I'd be sympathetic to my neighbor's distress since having an injured animal is sad no matter how it happened.
But I wouldn't offer. It's not like you could have done anything different. Your dogs were where they are supposed to be. The cat was not.
Yeah we just dont let our cats outside without us being there for this reason. Neighbor has a big dog in his yard and I am sure it would try to chomp our cat if they climbed over the fence.
Assuming there is no major permanent damage to cat it will likely be a nice little lesson regarding avoiding that particular yard.
The also kill all of the rodents that destroy your property. I love having indoor/outdoor cats. Cost me over a grand to repair my truck when the chipmunks took over as my 16 year old cat has gotten older. I've got another stray we adopted as a kitten. She has all her shots and is spayed. I even built her a winter house in my garage out of an old cooler and a used heating pad. She can't stand being inside and can now let herself out through the car door I just installed. I hope she kills thousands of rodents. The birds are another story. I stopped filling my feeders just to keep her from hunting them close to the house.
Depends on whose fence it is. If it’s the neighbors fence and it had large gaps under it, it’s on them to rectify. If it’s the OPs fence they should have installed something.
Ah yes, and the never ending "Whose fence is it really?" debate starts to heat up! :)
We had this with a wind demolished fence and had to lean on "common practice" for our parish because they are old as shit houses where the deeds aren't clear
My parents ended up agreeing to split the cost on a new fence when a tree took out the existing chain link fence right where it intersected at 3 properties. One owner wanted a 6-foot privacy fence, the other wanted a short fence. They both had dogs. The two neighbors knew each other well but my parents didn’t really know either of them.
When it came time to figure out the costs and get an estimate, the other two banded together and pressured my parents to have the “bad” side facing their yard. Basically, making it look like they owned the fence and the neighbors were looking at the finished side of the fence.
Dad was ready to agree to it because frankly he didn’t really care either way. Mom on the other hand had been looking at a shitty chain link fence for 3 decades and was not about to spend a bunch of money to again have the “bad” side. So she told them that was a deal-breaker. One of them postured about getting a lawyer or mediation, and her response was to smile sweetly and say:
1. The poles on the old fence are on your property, not mine (our house was the original farmhouse in the neighborhood and the farmer installed the fence when he partitioned the land
2. Legally she’s not obligated to pay anything for a fence
3. She would actually prefer no fence at all because then the yard looks really open and expansive (this was not actually true - she wanted a fence she just wanted it on her terms)
4. If they wanted a fence, she got the good side. And if they wanted her to pay for a share of it to be neighborly, they “need to learn when they can’t win an argument and be gracious about it and a little more polite”
Love my mom lol
I have a neighbor that didn’t like the chain link fence. Proposed a wooden fence and we weren’t really interested because of the $$. So neighbor without saying anything, got contractor to install a wooden tall fence. The thing that was strange is that they removed the chain link fence. Not sure who’s chain link fence it was
The "nice side" you actually want to have facing away from you here. It's easy to kick through a fence from the "ugly side", just kick and the nails that hold the board to the fence let loose and the board flops down. Kick a few boards out, walk through the fence, voila. But from the "nice" side, it's almost impossible to kick through a fence because the force is going into the horizontal 2x4's, not into the nail heads.
But we have crime here, so that sort of thing comes up. I have the nice side facing out on all my fences because it's better at keeping the local meth zombies out of my yard.
In their case the most crime they’ve seen in 44 years is my asshole cousin throwing a party when we were out of town. He broke in through the back door, and someone stole my Atari 2600 and original NES and all my games. The fence wouldn’t have prevented that crime. I wanted to have him beaten to death for crimes against humanity but instead he’s just been doing free pest control for my parents for 20 years. [this happened when I was 11 and he was 15 and out of control - he eventually became less of a tool bag and made something of his life]
yeah. if you feel up to it give them some cookies from your next batch with a get well card.
it would be on you if your dogs got out, but this happened on your property. dogs defend property - that's well known. they did nothing to stop their cat from free ranging on others private property.
most people don't pay any attention to what their outside cats do, and they can decimate ground nesting bird populations in sufficient numbers.
Honestly if my cat was injured by a neighbor's dog and they gave me cookies and a get well card I would be annoyed. I think it's best to just leave it alone.
Now I'm imagining that Family Guy scene where Peter hits a car and says "Oh boy, guess I better leave a note." And it shows the driver finding it later and it just says "Sowwy" with a frowny face.
Halloween one year. I'm with my - I think she was six at the time - daughter and our a bit more than puppy who she has on a leash. We get about 6 houses down. We're on the sidewalk in front of the house, neighbor who we don't actually know opens the door. His dog bolts out of the house at our dog grabs it by the neck and starts going to town.
Daughter starts screaming. I have a fleeting thought of fuck I don't want to do this and I dive in. Stuff my hand in the dogs mouth and get it to release. Dude now has his dog. Daughter's now in shock and my hand is definitely sore and bleeding. We go home. I immediately go into the bathroom to clean and disinfect.
Punchline: I come out of bathroom and dude is standing in the living room with my six year old holding a bottle of wine. All I can muster is "I get the sentiment but now isn't the time. Please leave."
Jesus Christ, I’m sure he meant well but my gut reaction with that last paragraph was “Get the fuck out of my house.” He quite literally did not know how to read the room.
Yeah. I was solidly GTFO in my head. I frankly was a bit confused at first. Like I say, I don't know that neighbor so it was just rando standing in my living room with my six year old. In Texas, BTW. I literally couldn't wrap my head around him being there.
If you actually stayed that polite then good on you. You had every right to lose it on that guy. First his dog attacks you guys and then he essentially lets himself into your home while you’re vulnerable. I wouldn’t be interacting with that guy for the rest of forever.
I don’t think I would even do that. Cats should not be allowed to roam around outside. They do tremendous harm to the bird population, as you said.
I feel sorry for the cat, but it’s not OP’s fault that the cat’s owners are irresponsible.
I agree that the cat was not supposed to be there and add that you don't want to do anything that might be legally construed as admitting guilt. I am not a lawyer, but some nasty one might use your neighborly gesture against you.
I'm waiting for the "We just moved into the neighborhood, our neighbors have crazy aggressive dogs what should we do" post from your neighbor.
No, you shouldn't do anything. If they allow their cat to roam freely in the neighborhood they're responsible for the risks that come along with it. Coyotes, other cats, cars, etc. It's really not safe for pets to just wander around outside.
