[chrissy71]

Today my 17 year old cat was killed by our two dogs and I am totally heartbroken. The cat and dog really didn't have much contact with each other, but I never thought this would happen. Now my boyfriend wants to get rid of the dogs because he says they are vicious. They have never been that way with people. We have only had the dogs for about a year, and they are now 1 years old. (Old Enghlish Bulldogges)

 

[MissMutt]

I'm sorry this happened. Were the dogs left alone with the cat? I don't think it's fair to blame the dogs, as it is their natural instinct, as grim as it can sometimes be.

 

[Richie]

Ah man sorry to hear that

 

[chrissy71]

The dogs are in the backyard and the cat had the front yard, but mainly slept in the gargage all day, since he was so old. Somehow he got into the backyard.

 

[Thracian]

I'm so sorry about your cat. You must be devastated.

I hope you and your boyfriend will give it some time before making any decisions about the dogs. You kept the cat and dogs separated for a reason. Your poor boy's death was really a tragic accident. Some dogs simply cannot be trusted around cats. It doesn't mean they will ever harm a person.

 

[silverphoenix69]

Oh no...I'm so sorry about your kitty Thats horrible!

My ferret got out of his recovery cage after his surgery last month. My rabbit had the first floor to run around in and well Ferrets eat rabbits. I was devastated, but its what ferrets do. I couldn't and wouldn't get mad at Drake for doing whats in his nature. Same with dogs. Some just can't be around cats, and I'm guessing thats why you had them separated. It was nobody's fault, accidents happen, no matter how much they hurt.

They've never been that way with people, so they are not "bad" dogs. Give it some time and wait before making any disisions.

 

[chrissy71]

Thank you for your kind words. I just feel so sick to my stomach. He and I have been through a lot over the last 17 years and he used to lick my tears away when I would cry. I am going to miss him. His name was Cuddles for a reason. I spent some time with the dogs tonight, I love them dearly but I am so mad about what they did.

 

[silverphoenix69]

Right now its still freash in your mind. I had Snowball (my bunny) for 9 years. It was such a shock that I had trouble looking at Drake (my ferret) for a few days. I just couldn't believe that my calm, beautiful boy that has never bit and I couldn't switch to a raw diet, could kill my equally beautiful bunny. I know it wasn't his fault, and I can sorta joke about it now. But it does hurt.

You had Cuddles for 17 long years, and there is no way you can get over this in one day. Or even 10! But you really have to try not to blame your dogs. They are going to sense that they did something "bad" off of you and do need you right now as well. I'll be thinking of you and Cuddles tonight

 

[BobSD]

You have had this cat for seventeen years, and I guess in this time frame your boy friend was not with you from day one with the cats? And did you have any other dogs living with you and the cat during its life with you?

What I am getting at, is that I feel you are more of a cat person then a dog person and wondering what you expected or were hoping for when you changed to dogs? You could have easily had gotten a new kitten for your ageing cat? Anyways, you got some not one but two English bull dogs and I am sure they are not as inexpensive as a cat. And like any dog they are much more dependent on you and look up to you as there world for everything.

If you are the owner of these dogs and your boyfriend can possibly influence your decision to keep these dogs or get rid of them, you are not an ideal prospect to have ownership of a dog. Sorry for being blunt.

You could have tried a miniature or toy doggy breed, now you have two one year old pups that love you and your BF wants to dump them, I would dump the BF and move on with the dogs. Or if you do not feel anything for the dogs hopefully find them a good home, and keep the BF. I would take them in a heart beat if I did not have my two guys, min schnauzers Doc & Schatzie. JMO, give it a grain of salt.............

 

[Darkmoon]

Dogs hunt. Cats = prey. Dogs will kill prey. It's the circle of life. You can never trust a dog not to follow it's instincts. Their instincts are to hunt. They aren't "vicous" they are normal dogs.

If he keeps trying to tell you to get rid of the dogs, I'd kick his butt to the curb. My Boyfriend knows that if he ever tried to make me choose between him and the dog, I would choose the dog. I've told him that many times, and have done it many times. I refuse to let a man run my life. Your dogs didn't do anything wrong and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Just from now on, be careful of your dogs around other small animals.

 

[BobSD]

Darkmoon is what I would call a quality dog (lover) person, I could not have said it better!!!

 

[silverphoenix69]

What I am getting at, is that I feel you are more of a cat person then a dog person and wondering what you expected or were hoping for when you changed to dogs?

I don't really agree or understand what you mean by that. Just because someone is upset over the death of their cat, doesn't make them more of a cat person. And just because she now has two dogs doesn't mean she's "Changed" to dogs.

