If My Dog Injures A Cat ...

[ladybirder]

that regularly comes into my garden to do its business and kill the birds, would I be in trouble with the law. The owner doesn't care.

[calmck]

Your garden and the cat trespasses.doubt you are responsible but do you have homeowners, might be clause in there

[woofgang]

The owner doesn't care if their cat is killed or the owner doesn't care about the cat wandering?
I did some quick googling and it seems that if the dog is in its own secure garden and the cat comes in, then provided that the dog is not one of the listed illegal ones and is of previous good character then the law won't care.
I should add that twice I have had a dog try to attack a cat that came into my secure garden and both times (different dogs, different times both dogs big) the dog came off worst and both needed vet care for infected bites.
I'd be inclined to use a supersoaker water pistol on the cat at every opportunity.

[ladybirder]

Thanks for your reply calmck. I also doubt I am responsible but I want to find out what the law is on this. What is "homeowners" please?

[calmck]

Homeowners insurance policy

[Kathyan]

What, exactly do you expect the cat owner to do? Cats are natural wanderers. If you are just going to stand by and watch your dog savage a cat, then you are despicable!

[Ken4155]

Don't recall reading that ladybirder intends to stand by and watch her dog savage a cat. I think she is asking so that she doesn't have to sit and watch her dog all the while it is out in the garden. I certainly don't sit and watch my dog when he's out in the yard.

[sunny-dave]

It seems that cat owners (as usual) want it both ways - they want their little *** treated as "lovable pets" and protected in case anything happens to them, but as "wild animals beyond their owners' control" when they slaughter other wildlife.

No - I wouldn't stand by and watch (that would indeed be pretty heartless) - but equally if it happened when I wasn't around I'd not feel a lot of pity for the trespassing killer.

To answer LB's question - if it happened when your dog is securely confined in your garden, then I'm pretty sure it's not going to worry the law - but equally I might check my House/Property insurance as most will have a Public Liability section included.

[sunny-dave]

oh dear - accidental activation of the swearywordfilter - for *** read moggies.

[ladybirder]

Woofy thanks. The owner doesn't care what his cat does. When I told him what she was doing and asked him to put a quick release bell collar on her he refused saying, "it's what cats do".
My little chap is not much bigger than the cat. She knows he can't jump very high and leaps just out of his reach then sits watching him, little madam. I have the usual high fence all round my garden but the cat lives next door and sits on top of the shed which is in its garden but against my fence. I have an arbour on my side covered in roses and honeysuckle. Yesterday my dog spotted her on top of it, crouched ready to leap onto a bird in the bird bath. Another flat owner has the same problem with her and another has seen her bullying a sweet little ginger cat that sits quietly on the front wall waiting for a stroke from any passer by. I'm afraid only the owner likes this cat.

[douglas9401]

I'd just wait for a letter from the cats lawyer.

[paddywak]

When we had Max cats were never a problem,he could easily get over a six foot fence.Since we've lost him on occasson I've been sorely tempted and fo go back to the old way and introduce the local cats to Mr .410.

[Mozz71]

Personally, I'd be taking my pooch to do his business in their front lawn. After all, it's what dogs do.

[ladybirder]

Thanks I'll check my policy calm.
Kathy he could do what I did when I had my brother and sister cats. I put bell collars on them and if they snapped off as they sometimes did I bought another. I also bought a mechanical cat flap that I set to not open from the inside after dusk until 9am the next day. This meant that once they came in of an evening they couldn't get out again until the next day. This was to stop them roaming and killing all night and possibly getting themselves killed on the road as night time is when most cats are killed.
I will ignore your offensive remark.
Ken thanks for your reply. My dog only goes into the garden for a pee (never poos in it) or to chase of that cat or a fox in the evening. So in summary, he doesn't use it but he doesn't want anything else to do so either;-))
Thanks SD, that's pretty much what I thought.
Woofy I've got the water hose out there, that might do it instead of buying a water pistol.

[Ken4155]

Just pick pooch's business up in a tissue and transfer it to next door neighbour's doorstep.

[ladybirder]

Ken I live on the ground floor of a block of flats. Doing your suggestion would stink the whole ground floor out. So definitely not an option. I could lob his cat's poo back over the fence but I'm trying not to make an enemy of him as he has done me some kindnesses since I've been ill and during CVD.
Knowing I can't be responsible if ever my dog did manage to injure his cat has set my mind at rest. The cat is clever, she creeps around on her belly mostly unnoticed. My dog is a ball of fury charging up the garden, no finesse at all:-)

[burlyshirley]

I think squirting a good spray of water at it is good advice and keep it up till it gets the message !

[EdmundD]

More likely that if it comes to a scrap it will be the dog that is injured. Cats are faster, sharper teeth, sharper claws. Our ginger tom regularly faces off the fox that comes onto our property.

[ladybirder]

Tank you Shirley I think so too. I have to work out how to do it without J giving me away. I'm working on it.

[ladybirder]

Funny that Edmund. A friend of mine sent me a video of her cat and a fox chasing each other around the garden. Really having fun together.

[AuntPollyGrey]

Could you get someone to sprinkle some cat repellant onto the shed roof while no one was looking. Might put the cat off from eyeing up the birds in your garden.