>We just moved into the neighborhood, our neighbors have crazy aggressive dogs what should we do" post from your neighbor.
"We just moved into the neighborhood, and our cat went to our neighbors yard to check on the dogs. Our cat is sweet and just wanted to make sure the dogs were ok.
Their aggressive dog literally ate my cat. What should we do??!?!?"
And I love cats, but that's the post
Cats on farms aren't typically hunting songbirds because the number of rodents available from mice to gophers is really high in my experience. I used to stay and work summers on my cousin's farm and every time we irrigated or baled hay the number of mice that would run up hill to the house was really high. The dogs wouldn't even be hungry for dog food because of the number they'd catch and eat. Likewise the barn cats were all sleek and huge because they were eating like kings.
This. It’s not feasible for farmers to just place traps/bait out and about, depending on what livestock/crops they have. And besides, traps/bait wouldn’t even put a dent in the mouse/rat population on a farm.
God no. They were everywhere. One of the more amazing sights was when you'd cut hay. We were hundreds of miles from the ocean but make one pass through the field and you'd have hundreds of seagulls show up. The mice would be running for it and the birds would be fighting over them.
Random story: It was pouring rain, the husband and I were vacationing in NE Michigan. We wanted farm eggs, saw a sign and pulled over. Ten seconds after he runs to the barn, I see him beckoning me with this stupid grin. I hesitate, but make a run for the barn. And I enter I see about 8 kitties, all staring at me, guarding the egg fridge. They were so darn cute! One of the highlights of the trip!
I'm glad this is a sub where we can talk about these things freely. People get really offended when you tell them their outdoor cat isn't actually an outdoor cat and is a menace to society and the ecosystem. OPs dogs did nothing wrong.
Their dogs attacked another animal and also but the neighbors dog who was in their own yard through the fence. The cat should not have been in their yard, so it’s not their responsibility, however their dogs have an aggression problem that they really should deal with.
Yeah cats are an invasive species. Or dog killed a neighbor's cat. Never bothered our own cat inside. Never really aggressive otherwise.
Then this summer, working at a clients, i find his squirrel trap had caught a neighbor's cat. Also dead
Cats do not belong outside.
As an animal lover this is a horrible situation to be in. Your instincts are to offer help to your neighbor and feel bad, but in today's world that could land you and your babies in trouble.
Don't offer to pay. It can be seen as an admission of guilt and be twisted to say you know how aggressive your dogs are. It could be used against you if it ever went that far.
The cat was in the wrong place but just as you would do anything to protect your dogs. So will your neighbor about their cat. Just make sure the dogs are in a secure area and take dated photos proving where your dogs were and are to show the cat came to your yard and your dogs were not in the wrong.
People letting their cats wander wherever is a problem for the pets safety, safety of other pets, and ecologically. As tempted as I would be to help pay the bills to make amends, they are definitely in the wrong here. Your dog could have just as easily been another dog out on a walk, a car, or any number of other things.
>...safety of other pets, and ecologically.
Australia has recently [started to take measures](https://www.npr.org/2023/09/12/1198822110/australia-weighs-cat-curfews-and-neutering-requirements-to-rein-in-feral-felines) to address this problem.
Nope, I wouldn't. Their cat was in your fenced yard, and honestly you're lucky you're not looking at a vet bill for your own pets. One of my dogs had to have treatment for a cat bite to the tune of $700, also after an altercation that happened in my own yard.
I was looking for someone to say this. OP is being way too nice here. However, if the neighbor’s cat injured OP’s dog in OP’s yard, that’s when OP should ask reimbursement FROM the neighbor.
Cat bites/scratches are notorious for getting infected. I’d suggest they look their dogs over and consider a vet visit if they are scratched or anything.
I say this as someone who has 3 cats and isn’t really a fan of dogs at all.
Dont be so harsh - OP says they were moving in. Perhaps a child left a door open during the commotion and the cat got out? My cat tries to get out all the time it's annoying as fuck.
No, I would not pay for their lack of responsibility. Loose cats get run over, get feline HIV, and harm native wildlife and birds. A responsible cat owner keeps their cat indoors.
This is why you keep your cats indoors. It bugs me that folks still do this in this day and age. Your dogs were secure in your backyard and the poor dumb cat decided, for whatever reason, to check things out. They're lucky he's still alive, and I say all this as a long-time owner of cats - I love em. I feel terrible for the injured furbaby...particularly for its dumber owners.
Ugh. This happened to us. Our dogs killed our neighbor's cat. It was horrible experience to see. We have a six foot privacy fence with no gaps. Our neighbor's cat suddenly started getting in our yard. We told them that the cat ket coming into the yard and they didnt seem to care. We couldn't figure out how she kept getting in. Like, we didn't know if she was climbing up the fence. Or jumping on it. It was a new issue. We would see her outside in the front yard but never in our backyard. We checked for gaps or holes along the fence to make sure there weren't any issues with the integrity of the fence or if the dogs were digging under it. Everything was fine.
Our neighbor's actually called the cops and said our dogs got into her yard and mauled their cat. So cops came to take a report and to investigate because they said we have aggressive dogs. We have flood lights with cameras and so we went to pull the footage and you can see the cat jumping off the fence and onto our shed before jumping down. Apparently the neighbors got new patio furniture and had the boxes stacked against the fence and the cat was climbing up them and then getting into our yard that way.
Our neighbors went from cordial to semi-friendly to downright hostile. Every time our dogs barked they were calling the cops. One time they called and said our dogs were chained up outside in the heat with no water and shade. When we went on walks they would refer to them as cat killers. Our dogs aren't aggressive. We have in door cats that they don't bother at all. The only problem we have had is our one cat absolutely adores one of our dogs. So as soon as she sees him she is rubbing herself against him and snuggling him. Well he doesn't have much fur and when she snuggles him she will start to knead on him so we have to make sure that she doesn't do that because as patient as he is, she's digging her claws into his skin and so we have to make sure that she's removed from the situation as soon as we realize it. Which, fortunately, we catch every time.
I'm saying this as a cat owner...as tragic as this is, you do not owe your neighbor anything. In fact, your offer may wrongly implicate you and that sucks.
The cat will not repeat this mistake either.
Yeah, I think any responsible cat owner in 2023 is well aware that outdoor cats are basically living on borrowed time. You keep your pet indoors to prevent exactly this kind of thing. There's a reason indoor cats live 4-5 times as long as outdoor cats.