And I completely agree with Darkmoon.

 

[rosemaryninja]

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. It must be absolutely devastating.

Regarding the dogs... all I can say is that when anyone brings dogs and cats into the same household, they are taking a risk. Your dogs did what was natural to them, as natural as barking or peeing at a tree. I can however assure you that this has absolutely NO implications on their likelihood to harm a human. Prey drive has nothing to do with human aggression WHATSOEVER. I strongly urge you to reconsider rehoming the dogs... they may like to chase small animals as the large majority of their species does, but that doesn't indicate at all that they are vicious.

 

[GSDGAL]

You have had this cat for seventeen years, and I guess in this time frame your boy friend was not with you from day one with the cats? And did you have any other dogs living with you and the cat during its life with you?

What I am getting at, is that I feel you are more of a cat person then a dog person and wondering what you expected or were hoping for when you changed to dogs? You could have easily had gotten a new kitten for your ageing cat? Anyways, you got some not one but two English bull dogs and I am sure they are not as inexpensive as a cat. And like any dog they are much more dependent on you and look up to you as there world for everything.

If you are the owner of these dogs and your boyfriend can possibly influence your decision to keep these dogs or get rid of them, you are not an ideal prospect to have ownership of a dog. Sorry for being blunt.

You could have tried a miniature or toy doggy breed, now you have two one year old pups that love you and your BF wants to dump them, I would dump the BF and move on with the dogs. Or if you do not feel anything for the dogs hopefully find them a good home, and keep the BF. I would take them in a heart beat if I did not have my two guys, min schnauzers Doc & Schatzie. JMO, give it a grain of salt.............

I'm sorry but that response seems callus and uncaring. What this lady needs right now is sympathy and empathy, not opinions froma stranger on her pet status. it happens to the best of us, animals are animals and can do animal things, the cat hardly sounded like the ideal feline to socialise puppies with and preferred a solitary lifestyle. They didn't know him and he them, and so it led to a horrid and emotionally painful ending. The dogs are not to blame and the cat is not to blame, and you guys are not to blame. When we bring animals into our world we have to be prepared for them to occasionally regress to their natural instinct, no matter how horrific it may be (it has happened to most of us, i'm sure, be it annoying behaviour to extremely terrible) Now that you are aware of your dogs dislike for it's feline brethren I would perhaps seek professional advice on what to do, so that a neighbours cat does not come to the same fate. But for now I am truly sorry about this circumstance and I plead with your boyfriend, not to let his injured emotions influence him into making a hasty and very possibly wrong decision. Again, i'm very sorry.

 

[Max'sHuman]

I'm with Darkmoon here. Unfortunately what happened is your dogs were being dogs when they saw the cat. Some dogs are cat safe or can be trained to be cat safe (I think) but some dogs just see cats as prey. It doesn't mean your dogs are vicious. But now you have a choice to make. Do you want these dogs knowing they aren't safe around other small animals? And like others have said, just because they aren't safe around cats/small animals absolutely doesn't mean they aren't safe around humans.

Now my personal credo would be that if you adopted them you committed to take good care of them for the rest of their natural lives. Realistically this doesn't always work, but the main message would do what you can to uphold the "promise" you made when you chose to adopt/buy your dogs.

And if these are your dogs I certainly wouldn't let my boyfriend push me around as to whether to keep them or not. Yes you need to discuss things together but if his premise is that these dogs are vicious killers now then he's just wrong and should back off.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Good luck figuring things out!

 

[Elana55]

Whenever I read something like this I want to get mad and kick the humans.. but you know I am not going to do that. I just am not. You are feeling really bad this happened and, having had two of my cats 14 years and two for 13 years and one for 2 years and my current dog for 2 years and my previous dog for 14 years.. all I can say is I know how much you are suffering over this loss and especially the way it happened.

I am not "more a cat person" or "more a dog person" and I have both. They are different. I used to have horses too. It is not a favor of one over the other. It has to do with longevity of time with you.

I am so very sorry for the painyou are feeling.

The fact that the dogs killed the cat has to do with dogs being dogs. They are not vcious toward people. They can NEVER be trusted around small animals. I would not get rid of the dogs UNLESS you just can't stand them around anymore for what they did. Honestly, they were never trained to know better and they would have killed ANY cat who got in the yard with them (something to remember). This does not mean they would kill a child or a person or try to. It is a different relationship.

My dog lives at peace with my cats but she is never ever left where she can get to them and I am not there.

