nearby aggresive dog chasing my cat

Has happened several times now. Today Lexi was steps from my closed front door when the incident occurred. Fortunately I was looking out the window and saw this beast coming from across the street. I typically supervise Lexi from the window, and she rarely goes more than 30 feet from my home. I came out the door as it was steps away and chased it off. Neighbor allows it to roam it's yard, and it often crosses into a nearby yard, from where it launched todays attack. It is not under voice control, which is the most troublesome element. Neighbor also let's it off the leash on walks when they near their property. That's how it came at her another time.

I just called animal control two days ago and told the officer I will speak to the neighbor. In this town dogs are allowed off leash on their own property, but must be under voice control. Never met neighbor before. Well, today he knows I mean business. Told him, we have a problem, and if his dog get a hold of my cat, it will be the last day it takes a breath of sweet air on this earth. I was agitated to put it mildly. Neighbor said, "what am I to do, put in an electric fence?"

And there's a second dog a few houses down that does the same thing. Neighbor was unapologetic when confronted, and said my cat goes on their porch. Sorry, no.

Animal control officer was not in, so dispatcher transferred me to PD. I told the officer I'm arming myself with a baseball bat and will whack the next thing that comes in my yard. I bet the multiple neighbors with loose dogs, well mannered or not, will soon know who I am. Animal control will be here to warn them first thing Monday. To tell the truth, I like the idea of neighbors knowing I'm vigilant about dogs, and am a very loose cannon.

Last year I trained Lexi to walk on a leash. Too bad now she can't even sit in my garden, steps from my front door.

Aside from keeping Lexi in and putting up your own fence, the only other thing you can do is aversion therapy.  It has worked pretty well for me.  I have a 6-foot chain link fence around my entire property, and I've covered the part by the driveway with bamboo privacy fencing so dogs can't see in.  Cats can still climb out of fence but also can climb back in using a tree right next to the fence.  There were some neighborhood dogs that used to come bark at my fence, both behind me and in front by the driveway.  I bought the Dazer II Ultrasonic Dog Deterrant a year ago, on Amazon.  It works on most dogs in my experience at least.  It makes a sound people can't hear but dogs find extremely uncomfortable and they want to get away from it.  So far only one of my cats is sensitive to it (i.e. runs in opposite direction when I am using it to drive away dogs) so it doesn't bother them -- all the dogs I've encountered seem to be sensitive to it except for ONE of my neighbor's two little dogs, and that one doesn't come over here anyhow; he barks behind his own fence.   (That neighbor has his own dog fence to keep his dogs from roaming, and we share the property line fence.) 

Initially I bought it because one of the other neighbor's dogs, which I nicknamed Barky Pants, used to come to the back fence every single night and bark for an hour until the neighbor called him in.  He wasnt even barking at the cats, he was barking at ME through the dining room window. I couldn't complain because that was the only time my neighbor let the dog out loose in his yard.  It was a small dog, not dangerous, just extremely annoying, as I don't like the sound of barking in general. 

The Dazer II arrived, and when Barky Pants arrived to start his evening bark fest, I used it from my back porch, maybe 20 feet away.  He didn't hang around at all, just high-tailed it back to the neighbor's front yard, far away from my fence.  He tried two more times to come and bark and both times I was waiting for him.  He hasn't been around back in a year, although I can hear his voice barking on the other side of that neighbor's house, which is their front yard.  The other night I saw Barky through my window, trotting into the back yard.  He had not made a sound yet, and I used the Dazer II from the porch again. Barky stopped short, let out a little yelp, and high-tailed it to the front yard again.  I haven't seen him since.  The Dazer II keeps the peace.

I have used it on other dogs that would come bark at the front fence, and they took off too.  Now it seems to work even from 40 feet away, although probably they dont feel the discomfort but hear the sound, too far away to zap them, but close enough to remind them to stay away from my fence area.  I feel powerful, like I  have a magic ray or something.  My house is far back from the road, and any dogs trotting down the road (despite county leash laws) don't even try to come up the driveway anymore.  They just keep going.  I can't vouch for any one other than the type and brand I have (see link below), but I love having this.  I wish I had one that reached 50 feet!  ***

You could hang out on your porch quietly and dazer any dog that comes anywhere near you (within 20 feet according to the box) and perhaps you could get them to be as repelled by your property as mine are now.