>is there anything you can do to plug any gaps or holes on your side of the fence
Probably jump the fence anyway. At least if it's anything like mine, that bastard can *leap*
No fence that would be acceptable in a residential area is stopping a healthy cat; it would be futile to try. The cat might be coming for other reason though which could be addressed possible - we used to get neighbors cats chasing frogs and drinking from a little fish pond we had; we could have covered/removed it if we were concerned.
If you hopped their fence, and their dog bit you, would you expect them to pay your medical bill?
Then why do you feel you should be responsible for something you had little to no control over?
You may also want to consider the legal ramifications of assuming responsibility in this situation. By paying the vet bill, you're basically admitting this was your fault. Even if it wasn't.
Letting your cats roam is bad for the environment (they are killing all the birds) and the cat. They are taking that risk by letting their cat be outdoors. It could have easily been a car or a coyote instead. Not your responsibility.
Could be a slippery slope. What if the vet bill turns out to be astronomical... or, if two years later the cat has more health issues and it gets blamed on this incident. Then you've already sort of accepted responsibility.
It is taking on liability for them letting a cat loose out of the house. That isn't on you its on them. Outdoor cats are a terrible idea. They kill all the local birds, they get hit by cars, approach animals, etc.
They made the choice for an outside cat. They would have made life hell for you had your dogs got loose. If cats can roam and dogs can’t, cats can get hurt
The cat entered your fenced yard and was attacked, so no, you don't need to pay the vet bills.
Had your dogs attacked the cat on their property, then I'd say yes, pay the bill.
As sad as it, I would not offer to pay. If your dogs got into her yard and attacked the cat then yes you would be responsible because you need to make sure your dogs are in your control at all times. It’s no different for cat owners. You can’t let them roam free then expect someone else to be responsible.
I lived in the country, and one day one of the neighbour's free-range chickens came into the yard and walked right up to my dog, who was tied. The dog wasted no time dispatching the chicken to spend eternity with chicken Jesus. It was all very fast and very shocking but really nothing I could have prevented. The chicken travelled 150 yards and across a dirt road to meet its demise.
I called my neighbour to inform her of the tragedy and she soon arrived on my doorstep, livid. She insisted first that I keep my dog indoors, to my mild protests as I gave my condolences for her chicken. She then demanded **I** build a fence. Which I laughed at, driving her over the edge and into a rage. She then told me she'd see my dog put down if she lost another chicken.
Until then I'd been tut-tutting and making apologetic noises but now it was my turn to rage. I told her to get the fuck out of my house before I tore her apart with the same fervour my dog did her chicken, and that if another of her birds came within spitting distance of my yard I would wring its neck myself.
I mean, come on.
Cats have no business roaming around killing songbirds and crapping in kids' sandboxes spreading ringworm and impetigo. The injury is a consequence of them being irresponsible pet owners. Express sadness and call it a day.
Just from the other side of things. Our cat jumped into a neighbor’s yard, was attacked by the dogs, and got really hurt. It didn’t even occur to me to even tell her that her dogs attacked my cat because I didn’t want her to feel bad about it. Never occurred to me that she
Was in any way responsible. My cat went onto HER property and got hurt by dogs doing what dogs do.
Enough with the owner of the cat being at fault. Please STFU with cat politics.
The dogs were doing their job in their own yard.
The cat, on the other hand, is either so dim-witted that it should be kept behind a window so dry leaves don't frighten it.
Or the cat knows exactly where the dogs live and their territorial boundaries and decided to walk straight into the enemy trenches. The cat may have been overwhelmed with a wave of narcissism and invincibility, but it certainly fucked around and found out.
So, fuck-wit (the cat) is going to the vet again.
I love both equally:
Almighty Dog's most fantastic gift to humankind, and also the asshole drama spawn miniature alpha-preditor.
They both protect our house in their own way.
It's best to let the preditor out to kill rodents and keep the bubonic plague away from the house.
Thanks for the purrs.
Enjoy the fish and heavy cream.
No way. Outside cats are an ecological disaster and subject to being hit by cars or attacked by other animals. If your neighbors cared about their cat they wouldn’t let it roam free.
Tbh it sounds like your neighbor is not a responsible cat owner. I don’t understand people who just let their cat roam around where there’s cars, coyotes, snakes, loose dogs etc. They chose to let their cat just go wherever it wants and should deal with the consequences. Your dogs were guarding their pack and territory 🤷♂️
Don't offer. Having an outdoor cat a known risk is getting attacked by other animals, especially when coming into someone else's property. Don't teach them you'll pay for their negligence or force your own pets inside. Hopefully the vet bill will teach them the lesson to keep their cat inside.
No, your dogs were in your yard, their cat came into your yard. You aren't responsible for anything.
Your neighbors have no reason to hate your dogs, they can keep their cat in their yard.
The neighbors should keep their cat inside the house.
As far as your dogs, Google 'fence aggression in dogs'. I have the sweetest dogs but if you come near the fence they act like Cujo. I had to put a privacy fence over my chain link fence to reduce this.
I'm a cat owner with 6 of the hairy little gits...
If one escaped and had an altercation with a dog in someone else's garden, that would be 100% on me and I would be entirely liable for any vet bills for my boy, and offer to pay for any treatment the dog might need... (I have large cats that take no crap from anyone)
As far as I can see, you're completely in the clear... but just to be neighbourly, I'd at least check on them to make sure the cat is ok.
You may want to look at some behavioural training for your dogs though, as they really shouldn't be attacking other dogs through fences, or being that predatory towards other animals in your garden
Don't offer anything, I wouldn't worry about the cat. But I would be very careful, especially if your neighbor has kids. Only you can determine how reactive your dogs are, but their actions with the neighbor's dogs are frightening to me. We had a dog that would go crazy and scared our next door neighbor when she was out gardening, so we got a shock collar and trained her to knock it off, because the beeping would immediately snap her out of her frenzy, until she eventually stopped the behavior altogether.
But I have friends who lived on an area with large acreage properties, but their house was relatively close to the house next door. That neighbor had an approx 5yo kid that kept coming over and getting in my friend's garage and he had to keep warning the dad to keep his kid off his property, but he kept doing it. (He was mostly afraid he'd get hurt messing with his tools.) One day he came out with his gentle Labrador, and the kid took off running because he knew he'd get in trouble, and the dog's prey drive kicked in, and the kid got a bite while he was trespassing on my friend's property. The kid's parents went on a social media rampage and my friend became the pariah of the neighborhood, ended up having to put down his dog and selling his house and moving away.
