Dogs attacked cat. HELP!

inarush

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I went out to the barn to finish up chores... and the dogs went with as usuall... Sorry my typing is horrid, I'm shaking and I can't feel my fingers..

Pepper went around the banr and got out of the fence area and somehow they got a cat. I heard this growl, and saw gray.. I figured it was a coon, but then it flipped around as they were playing tug of war with it, and the belly was white and the tail... I knew it wasn't a coon. It didn't matter how hard I yelled it or how loud I yelled it, they just kept pulling and attacking... I ended up kicking the living *insertchoicewordhere* out of them to get them off, and I couldn't help it.. I beat their *insertchoicewordhere* too.

I know that cat has to be screwed up, and he's under an old trailer we have and he's freaked.. He's gorgeous, he has to belong to someone I would think.. Especially to be so close to a barn, where I was at, making plenty of noise.. The feral cats just run off.. It's not one of mine.. I've been out there for an hour trying to get it to come out, and it won't.. He's just laying there growling, and I can't see enough of him to see how bad he's hurt. I put a dish of food down for it but I still can't stand thinking that he's wounded, out there in the cold.. I want to get him in, but I'm not sure how to go about that.

I'm an uber cat fan. I hate dogs. They're loud, smelly and I just don't like them. And I keep thinking those dogs are eventually going to get one of my cats. Pepper is now officially an adult Pit Bull.. She's chased my cats but I figured it's all fun and games.. I know now that I should have halted that behavior the day it started. God so help them if they EVER do that to one of my cats. The other dog is a 6ish yo Doberman / Coonhound mix.

If he's there tomorrow, I'm calling animal control, I have good ties with them, and I know the manager would come out and tranq it for me. My biggest concern is shock, and it's frigid cold outside. According to mom, her dogs have several puncture wounds. Good. They deserved every bit of it. They KNOW cats are off limits and I just don't understand what triggered it.. I can't have this happening to any of my other cats, someone elses beloved pet or my horses. Every winter a cat wanders my way and I end up taking it in.. I think this might be the 5th if he lives.
 

white cat lover

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OK - don't ever hit a dog. They don't get it, all they do is fear you because you are a vicious person. The dog is chasing a cat as it doesn't know better - the behavior wasn't corrected before, why should the dog stop chasing the cat now? The dogs need more training, and esp. (IMO) an adult Pit. They tend to be bull headed sometimes.

As for the cat - I wouldn't come out if I was a cat either. The cat is probably in pain, badly injured, and the dogs (for all the cat knows) could be waiting for it to come out. Can you get a livetrap out there?

Outside cats are VERY different from inside cats. Even my dogs will chase outside cats sometimes, but when they get a "No" they stop immediately - it's that bit of instinct that kicks in.
 

nance

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OMG...that must have been scary ......the cat is going to need medical attention...an injured cat out in the cold all night prob will only get worse.Pit Bulls are so head strong and if you don't train them right they will take over...My son saw on jump thru a screened basement window and rip a cat apart...it was his friends cat...The dog was a neighbours and had been watching the cat for weeks....he was lose and that was that...I sure hope that kitty gets some kinda medical care...or at least doesn't stay there and suffer for long ....thats horrible
 

mrblanche

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I would call animal control immediately. They're on 24-hour call here, I know.
 

krz

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Please act quickly and don't wait until tomorrow. The sooner you get this poor cat, the better. Keep posting!!
 

kit e cat

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I have 3 dogs. I do not think they are loud or stinky. I love dogs. I have 10cats, who I also love. My animals all get along, BUT...if my dogs saw a cat outside, all bets would be off and they cat would probably be dead. I'm not saying I condone this, but dogs are dogs, and that is what they do. You had no right to hit your dogs for what they did. If you don't like dogs, then why do you have them?
 