We did have one cat-killing dog that came over from another street and was obviously hunting cats.  After he killed two of my neighbor's cats (the nice neighbor who has his own dog yard, but lets his cats roam) the neighbor used his gun and dispatched the dog when it was on his property again.  (we live in the country and its not unusual to hear gun shots from time to time.  Scary but not unusual.) Yes, the dog was just being a dog, but since his owners would not fence him in or keep him inside and he came all the way over from another block time after time, my neighbor said he feared for the lives of his two remaining cats and his little dogs too.

If I were you, I would put up a fence, even just a white  picket fence will do to slow down most dogs, and I would also get the Dazer II and show the neighbor dogs that it is extremely uncomfortable to come on my property.


PS - I just hapened to see on Amazon one that actually DOES reach 50 feet, has an even better rating than the Dazer I just reviewed for you, and is ON SALE for $1999, cheaper than the Dazer.  I am going to order one!  You might do better with 50 feet range yourself.  Here is the link to it.

rawlins02 said:

 
Last year I trained Lexi to walk on a leash. Too bad now she can't even sit in my garden, steps from my front door.

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Yes, it is a shame!  But for your kitty's safety, she needs to stay indoors.  

I have several feral cats who have adjusted to indoor life.  It's not been easy but it can be done!  And they are safe.  

Thanks @Red Top Rescue and @Ginny for the helpful comments.

My property is too big for fencing. But Dazer looks like a winner. At $19.99 I'll definitely get one, even if I decide to keep her indoors most if not all of the time. Any dog roaming away from it's property, unmonitored, needs to be punished.

I can't help but feel that supervised walks, where she's never far from me, can be fairly safe, if I'm armed with a Dazer and, say, pepper spray. She is very timid of people and vehicles and stays near me if I walk with her. I can avoid the front side of my property near where the bad dog lives. In the early evening she loves to roll around in the driveway and rub against me when I'm out there with her. here's two pics of my back yard. I've never seen a dog roaming through there. So perhaps she'd be content with 15 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the late afternoon sprinting around, with me right there. Lately she just loves to run up and down the little trails. I think she's very happy I'm out there watching over her. The big question is, would she be content with these very closely monitored walks, and then indoors the remaining time. Or perhaps back to the leash, and I'll carry a baseball bat to terminate intruders...

rawlins02 said:

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• rawlins02
• Apr 29, 2016

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Pepper spray works well for dogs. My dog was recently pepper sprayed (she gets out of the fence and runs up to people, since we live in the forest and she looks like a coyote I can see spraying her). She was miserable for hours afterward. I'm sure a dog sprayed with pepper spray wouldn't come back without a second thought.

This morning Lexi is not asking to go out as she usually does. Clearly spooked by that dog. After breakfast she walked to the closed door where screen with cat flap is. Then started looking out the window near me, wagging her tail. Now she's napping on my lap.

I'm considering walks again on a leash, if she'll accept that. She took to it well last summer. If so I'll carry pepper spray and a big stick. First warn all nearby residents with dogs that they're not to set one paw on my property. Hint, hint.

Walks on a leash are good. My cats love going out on a leash.

I will go back to the leash. She's gotten used to walking free, while I watch, and only venturing occasionally onto the next door property. When I see her go there I tap on her food dish and she runs right back and gets a treat. She knows where the yard boundary is. I'll add that when I call her name in a scolding tone, she runs right back to the house. A smart and obedient kitty. But I can no longer allow her to get more than a few feet from me. Too many risks, too many off-leash dogs.

I'm considering fencing in my back yard, but that would likely cost $6000 to $10000. And still no guarantee of 100% safety.

Just did a 45 minute walk around the yard, mostly on leash. First time in the harness in about 9 months I could tell you wasn't too happy when rolling around on the ground in that contraption. Second pic shows the conclusion of our walk. Treats!