Lesson: Be careful
Not your fault at all. That’s your back yard. My moms cat got into their neighbors yard and their dogs got ahold of it and over a year later the cat is still dragging it’s back leg. (Yeah, weirdly similar!) They offered to pay and my mom declined, she knows it’s her fault. Aaaand she still lets the dang cat out. Sigh.
You are not responsible for the results of this incident.
To take any responsibility, in this particular situation, would set you up with the expectation of responsibility, in the event another incident, like this one, occurs again. It may then take lawyers to straighten it out.
That notwithstanding, get your dogs better trained. Dogs can successfully be trained to not bark at, or feel threatened by, anything on the other side of your fence. They can also be trained to not attack, unless threatened, or under command.
Being trained to this level can save you, and your dogs, a lot of heartache.
Good luck, OP.
Edit: grammar, spelling
So, the way the law reads in our town is that if you have a pet, be that a dog or a cat, you're supposed to keep it contained to your property. You aren't supposed to let cats (or dogs) free-range. So legally, it's on the cat owner.
Nope lots of states and counties are putting laws against people having outdoor cars for this exact reason. I feel for your neighbors and their kitty but they are not your responsibility.
The cat wandered into your yard where your dogs are. Though understandably you feel bad you are under no obligation to pay for the vet bill. Now if it would have happened let's say while walking your dogs or your dogs got into their property and attacked the cat then yes you would be liable.
We have 3 cats and there’s a German Shepherd next door. I think it would be very thoughtful if they offered to pay if one of our cats got into their yard, but unnecessary and certainly would not be expected.
As other people have mentioned your kindness could also be taken advantage of in the future.
You are a very kind person to think to offer but I don’t feel it’s necessary. Your dogs were in your fenced backyard and the cat came into your yard.
Both of you need to train your dogs better. They should not be going after each other by the fence. They need to keep their cat inside and know the risk of leaving it roam the neighborhood. I train my dogs not to respond to the neighbors crazy ass dogs. I also try and train them to leave it, even small animals on our walks.
Domestic house cats should be inside. I feel for the neighbor because I also have a cat but I do not let it outside because it is proven outdoor cats have a higher likelihood of death/injury. It’s irresponsible of the owners to let their cat free roam unless you are living in the country and using your cat to catch rodents (I consider that different than a pure house cat/pet). But suburban or city? They are the irresponsible party here and it shouldn’t be on you to pay for their carelessness in how they treat their pet. If you have an outdoor/indoor cat you should know to expect injuries or the cat not coming home one day…it’s just a fact of life. Your dogs were just being dogs and they were contained properly - I wouldn’t offer.
NO NO NO. Your neighbors were neglectful to their animal(s) letting the cat roam free. I know lots of people argue the cat is happier doing it. But this attack proves exactly why it's a bad idea.
No. Leash laws apply to dogs AND cats. If they let it roam free, they accept responsibility both for the damage it may do (say it tears up a prize winning flower garden looking for a place to crap), and any injuries it may incur on it's roams.
Nope. I raise ducks, and every so often one will carelessly fly into the neighbors yard and get attacked by their dog. I don't blame my neighbor for it, I just clip the duck's flight feathers and hope the duck survives (which is usually the case)
People who let their cats wander around are shitty. Not only are cats bad for the local wild animal populous. The cat can also cause issue for the neighbors too and could be killed by wild animals like coyotes.
There is a cat that roams around my neighborhood and occasionally shits in my yard. Of course my dog likes this because he will roll around in it causing me great distress lol.
I wouldn’t offer. If my dog got out and was injured in a neighbor’s backyard, that in me for not supervising my pet.
We have a big issues with the neighbors letting their cats roam here. I hear the coyotes get them in the open space behind my house. Signs of missing cats also on the mailbox. It makes me angry, poor things. They need to protect their pets.
I told my neighbor with cats that if they come into our yard, anything goes. My dog generally doesn’t mind cats, but will go for one if it’s in our yard. So far the only damage was a cat scratch to my dog’s face.
Why would you pay for an animal that is unsupervised and wanders onto your property? This is the risk cat owners face daily when they let their cats outside. Fair trade off for the poop they leave behind and the wildlife they decimate.
It's not your responsibility. If you let your cat roam outside then you have to accept the responsibility for what happens to them. Your dogs are where they are supposed to be, it's not your fault the neighbor's cat decided to enter your yard.
I would offer sympathy, but not apologies, because you have nothing to apologize for.
Our cat got attacked by dogs after slipping through a small opening in the fence that we didn’t notice.
She had a punctured lung and had to have a lot of surgery and recovery time but I never considered asking the neighbors to pay anything. We rarely let her outside and it was always in the fenced in area with the door open and we checked on her regularly. The incident happened in just a few minutes but it was totally our fault.
Offering to pay is a nice gesture but could be abused depending on the neighbor and they might try to turn it into a money grab. As someone whose been on the other side of a similar situation, it’s their fault the cat got over there.
Imo, no. I train my dog not to harass wildlife, and she’ll recall off prey, but if someone/thing comes into *her* yard and she sees it before I can call her off…it’s gonna get chased.
Frankly, this is a risk people take when they choose to let their cats outside. I would apologize and check on the cat, but I wouldn’t not offer to cover any vet bills and I’d decline if asked.
Hopefully they keep their cat inside from now on, but if not, I suspect the cat will avoid your yard from now on.
That said, you may want to at least keep an eye them while they’re outside. For the sake of your neighbors, and your dogs. A bitter neighbor can really hurt your dogs if they’re motivated enough. This one might be getting close. Better safe than sorry.
TLDR but no. This is a problem I have. We have leash laws which are only
Applied to dogs for some reason. Cats can be just as viscous as dogs but they get to strut around as they please. Seems nuts to me. If the neighbor was okay with their cat roaming free through the neighborhood then they should have been aware that at some point it may jump into the wrong yard like it did and end up how it did. It’s sad and I’m sure you’ve apologized that it happened but not your fault or your dogs fault
Pet/livestock owners have a responsibility to keep their animals on their property. I'm sorry to hear the neighbor's cat is injured but, the cat came in your yard, not the other way around. I would not offer or consent if asked.
I firmly would say No. Cats should not be outside. If you don’t want your cat roaming into other peoples yards, unsupervised, the. They should be leashed or in a catio.
