to escape, I have fenced the orchard so they could not get in, so the poor chap could not get out He ran round like a crazy thing with the dog hot on his heals (chickens flying everywhere ). The cat crying, me shouting ! He finally decided to try and leap the fence, he got all stuck in the fence by his stupid collar (why the hell do cat owners put collars on their cats it's beyond me do they not watch animal rescue, have your cat chipped and take the collar away!), the dog grabbed poor puss and waved him in the air like a flag, blood flying everywhere, chickens screeching, cat wailing, other dog decides to join in me still shouting. I grab the dog finally, cat runs for his life. Dog covered in blood, chickens scared to death, other dog runs after cat . screamed a few rude words (not sure why I thought that would help but thought I might as well myself totally in front of neighbours!!!!) dog came back to the word little ......... but I'm not useing that word.

 

Oh my goodness what a mess my garden is in, what a disgrace my dog/dogs are in, what a state my chooks are in, and as for the poor cat I have no idea what has happened, no where in sight and no idea who pussy belongs too

 

Golly I feel totally freaked by the whole thing. Not sure who I feel more sorry for, my chooks or the cat who really had no right to be there in the first place. I guess the only saving grace would be if the poor thing did not come back !

[Guest]

..... Not sure who I feel more sorry for, my chooks or the cat who really had no right to be there in the first place. I guess the only saving grace would be if the poor thing did not come back !

 

 

what a horrific story! I think I feel more sorry for the poor cat!

[superjules]

Sounds totally gruesome! I'm not a big fan of cats but hope the poor mog is ok. My dog chases them but has never caught one, thankfully!

[hils78]

Horrid situation. I feel for the cat too. They're just going on instinct looking at the chickens unfortunately. I'm sure the chickens will get over it. Might be worth keeping quiet about your dogs as you could end up with a hefty vet bill...eeek have a G&T & you'll feel a bit better!

[dogs and chickens]

My dog has never caught one till today - never to be repeated I hope. I was totally shooked and still am.

[dogs and chickens]

Horrid situation. I feel for the cat too. They're just going on instinct looking at the chickens unfortunately. I'm sure the chickens will get over it. Might be worth keeping quiet about your dogs as you could end up with a hefty vet bill...eeek have a G&T & you'll feel a bit better!

 

 

As bad as I feel for the poor cat, I'm not sure I can be given a huge vet bill for my dog being in it's own garden! OMG can I! Surely not !

[Stevie]

I know you're obviously feeling terrible at the moment,but some dogs hate cats with a passion and often nothing will stop them.Its in a dogs nature to chase and some simply choose cats as their quarry.My old dog had a real hatred towards cats after being scratched on the nose by one,but the local cats did quickly learn not to enter his domain.

 

This cat should be alright because a little blood goes a long way-things look much worse than they really are.

[surferdog]

What a horrible experience for you. I'm not a great cat fan either but wouldn't fancy having to cope wiith this. Put your feet up and have that G&T - you've earned it

[Stevie]

Horrid situation. I feel for the cat too. They're just going on instinct looking at the chickens unfortunately. I'm sure the chickens will get over it. Might be worth keeping quiet about your dogs as you could end up with a hefty vet bill...eeek have a G&T & you'll feel a bit better!

 

 

As bad as I feel for the poor cat, I'm not sure I can be given a huge vet bill for my dog being in it's own garden! OMG can I! Surely not !

 

No you cant.Your dog was in its own enviroment and the cat was the intruder.Plus-cats are regarded as wild animals and you do not need to notify the Police if you ever hit one on the road (unlike a dog where its a legal requirement to report it).

 

You have broken no laws.

[Nuggywoo]

Poor cat!!! I hope your dogs were suitably punished??

 

I have 3 cats and I would be devastated if one of them came home after being mauled and mutilated by a neighbour's dog. Your chickens will get over it - the cat won't. It's probably crawled away to die.

 

And before we end up with the very tedious Dogs vs Cats debate... I have never ever known or heard of a cat attacking chickens whereas dogs...?

 

I love dogs (if brought up properly), I would love to own another one and when I do it will be taught from the start not to chase cats - that is cruel and needless.