Once you have the dogs trained with your sound device, walking her on a leash should be just fine, they will avoid you.  Also, if you are any good at simple carpentry, you could create a "catio" for her in the future, with a flap that goes into the house so she could get inside if the dogs did come investigate.  There is a whole collection of catio photos at  a site called catioshowcase.com from simple to complex.

Can't wait to get my hands on that sound device, and a can of pepper spray. Today I carried a large heavy stick with me. Anything coming near would get thumped. Unfortunately there are many dogs in this neighborhood walked off leash, and that likely would not respond to voice command. And/or allowed to roam unfenced property, and then wander. So I will remain vigilant. No more trusting that my cat is safe sitting on my front porch.

A catio is a great idea. Just prefer it not take up a large part of my deck.

rawlins02 said:

...I told the officer I'm arming myself with a baseball bat and will whack the next thing that comes in my yard. ...

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If your cat is on YOUR OWN property and doesn't go anywhere else but your property, you have the absolute right to do what is reasonably necessary protect your cat from harm, up to and including the use of force.  I would back you, 100 percent, if you took steps to protect your cat.

A baseball bat?  Well, maybe if it came down to brass tacks but, in the spirit of "reasonably necessary" I'd try less drastic measures unless it was a last resort.

First, you ought to consider yelling, chasing the dog away or grabbing the dog by the collar and kicking its butt (rhetorically speaking) all the way back to its own yard.  If it's a big dog and you're not able to "handle" a big dog, that option is off the table.

I like the pepper spray option that others have mentioned.  It's effective and sends a message to the dog's owners...  "Keep your damned dog in his own yard!"

I grew up with dogs.  My father was a dog breeder.  I love dogs as much as I love cats.  I would never willingly hurt an animal if I could avoid it but, honestly, if it came down to it, I have no qualms about using physical force on a dog if there are no other options.  Sometimes, you just "gotta' do what you gotta' do."  Know-what-I-mean?

Do remember one word of caution: If you go after a dog, no matter what size, it is liable to turn on you.  So, if you do decide to go after a dog, you had better be prepared to do battle, so to speak.

My recommendations are:  1) Yell and chase it away.  2) Pepper spray.  3) Use force as a last resort.

Provided that this all takes place on your property where the dog is the uninvited interloper, you have every right to do what is reasonably necessary.

The thing I like best about my Dazer II (and will like even better about the new one that has a 50 foot range) is that you can press it and NOBODY KNOWS but the dog, who tends to go in the other direction.  They don't yelp (in general -- other than Barky Pants, who was previously sensitized) but they do go away from the sound, and the human with them would never know.  The pepper spray is good if a dog actually charges you, but you will likely get blow back in your eyes and your cat may get some in hers, so it's a last resort.  Unless you live in Georgia or Texas where everyone carries a gun and open carry is legal.

Caspers Human said:

 
My recommendations are:  1) Yell and chase it away.  2) Pepper spray.  3) Use force as a last resort.

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I did #1 on Friday. That sucker was right up to my closed front door when I exited, cat ran in, and I made chase and yelled. Then I laid into my neighbor. BTW, he remarked "it's an outdoor dog". So an outdoor dog, strong prey drive, unmonitored, in an unfenced yard. In other words, a menace to society.

I told the officer (on the phone) I'm arming with a baseball bat, to get their attention. It worked, because he called me back a few minutes later and said he's send over an officer to address the neighbor, and would rather I not use a bat. I then told him responding then wouldn't be necessary as I intended to keep my cat inside or close by my side until animal control comes by tomorrow. Now, yesterday I walked Lexi around the yard (yes, she follows me like a dog...) and on a leash, while swinging a big heavy stick, to send a message.

Given the number of dogs around here, I'm going to carry a Dazer, pepper spray, and the stick. The stick if push comes to shove. I fear no dog while armed. Well perhaps one commanded by a law enforcement officer.

Point here is my cat should be safe, in my yard, with me by her side. Another person around here asked me, just this morning, to let him know if their dog, that they connect to a chain in their yard, should it ever come into my yard on its occasional escapes. He walks it off leash, and I'd just asked him if it's under voice control.This is one F-ed up neighborhood.