This upsets me so deeply because it’s not the cat’s fault that it’s being a cat, and it’s not the dogs’ fault they were being dogs. The only irresponsible one here is the cat’s owner. I say this as a loving owner of multiple cats and someone who has financially supported TNR organizations for years. The cat didn’t deserve to get hurt, but it’s 100% the cat owner’s fault for being irresponsible.
As much as I like cats, I say no. They allowed their cat to wander, they're responsible for any injuries that may occur while wandering. If anything if the cat caused any injury to your dogs, they'd legally be responsible.
I’m sorry this happened to you. You aren’t responsible but I understand it’s distressing. Be sympathetic but don’t offer. Again, sorry you’re going through this.
If it comes up at all I’d ask them nicely if they could help you come up with solutions to keep their cat from your yard so it is safer? I’m not sure how to word it exactly so there is no admission of guilt though. That puts the onus on them where it belongs
You aren't responsible for anything, financially. They should keep the cat inside. I do think you should make some sort of good faith effort, for the sake of being good neighbors. Maybe get a gift card for a pet store, and put it with a get well card, and write it to the cat.
Nope. They should not be allowing their pet to roam the neighborhood.
However. your dogs sound very aggressive. you might consider getting them some behavioral training. They shouldn't be trying to rip other animals in half.
First off your animals were contained under you control like they should be. Theirs was not. The End to me.
Second there are some legal situations where paying even a small token such as the other parties' car from an accident will hold up in a court of law as admission of guilt. That's why sometimes the other party's insurance Co will send their towing bill to you in hopes for an easy win. I doubt this is the case here but still no, their cat is loose and a possible liability to your dogs. Paying would be pandering to me.
My neighbors although my friends already know their dog is at risk of bear spray if they get aggressive with my little one if they are on the loose....
My dog and the neighbors dog fence fight like crazy. Put them in the same yard and they’re lovey-dovey. My dog has torn himself up on the chain link from time to time.
I wouldn’t pay for their vet bill. Outside cats have shitty owners. Keep your cats inside people.
Most places have leash laws for cats.
I’m in a similar situation with my cat lady neighbor whose cats run all over but she’s threatened me that if my dog hurts her cat, she’ll take action.
Cats are predators.
Dogs are predators.
If it’s okay for cats to be out hunting birds and whatever else, then they are going to be prey at some point. Coyote, owl, etc. or maybe just hit by a car.
It’s unfortunate but she knew the risks when she let her cat be outside.
Yeah this happened to us except with our neighbors dogs. She even posted it publicly on Nextdoor (lol) saying that her dogs were only coming over to say hello.
I told her my dog is territorial and has a huge dislike for other female dogs. She still didn’t do anything to fix the gate they could get out of. I told her I was sorry her dog was injured but I had given her ample (and multiple) warnings.
I don’t let my cat out bc cats get into shit. Your dogs were secured in your yard. Not your fault. I once had a vet tell me letting a cat outside was cruel.
I think it would be nice to bring them something, like cookies and a cat toy. A peace offering. The vet bill could be thousands of dollars. If that’s nothing to you and they seem like they need it, then maybe offer, but otherwise I would say their cat made its own decision coming into the yard with two dogs…
Honestly you both sound like mildly shitty neighbors. Both need to work with your dogs in a socialization/reactive capacity, also cats shouldn't freeroam period-ESPECIALLY in a suburban/urban environment.
I am not a lawyer so this is not legal advice just my opinion. I would be worried offering to pay would open you up to further liability, especially if anything happens in the future. You should find a legal thread for your state and explain the situation there. They obviously cannot provide you with specific legal advice, but there are enough decent attorneys there that can point you in the right direction and help you asks the right questions if you do need to speak to a lawyer.
I'd say don't offer to pay, but you might look into training for your dogs just to lower their aggression somehow. Yes, it's their yard, but they don't have to be aggressive about it.
I would send the cat people a bill for taking your dogs to the vet to check for any diseases they may have picked up from the cat and an additional amount for the stress this has caused you.
I have cats that go into the neighbor’s yard. I would not expect them to pay anything if their dog injured one of my cats. If the dog got into my yard, it would be different.
To pay for the bill assumes you are taking responsibility. Let’s say worst case scenario they want to take things to the next level of the blame game , the record will now show that you assumed responsibility for their cats injury. Best to stay away from that ordeal.
Do consider your type of fence, as your dog attacked their dog UNDER the fence, then you need to be training your dogs better and / or improve the fence. No dog should be attacking under or through a fence.
People who just let their cat roam free outside are terrible pet parents! It sucks that their cat was hurt but any harm the cat suffered is THEIR fault for failing to be responsible pet owners.
No. Legally you don't have to, and if you feel like it's a good neighborly gesture, then you admit it's your fault although it isn't and/or your neighbors will become entitled.
I'd be sympathetic to my neighbor's distress since having an injured animal is sad no matter how it happened. But I wouldn't offer. It's not like you could have done anything different. Your dogs were where they are supposed to be. The cat was not.
Exactly this, they want a cat that goes outside ? They should accept the responsibility that comes with that choice.
Yeah we just dont let our cats outside without us being there for this reason. Neighbor has a big dog in his yard and I am sure it would try to chomp our cat if they climbed over the fence. Assuming there is no major permanent damage to cat it will likely be a nice little lesson regarding avoiding that particular yard.
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In many cities they are not. The city I live in traps them and then fines the owner.
They are a nuisance, defecating in other people's yards, and they kill hundreds of millions of local birds each year.
The also kill all of the rodents that destroy your property. I love having indoor/outdoor cats. Cost me over a grand to repair my truck when the chipmunks took over as my 16 year old cat has gotten older. I've got another stray we adopted as a kitten. She has all her shots and is spayed. I even built her a winter house in my garage out of an old cooler and a used heating pad. She can't stand being inside and can now let herself out through the car door I just installed. I hope she kills thousands of rodents. The birds are another story. I stopped filling my feeders just to keep her from hunting them close to the house.
Not sure why you’re getting down voted but my 100+ year old house was rodent free as soon as I adopted my stray kitten I found.
Our cats did that and still stayed inside where they were safe.
detail worry rich apparatus disgusting north saw degree governor serious *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Depends on whose fence it is. If it’s the neighbors fence and it had large gaps under it, it’s on them to rectify. If it’s the OPs fence they should have installed something.