 

Whether the cat should've been in your garden or not is not the point, cats aren't covered by law, dogs are, and until there is a law prohibiting cats from being cats... if it was one of my cats then I would definitely send you the bill and then some.

 

Incidently, one of my chickens, which I grew myself, was one of 3 hatched and brought up in my house with 3 murderous chicken killing cats for 7 weeks, a month ago she was horribly and fatally attacked by a scabby little dog - my cats had all the opportunity and instinct to kill my little chicks but didn't. They were taught not to. Quite easy really.

 

Sorry for 'your' upset.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

OMG, what a horrible experience . It sounds like you couldn't have done anything to prevent it - animals often just follow their instincts & behave like, well, animals and it's difficult to stop something once they've started.

 

I hope the cat is OK, but you couldn't really have done more than you did.

 

Hope you've got over the shock .

[Egluntyne]

Gosh. Sounds nasty.

[Cooks]

this must have been a terrible shock for you, I know you did your very best to stop this. It's sounds very traumatic to say the least.

I don't think there is any case for you being responsible for a vets bill and to be honest how could it be enforced? It's not as if you were off your property.

It's a horrible thing to happen but your not responsible.

[Snowy]

Please don't beat yourself up about it. It was an awful experience for you and not one you would have wished to happen under any circumstances. We all hope we have our animals under perfect control but ultimately they are animals with an animals instinct and will do their own thing despite our best attempts to control them - no one was to blame here.

 

I really feel for you - but your chooks will be fine; your dogs have probably recovered from the adrenaline rush by now and there is nothing you can do about the cat. Have a drink to calm your nerves and chalk it up to experience (((hugs)))

[*mummy_hen*]

I must say, i feel a bit upset about the poor pussy cat

 

Cats are always going to roam as they please and i know if that was my cat that came back in that state, i would be beside myself

[Abbey Road Girl]

So very traumatic for you and the stray cat. No need to chose sides as we all would wish that nature was not so red in tooth and claw.

 

Wishing you and all concerned a speedy recovery.

[kaylis1980]

Sorry for 'your' upset.

 

oh good grief really nasty

 

********************

 

sorry you had to go through that- its really hard feeling so helpless. i have a greyhound and she has nearly got a few of the neighbourhood cats before- once that animal instinct kicks in there isnt anything i would be able to do. we had a cat who stole a neighbours conure (still not sure how) and brought it home for my mum- dont feel bad.

[Egluntyne]

Steady now.... Lets all stay friends.

[Chickvic]

I have 3 cats and would be upset if one was injured deliberately, but being chased by a dog is 'nature'. Next door but one has a dog and when I was passing, he did mention that his dog had nearly caught my black cat in the garden. I did say that the cat would stay out of his garden if it had any sense. If the dog had caught the cat I certainly wouldn't have pursued him for vets bills. I find it horrendous when they bring birds or mice (usually dead) home but that's what they do!

[Troy]

Sorry guys to add to this...but any cat with a collar on it is not a stray and therefore belongs to some neighbour close by.

 

Regardless of whether the cat had a 'right' to be on your property (and there is no law saying they can't)or whether the dogs were doing something instinctual - the cat was very badly hurt.

 

Though you certainly cant blame yourself for what happened you were still unable to keep your dog under some control. In my book, anyone failing to re-gain their Alpha role in this sort of situation is walking on egg shells and I would address the 'my dog hates cats' thing immediately. Sorry to sound so blunt but lets face it, this could have happened whilst you were walking your dogs in a public place.....and amongst small children for example. Next thing you know you're being served the Dangerous Dogs Act.

 

I'm sure the cat was just fascinated with your lovely chooks and was not intending to hurt them. And regardless of whether you are in favour of cats or not, it just might be far more responsible - and neighbourly to try and find the owners of this animal and explain why their pet is in such shape.

 

And before this becomes a dog vs cat war (I have both) we must surely all agree, there is nothing worse than a much loved family pet simply disappearing.

 

Troy

[dogs and chickens]

Sorry for 'your' upset.