It sounds like a very scary and dangerous situation. Sadly tragedy can happen so quickly. I am glad you are taking the steps you are. I know it is easier said than done, but try not to  let kitty outside and for sure don't let kitty out without supervision. Make sure that you are safe too.

rawlins02 said:

 
... Point here is my cat should be safe, in my yard, with me by her side. ...

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You're damn right!

I like the idea of building a catio.  It looks and sounds pretty cool!  I'd build one for Casper if I could.

I thought about screening in the back patio but, unfortunately, I live in a rental.

Casper seems pretty happy living indoors.  He is a rescued cat so I think he's happy to have a roof over his head and a warm place to sleep.

I think you're doing the right thing.  Just remember:  "Escalating levels of force."  Start at the minimum amount of force necessary and only escalate to the next level if the intruder isn't deterred.  At the same time, I have no moral argument against pumping a dog full of lead if it truly is threatening you.  In Pennsylvania, there is still an archaic law on the books that says a farmer can shoot a stray dog that is threatening his livestock.  He's supposed to call a game warden first but if he catches a dog in his hen house or something, he has legal permission to shoot it.  When I was a kid, a friend of my father lost a dog that way.

I'm not trying to encourage you to do something so drastic but, at the same time, if there ever comes a time when you have to, there is precedent.

I like the idea of the Dazer but I've never seen one or tried it.  People say it works so I'll go with that.  My personal favorite is to spray the dog with pepper spray.  I think it would be even better if there was such a thing as skunk odor in a can like pepper spray.

Send the damned dog home to its owner smelling like a skunk!  That ought to fix their little red wagon! 

Cats can hear higher frequency sounds than dogs, So I would be a little worried that the Dazer might scare or hurt a cat more than a dog.

from Wikipedia

Cats  have excellent hearing and can detect an extremely broad range of frequencies, which is the range of about 11.5 octaves, one octave higher than dogs and 1.6 octaves higher than humans. They can hear higher-pitched sounds than either dogs or humans, detecting frequencies from 55 Hz  up to 79 kHz  (a range of 10.5 octaves) and dogs hear from 67 Hz to 45 kHz,^[13]  a range of about 9 octaves.^[14][15]  Cats do not use this ability to hear ultrasound  for communication but it is probably important in hunting,^[16]  since many species of rodents make ultrasonic calls.^[17]  Cat hearing is also extremely sensitive and is among the best of any mammal,^[14]  being most acute in the range of 500 Hz to 32 kHz.^[18]  This sensitivity is further enhanced by the cat's large movable outer ears (their pinnae), which both amplify sounds and help a cat sense the direction from which a noise is coming.^[16]

Will look into this closely. Hopefully there been some research on its use and effects on different animals.

Zed Xyzed said:

 
Cats can hear higher frequency sounds than dogs, So I would be a little worried that the Dazer might scare or hurt a cat more than a dog.

from Wikipedia

Cats  have excellent hearing and can detect an extremely broad range of frequencies, which is the range of about 11.5 octaves, one octave higher than dogs and 1.6 octaves higher than humans. They can hear higher-pitched sounds than either dogs or humans, detecting frequencies from 55 Hz  up to 79 kHz  (a range of 10.5 octaves) and dogs hear from 67 Hz to 45 kHz,^[13]  a range of about 9 octaves.^[14][15]  Cats do not use this ability to hear ultrasound  for communication but it is probably important in hunting,^[16]  since many species of rodents make ultrasonic calls.^[17]  Cat hearing is also extremely sensitive and is among the best of any mammal,^[14]  being most acute in the range of 500 Hz to 32 kHz.^[18]  This sensitivity is further enhanced by the cat's large movable outer ears (their pinnae), which both amplify sounds and help a cat sense the direction from which a noise is coming.^[16]

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I've tested 15 cats with the Dazer II and they hear it but it doesn't bother them, except for just ONE, a 15-year-old white female who used to belong to a former neighbor but moved to my house when he died about 11 years ago.  I don't know why it doesn't annoy the cats like it does the dogs, but with my tests on dogs it was the oposite, only ONE dog seemed not bothered by it.