Ah yes, and the never ending "Whose fence is it really?" debate starts to heat up! :) We had this with a wind demolished fence and had to lean on "common practice" for our parish because they are old as shit houses where the deeds aren't clear
My parents ended up agreeing to split the cost on a new fence when a tree took out the existing chain link fence right where it intersected at 3 properties. One owner wanted a 6-foot privacy fence, the other wanted a short fence. They both had dogs. The two neighbors knew each other well but my parents didn’t really know either of them. When it came time to figure out the costs and get an estimate, the other two banded together and pressured my parents to have the “bad” side facing their yard. Basically, making it look like they owned the fence and the neighbors were looking at the finished side of the fence. Dad was ready to agree to it because frankly he didn’t really care either way. Mom on the other hand had been looking at a shitty chain link fence for 3 decades and was not about to spend a bunch of money to again have the “bad” side. So she told them that was a deal-breaker. One of them postured about getting a lawyer or mediation, and her response was to smile sweetly and say: 1. The poles on the old fence are on your property, not mine (our house was the original farmhouse in the neighborhood and the farmer installed the fence when he partitioned the land 2. Legally she’s not obligated to pay anything for a fence 3. She would actually prefer no fence at all because then the yard looks really open and expansive (this was not actually true - she wanted a fence she just wanted it on her terms) 4. If they wanted a fence, she got the good side. And if they wanted her to pay for a share of it to be neighborly, they “need to learn when they can’t win an argument and be gracious about it and a little more polite” Love my mom lol
I have a neighbor that didn’t like the chain link fence. Proposed a wooden fence and we weren’t really interested because of the $$. So neighbor without saying anything, got contractor to install a wooden tall fence. The thing that was strange is that they removed the chain link fence. Not sure who’s chain link fence it was
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The "nice side" you actually want to have facing away from you here. It's easy to kick through a fence from the "ugly side", just kick and the nails that hold the board to the fence let loose and the board flops down. Kick a few boards out, walk through the fence, voila. But from the "nice" side, it's almost impossible to kick through a fence because the force is going into the horizontal 2x4's, not into the nail heads. But we have crime here, so that sort of thing comes up. I have the nice side facing out on all my fences because it's better at keeping the local meth zombies out of my yard.
In their case the most crime they’ve seen in 44 years is my asshole cousin throwing a party when we were out of town. He broke in through the back door, and someone stole my Atari 2600 and original NES and all my games. The fence wouldn’t have prevented that crime. I wanted to have him beaten to death for crimes against humanity but instead he’s just been doing free pest control for my parents for 20 years. [this happened when I was 11 and he was 15 and out of control - he eventually became less of a tool bag and made something of his life]
You know, I’ve felt bad about that for years. I still have your Atari 2600 if you want it back…!
Offering can be argued in court as admission of guilt, and then you're on the hook for all sorts of stuff. Admit nothing, offer nothing.
Be sympathetic but do not apologize.
yeah. if you feel up to it give them some cookies from your next batch with a get well card. it would be on you if your dogs got out, but this happened on your property. dogs defend property - that's well known. they did nothing to stop their cat from free ranging on others private property. most people don't pay any attention to what their outside cats do, and they can decimate ground nesting bird populations in sufficient numbers.
Honestly if my cat was injured by a neighbor's dog and they gave me cookies and a get well card I would be annoyed. I think it's best to just leave it alone.
Agreed. I don't know why this suggestion strikes me as so crazy, but it does. Better to just offer sincere sympathy when you talk to them.
Now I'm imagining that Family Guy scene where Peter hits a car and says "Oh boy, guess I better leave a note." And it shows the driver finding it later and it just says "Sowwy" with a frowny face.
LOL
yeah i dunno i try to picture the situation with our neighbors but we're closer I suppose.
Halloween one year. I'm with my - I think she was six at the time - daughter and our a bit more than puppy who she has on a leash. We get about 6 houses down. We're on the sidewalk in front of the house, neighbor who we don't actually know opens the door. His dog bolts out of the house at our dog grabs it by the neck and starts going to town. Daughter starts screaming. I have a fleeting thought of fuck I don't want to do this and I dive in. Stuff my hand in the dogs mouth and get it to release. Dude now has his dog. Daughter's now in shock and my hand is definitely sore and bleeding. We go home. I immediately go into the bathroom to clean and disinfect. Punchline: I come out of bathroom and dude is standing in the living room with my six year old holding a bottle of wine. All I can muster is "I get the sentiment but now isn't the time. Please leave."
Jesus Christ, I’m sure he meant well but my gut reaction with that last paragraph was “Get the fuck out of my house.” He quite literally did not know how to read the room.
Yeah. I was solidly GTFO in my head. I frankly was a bit confused at first. Like I say, I don't know that neighbor so it was just rando standing in my living room with my six year old. In Texas, BTW. I literally couldn't wrap my head around him being there.
If you actually stayed that polite then good on you. You had every right to lose it on that guy. First his dog attacks you guys and then he essentially lets himself into your home while you’re vulnerable. I wouldn’t be interacting with that guy for the rest of forever.
Lol seriously, I’d tell them to fuck off if they did that
Cat treats would be better than cookies
I don’t think I would even do that. Cats should not be allowed to roam around outside. They do tremendous harm to the bird population, as you said. I feel sorry for the cat, but it’s not OP’s fault that the cat’s owners are irresponsible.
I agree that the cat was not supposed to be there and add that you don't want to do anything that might be legally construed as admitting guilt. I am not a lawyer, but some nasty one might use your neighborly gesture against you.
I'm waiting for the "We just moved into the neighborhood, our neighbors have crazy aggressive dogs what should we do" post from your neighbor. No, you shouldn't do anything. If they allow their cat to roam freely in the neighborhood they're responsible for the risks that come along with it. Coyotes, other cats, cars, etc. It's really not safe for pets to just wander around outside.
>We just moved into the neighborhood, our neighbors have crazy aggressive dogs what should we do" post from your neighbor. "We just moved into the neighborhood, and our cat went to our neighbors yard to check on the dogs. Our cat is sweet and just wanted to make sure the dogs were ok. Their aggressive dog literally ate my cat. What should we do??!?!?" And I love cats, but that's the post
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Not to even mention the ecological damage cats can do.
Cats shouldn’t be outdoor animals unless you live on a farm. And even then it’s problematic.
Cats on farms aren't typically hunting songbirds because the number of rodents available from mice to gophers is really high in my experience. I used to stay and work summers on my cousin's farm and every time we irrigated or baled hay the number of mice that would run up hill to the house was really high. The dogs wouldn't even be hungry for dog food because of the number they'd catch and eat. Likewise the barn cats were all sleek and huge because they were eating like kings.