 

oh good grief really nasty

 

********************

 

sorry you had to go through that- its really hard feeling so helpless. i have a greyhound and she has nearly got a few of the neighbourhood cats before- once that animal instinct kicks in there isnt anything i would be able to do. we had a cat who stole a neighbours conure (still not sure how) and brought it home for my mum- dont feel bad.

 

I thought the same thing when I read that, but all are welcome to their opinion!

 

My dog was in his own garden were I am not sorry he was defending his own teritory, I'm not saying I agree with what he did but he is a dog and was defending his space. However out on a walk if he was trying to chase a cat it would be very different and he does come to heal. I think most dog owners who have ever been in a similar situation would agree that it's very different in one's own back yards! I had never been in this situation before and I do sincerly hope I never will be again. I also really hope no one else will be either.

[my fat hen]

What an awful experience!

 

I feel sorry for the cat too, but animals will act on instinct, and a dogs instinct is to hunt and kill - as is a cats.

 

Punishing after the event as suggested serves no purpose - the only way to stop it is to make sure that you are the pack leader at all times, but seeing as the dogs saw the cat and instinct kicked, in I'm sure that there wasn't a lot you could do.

 

I hope the cat turns up at his home and can get treatment, other than that it is sadly just one of those things - and there's no way that you could be charged for vets fees I would have thought.

 

There have been incidents of youths deliberately setting their dogs on to cats where I live - a totally different kettle of fish! My dogs, cat and chickens all co-exist quite happily - but they'd all see off any intruder that I hadn't invited in!

 

Hope you are getting over the shock.

[Nuggywoo]

Sorry for 'your' upset.

I could have been a lot more diplomatic.

Sorry if I offended anyone, it certainly wasn't my intention to be 'really nasty' but I stand by what I said.

Edited May 23, 2008 by Guest

[Matthew]

Sorry guys to add to this...but any cat with a collar on it is not a stray and therefore belongs to some neighbour close by.

 

Regardless of whether the cat had a 'right' to be on your property (and there is no law saying they can't)or whether the dogs were doing something instinctual - the cat was very badly hurt.

 

Though you certainly cant blame yourself for what happened you were still unable to keep your dog under some control. In my book, anyone failing to re-gain their Alpha role in this sort of situation is walking on egg shells and I would address the 'my dog hates cats' thing immediately. Sorry to sound so blunt but lets face it, this could have happened whilst you were walking your dogs in a public place.....and amongst small children for example. Next thing you know you're being served the Dangerous Dogs Act.

 

I'm sure the cat was just fascinated with your lovely chooks and was not intending to hurt them. And regardless of whether you are in favour of cats or not, it just might be far more responsible - and neighbourly to try and find the owners of this animal and explain why their pet is in such shape.

 

And before this becomes a dog vs cat war (I have both) we must surely all agree, there is nothing worse than a much loved family pet simply disappearing.

 

Troy

 

 

Good post, totally agree

[hils78]

The vet bill isn't enforceable (sp?), it a matter of wether you think you should be paying for part/all of the damage. I do know of cases like this being taken to court. I'm a vet nurse & have seen situations like these many times. As someone stated here if the dog can't be controlled once chase has been given then I'd be worried. I think you dog did his job seeing off a garden intruder - but took it too far which unfortunately is your job now to rectify.

If this happens in public in a situation where the dogs don't come back when called then it is quite probable that you could be reported & then all sorts of restrictions could be made. I would seriously think about a muzzle whilst out walking. Might sound extreme but dogs are clever esp the breed you have & this situation might have magnified how 'fun' it is to chase cats, I always say that preventative is better than the cure. You mentioned that you have really secure boundries - it might be worth creating an escape route for any other cats that may come into your garden...

On a personal note I am a cat owner and I would be really upset if my mog came home mauled - my 5yr old daughter would be a beside herself. I would expect at least half the bill to be volunteered.

Don't think I'm getting at you - because I'm not. All too often at work we hear that owners actually encourage their dogs to chase cats and don't give a flying hoot when a cat is caught. I nearly lost my job telling an owner they were out of order for encouraging their dog to chase cats. This situation has obviously upset you & I do really feel for you.