catsknowme

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Originally Posted by KRZ

Please act quickly and don't wait until tomorrow. The sooner you get this poor cat, the better. Keep posting!!
If you cannot get AC to answer the phone, call the deputies and see if they can call for you. Otherwise, maybe you can get some young man to put on a pair of welding gloves, go under the trailer & put a stout blanket over the cat & scoop him up.
sounds like his injuries are serious

Sending major prayers and vibes out for the poor cat
Don't feel bad about being angry at the dogs. They disrespected your position as a pack leader
Hopefully they will learn....I grew up around ranch dogs - yes the discipline was harsh, but they quickly learned to obey. Dogs will be dogs, yes, but dogs can and are trained
 

opilot

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Don't be so harsh on this person. The dogs do need to know that what they did was not acceptible to the owner. If the owner wants he/she could train the dogs NOT to attack the cat.

Pretty much all dogs CAN BE TAUGHT not to chase their own cats indoors AND OUTDOORS as well.

It takes TREMENDOUS training on the part of owner and dog however. Have you never seen the picture of the GS police dogs at the end of training sitting to attention as a lone cat strolls past?
This is what i mean. The dogs have leared "leave it" and "sit/stay" to perfection. They will not break training.

That said there are some hound breeds that may not be able to control their prey instincts and these breeds should not live with cats, or be allowed to roam free as they will kill any critter they chase - squirrel, rabbit, cat whatever.

There's a lady with rescue rotties who taught ALL her rescues before placing not to chase her cats or cats in general - EVER. Inside or out. The teaching was a bit harsh and took 6 months, but it was necessary since the dogs could be better placed in homes with cats if they did not have reactions.

Now, Rotties are fast learners by and large and have desire to please, and were used as guard dogs, so as a breed they tend to "listen to master and leave what master values alone". If, if, if they are taught!!

Again, it does depend on the owner - and the cats. My RIP beautiful Diablo was very dog savvy. He would actually ATTACK or HOLD HIS GROUND with dogs. I saw him assult a dog once, and our neighbors dobbie and he would play chase up and down the side walk at a slow walk. I am sure it was fun for both, but the Dobie was clearly submissive to Diablo!!

Also I once came home to find my aged cat (16 at the time), in the parking lot of my townhome development circling with a Boxer - the Boxer was out lose, running (long story gRRR owner) and Diablo had frankly terrorized him! He didn't know what to do, but he could not disengage from Diablo, as it was
clear Diablo was in danger of attacking the dog once the dog turned his back.

I scooped up my darling boy, put him in the house and went and rescued the lose boxer.

Point is: had Diablo run, he'd have been in jepardy of being attacked.
He didn't, and he knew that to face down a dog was the smart choice.
He was calm in the face of danger. None of my other cats, alas has that great instinct. They are mostly quite afraid of dogs. They will run, which
does trigger the chase instinct.

Anyway it is sad - but the owner does need to work with the dogs more.
Sounds like the dogs never had any training or much raising. Dogs are
in need of strong alphas with rules, and they need to learn the rules as soon as they start growing up.

BTW, I'm not a dog person. I only post this because my BF is, and he has a boxer who is scaredo f cats and would never chase, and a Rotti/Boxer big boy (think cane corso) who looooves to chase cats - he grew up with one, and won't harm them, but boy does he want to play with them (the stub is going the whole time he barks and play bows...). Diablo put the big boy firmly in his place until his pasing.

My others are slowly learning not to be terrified of him....we baby gate him to an area of my house, so the cats
may come and go freely and the dog can't get to them. Each time he visits is a little better. soon we plan to use the choke collar with prongs (nasty but needed) and leash to allow him out while cats are in - and correct him very very firmly each time he shows any interest in the cat. Reward him each time he doesn't show interest. For months at a time, then as he learns, let him off lead at home, and when there is zero reaction to the cat moving round at home, to being the process again with the cat outdoors...

He is a smart and willing learner. I expect my BF will be able to make him
to as he desires. Brutus is a mush ball really.
 
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