Ultimately I am glad you have posted this. It is a very sad story but it AGAIN brings home the fact that dogs and cats can get along under supervised circumstances but you can NEVER allow dogs access to other pets in an unsupervised situation. Ever.

When I am not home, my cats are upstairs, no one is down stairs and the dog is in her large crate in the heated furnace room. There are two closed doors, and the crate, between my dog and the cats.

When I am home, the dog and cats are upstairs with me or downstairs with me. If I leave the room (out of sight), the dog is confined to an area upstairs (same when I go to bed).

Again, I feel for your loss. Please explain to your BF that the dogs were being dogs and such an action on their part does not label them as vicious. They probably need more training, but IMO you can never train a dog too much... nothing to do with viciousness. I think he wants to get rid of the dogs to protect your feelings as much as anything.. and that decision needs to be in your hands, not his.

Please understand that I am not bashing you or being callous. You will do enough of that to yourself. My cats have been with me thru a divorce, the loss of my last dog, a BF that I did kick to the curb, 5 job changes, and 6 moves and getting my current dog. Last dog (amy she rest in peace), Current dog and the cats and I are a team. Leasways that is how it seems to work out.

 

[DJsMom]

oh my goodness! I am sooo sorry about Cuddles That's just awful! I can only imagine how you must be feeling right now This story is even closer to my heart becuz I have a 16 yr old cat named Cuddles.

Your dogs just don't realize that they did anything wrong. Especially being they were outdoors, where it's natural for them to "hunt". I hope you & your bf will not make any rash decisions based on your emotions at the moment.
BTW, I think it's perfectly natural for people to feel the way he did immediately after the horrible incident, hopefully those feelings have passed & he realizes now that this does not mean the dogs are vicious.

 

[chrissy71]

Yesterday was a very sad day for me and I am sure it is going to take some time for my heart to heal. I have always had both cats and dogs(mostly big dogs) my whole life and I love them both the same. My 17 year old cat, has lived with dogs before and we have never had a problem. I just want to say, my boyfriend sat with the dogs last night and let them know that he still loved them, but you have to understand that my boyfriend was the one who had to pull the dogs off my cat yesterday and then the cat he thinks had a heart attack and died in his arms. He was the one that had to listen to the cat crying out for help, and thank God he was home so that the dogs did not tear the cat apart. Then he had the heart wrenching task of calling me at work to tell me. Although I feel awful that I was not here for my cats last breaths because he was always there for me, I am glad that I was spared the horrific ending of my cats life. My boyfriend was the one that kept me from putting my cat down last year, because he was so sick, but the vet told us that if we gave him daily iv injections to help with his kidneys he could live longer. My boyfriend is as heartbroken as I am and we both love our animals. I totally blame ourselves for what happened, as we didn't properly introduce and socialize the cat and dogs together. I just didn't want the cat to stress out being so old, since he also had a heart condition and he was very content with his garage and front yard, and he would come in when the weather was bad. The dogs, don't get me wrong, are very loving, and in fact my Maltese is their best friend and have never once showed any hatred or aggression towards her. My boyfriends daughter brought home a kitten after we got the puppies and I told him yesterday, that either his ex wife has to take the cat to live at her house or I would find it a new home. I just can't take the chance of it happening again, and go through the heartache again. Anyway, his daughter is excited that cat is coming to live with them, and we will still take care of all the vet bills. We will be able to visit the cat whenever we want, thankfully we all get along. The dogs are in their forever home,as we are not the kind of animal parents that just give away our pets, and our neighbors as of now don't have any cats just dogs. I pray that no one ever has to experience the pain associated with this kind of tragedy and losing a beloved pet in this way.

 

[silverphoenix69]

I'm sorry but that response seems callus and uncaring. What this lady needs right now is sympathy and empathy, not opinions froma stranger on her pet status. it happens to the best of us, animals are animals and can do animal things, the cat hardly sounded like the ideal feline to socialise puppies with and preferred a solitary lifestyle. They didn't know him and he them, and so it led to a horrid and emotionally painful ending. The dogs are not to blame and the cat is not to blame, and you guys are not to blame. When we bring animals into our world we have to be prepared for them to occasionally regress to their natural instinct, no matter how horrific it may be (it has happened to most of us, i'm sure, be it annoying behaviour to extremely terrible) Now that you are aware of your dogs dislike for it's feline brethren I would perhaps seek professional advice on what to do, so that a neighbours cat does not come to the same fate. But for now I am truly sorry about this circumstance and I plead with your boyfriend, not to let his injured emotions influence him into making a hasty and very possibly wrong decision. Again, i'm very sorry.

Thank you. I was to angry yesterday to reply.