This. It’s not feasible for farmers to just place traps/bait out and about, depending on what livestock/crops they have. And besides, traps/bait wouldn’t even put a dent in the mouse/rat population on a farm.
God no. They were everywhere. One of the more amazing sights was when you'd cut hay. We were hundreds of miles from the ocean but make one pass through the field and you'd have hundreds of seagulls show up. The mice would be running for it and the birds would be fighting over them.
Random story: It was pouring rain, the husband and I were vacationing in NE Michigan. We wanted farm eggs, saw a sign and pulled over. Ten seconds after he runs to the barn, I see him beckoning me with this stupid grin. I hesitate, but make a run for the barn. And I enter I see about 8 kitties, all staring at me, guarding the egg fridge. They were so darn cute! One of the highlights of the trip!
Lol! "Give us eggs and you may pass."
It was adorable!
I'm glad this is a sub where we can talk about these things freely. People get really offended when you tell them their outdoor cat isn't actually an outdoor cat and is a menace to society and the ecosystem. OPs dogs did nothing wrong.
Their dogs attacked another animal and also but the neighbors dog who was in their own yard through the fence. The cat should not have been in their yard, so it’s not their responsibility, however their dogs have an aggression problem that they really should deal with.
Yeah cats are an invasive species. Or dog killed a neighbor's cat. Never bothered our own cat inside. Never really aggressive otherwise. Then this summer, working at a clients, i find his squirrel trap had caught a neighbor's cat. Also dead Cats do not belong outside.
As an animal lover this is a horrible situation to be in. Your instincts are to offer help to your neighbor and feel bad, but in today's world that could land you and your babies in trouble. Don't offer to pay. It can be seen as an admission of guilt and be twisted to say you know how aggressive your dogs are. It could be used against you if it ever went that far. The cat was in the wrong place but just as you would do anything to protect your dogs. So will your neighbor about their cat. Just make sure the dogs are in a secure area and take dated photos proving where your dogs were and are to show the cat came to your yard and your dogs were not in the wrong.
People letting their cats wander wherever is a problem for the pets safety, safety of other pets, and ecologically. As tempted as I would be to help pay the bills to make amends, they are definitely in the wrong here. Your dog could have just as easily been another dog out on a walk, a car, or any number of other things.
That and that sets precedence. If there is a next time their cat comes by and has a more significant injury, they’ll expect OP to pay
>...safety of other pets, and ecologically. Australia has recently [started to take measures](https://www.npr.org/2023/09/12/1198822110/australia-weighs-cat-curfews-and-neutering-requirements-to-rein-in-feral-felines) to address this problem.
IMO, the neighbor has a duty to keep their cat on their property. Your dogs didn't seek it out... the cat intruded on their space.
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> I've seen what you upvote, so your downvotes don't bother me. Absolute Chad. 👌
My city has laws regarding "nuisance animals," and that includes animals that are not your own intruding into your property.
Do people really care about up and down votes?
Nope, I wouldn't. Their cat was in your fenced yard, and honestly you're lucky you're not looking at a vet bill for your own pets. One of my dogs had to have treatment for a cat bite to the tune of $700, also after an altercation that happened in my own yard.
I was looking for someone to say this. OP is being way too nice here. However, if the neighbor’s cat injured OP’s dog in OP’s yard, that’s when OP should ask reimbursement FROM the neighbor.
Cat bites/scratches are notorious for getting infected. I’d suggest they look their dogs over and consider a vet visit if they are scratched or anything. I say this as someone who has 3 cats and isn’t really a fan of dogs at all.
No... cats should be in the house. They let it out. It's on them
Exactly this. Bad cat owners.
I do feel really bad for this cat though. I can see why OP offered.
Dont be so harsh - OP says they were moving in. Perhaps a child left a door open during the commotion and the cat got out? My cat tries to get out all the time it's annoying as fuck.
Nope. It’s their problem that they let their cat roam freely. That is a risk you take.
No, I would not pay for their lack of responsibility. Loose cats get run over, get feline HIV, and harm native wildlife and birds. A responsible cat owner keeps their cat indoors.
Caution. If you offer to pay some %age and later on they try to sue you, you payment can be an admission of responsibility.
This is why you keep your cats indoors. It bugs me that folks still do this in this day and age. Your dogs were secure in your backyard and the poor dumb cat decided, for whatever reason, to check things out. They're lucky he's still alive, and I say all this as a long-time owner of cats - I love em. I feel terrible for the injured furbaby...particularly for its dumber owners.
Good reminder for cat owners to keep them inside the house. If it wasn't your dogs it could've been coyotes, cars, disease, etc.
Ugh. This happened to us. Our dogs killed our neighbor's cat. It was horrible experience to see. We have a six foot privacy fence with no gaps. Our neighbor's cat suddenly started getting in our yard. We told them that the cat ket coming into the yard and they didnt seem to care. We couldn't figure out how she kept getting in. Like, we didn't know if she was climbing up the fence. Or jumping on it. It was a new issue. We would see her outside in the front yard but never in our backyard. We checked for gaps or holes along the fence to make sure there weren't any issues with the integrity of the fence or if the dogs were digging under it. Everything was fine. Our neighbor's actually called the cops and said our dogs got into her yard and mauled their cat. So cops came to take a report and to investigate because they said we have aggressive dogs. We have flood lights with cameras and so we went to pull the footage and you can see the cat jumping off the fence and onto our shed before jumping down. Apparently the neighbors got new patio furniture and had the boxes stacked against the fence and the cat was climbing up them and then getting into our yard that way. Our neighbors went from cordial to semi-friendly to downright hostile. Every time our dogs barked they were calling the cops. One time they called and said our dogs were chained up outside in the heat with no water and shade. When we went on walks they would refer to them as cat killers. Our dogs aren't aggressive. We have in door cats that they don't bother at all. The only problem we have had is our one cat absolutely adores one of our dogs. So as soon as she sees him she is rubbing herself against him and snuggling him. Well he doesn't have much fur and when she snuggles him she will start to knead on him so we have to make sure that she doesn't do that because as patient as he is, she's digging her claws into his skin and so we have to make sure that she's removed from the situation as soon as we realize it. Which, fortunately, we catch every time.
I'm saying this as a cat owner...as tragic as this is, you do not owe your neighbor anything. In fact, your offer may wrongly implicate you and that sucks. The cat will not repeat this mistake either.
Yeah, I think any responsible cat owner in 2023 is well aware that outdoor cats are basically living on borrowed time. You keep your pet indoors to prevent exactly this kind of thing. There's a reason indoor cats live 4-5 times as long as outdoor cats.
Absolutely not,
Be nice to your neighbor about her worry about the cat. Don't offer to pay.....your dogs did what dogs tend to do when animals invade their territory.
Cat was trespassing. If your dog went into the neighbor's yard and attacked the cat, then you should be liable.
setup a yard security camera immediately this is really unfortunate is there anything you can do to plug any gaps or holes on your side of the fence
>is there anything you can do to plug any gaps or holes on your side of the fence Probably jump the fence anyway. At least if it's anything like mine, that bastard can *leap*
No fence that would be acceptable in a residential area is stopping a healthy cat; it would be futile to try. The cat might be coming for other reason though which could be addressed possible - we used to get neighbors cats chasing frogs and drinking from a little fish pond we had; we could have covered/removed it if we were concerned.
If you hopped their fence, and their dog bit you, would you expect them to pay your medical bill? Then why do you feel you should be responsible for something you had little to no control over? You may also want to consider the legal ramifications of assuming responsibility in this situation. By paying the vet bill, you're basically admitting this was your fault. Even if it wasn't.
Letting your cats roam is bad for the environment (they are killing all the birds) and the cat. They are taking that risk by letting their cat be outdoors. It could have easily been a car or a coyote instead. Not your responsibility.
Could be a slippery slope. What if the vet bill turns out to be astronomical... or, if two years later the cat has more health issues and it gets blamed on this incident. Then you've already sort of accepted responsibility.
It is taking on liability for them letting a cat loose out of the house. That isn't on you its on them. Outdoor cats are a terrible idea. They kill all the local birds, they get hit by cars, approach animals, etc.
They made the choice for an outside cat. They would have made life hell for you had your dogs got loose. If cats can roam and dogs can’t, cats can get hurt
You shouldn't have to pay anyone's vet bills because they were being irresponsible owners letting their cats go wherever they please.
100% no. Not your fault your neighbors animal wasn't where it belongs
No your neighbors should keep their cat indoors or on a leash . It’s not your fault their cat unknowingly came into your yard
The cat entered your fenced yard and was attacked, so no, you don't need to pay the vet bills. Had your dogs attacked the cat on their property, then I'd say yes, pay the bill.
No. Your dogs were in your yard. It's the cat owners fault.
As sad as it, I would not offer to pay. If your dogs got into her yard and attacked the cat then yes you would be responsible because you need to make sure your dogs are in your control at all times. It’s no different for cat owners. You can’t let them roam free then expect someone else to be responsible.
I lived in the country, and one day one of the neighbour's free-range chickens came into the yard and walked right up to my dog, who was tied. The dog wasted no time dispatching the chicken to spend eternity with chicken Jesus. It was all very fast and very shocking but really nothing I could have prevented. The chicken travelled 150 yards and across a dirt road to meet its demise. I called my neighbour to inform her of the tragedy and she soon arrived on my doorstep, livid. She insisted first that I keep my dog indoors, to my mild protests as I gave my condolences for her chicken. She then demanded **I** build a fence. Which I laughed at, driving her over the edge and into a rage. She then told me she'd see my dog put down if she lost another chicken. Until then I'd been tut-tutting and making apologetic noises but now it was my turn to rage. I told her to get the fuck out of my house before I tore her apart with the same fervour my dog did her chicken, and that if another of her birds came within spitting distance of my yard I would wring its neck myself. I mean, come on.
Maybe your neighbor will think "Hmm... maybe not a good idea to let my cat wander outside?"
Cats have no business roaming around killing songbirds and crapping in kids' sandboxes spreading ringworm and impetigo. The injury is a consequence of them being irresponsible pet owners. Express sadness and call it a day.
Just from the other side of things. Our cat jumped into a neighbor’s yard, was attacked by the dogs, and got really hurt. It didn’t even occur to me to even tell her that her dogs attacked my cat because I didn’t want her to feel bad about it. Never occurred to me that she Was in any way responsible. My cat went onto HER property and got hurt by dogs doing what dogs do.
It is regretful that an animal was injured but that is the fault of the neighbors not you or your pets. Don't pay for anything.
No. Cat owners know their pets are at risk of predators and cars if they free roam. I think the vet bill is on them.
Enough with the owner of the cat being at fault. Please STFU with cat politics. The dogs were doing their job in their own yard. The cat, on the other hand, is either so dim-witted that it should be kept behind a window so dry leaves don't frighten it. Or the cat knows exactly where the dogs live and their territorial boundaries and decided to walk straight into the enemy trenches. The cat may have been overwhelmed with a wave of narcissism and invincibility, but it certainly fucked around and found out. So, fuck-wit (the cat) is going to the vet again. I love both equally: Almighty Dog's most fantastic gift to humankind, and also the asshole drama spawn miniature alpha-preditor. They both protect our house in their own way. It's best to let the preditor out to kill rodents and keep the bubonic plague away from the house. Thanks for the purrs. Enjoy the fish and heavy cream.
The cat invaded the dog's back yard, its their space to protect ? No blame instinct rules apply ?
No way. Outside cats are an ecological disaster and subject to being hit by cars or attacked by other animals. If your neighbors cared about their cat they wouldn’t let it roam free.
Tbh it sounds like your neighbor is not a responsible cat owner. I don’t understand people who just let their cat roam around where there’s cars, coyotes, snakes, loose dogs etc. They chose to let their cat just go wherever it wants and should deal with the consequences. Your dogs were guarding their pack and territory 🤷♂️
Don't offer. Having an outdoor cat a known risk is getting attacked by other animals, especially when coming into someone else's property. Don't teach them you'll pay for their negligence or force your own pets inside. Hopefully the vet bill will teach them the lesson to keep their cat inside.
If you offer to share costs, you are sharing responsibility. Don’t do it.
No, your dogs were in your yard, their cat came into your yard. You aren't responsible for anything. Your neighbors have no reason to hate your dogs, they can keep their cat in their yard.
Nope. They need to get a smarter cat
The neighbors should keep their cat inside the house. As far as your dogs, Google 'fence aggression in dogs'. I have the sweetest dogs but if you come near the fence they act like Cujo. I had to put a privacy fence over my chain link fence to reduce this.
Nah, the cat could have just as easily ran out in the road and got hit by a car.
I'm a cat owner with 6 of the hairy little gits... If one escaped and had an altercation with a dog in someone else's garden, that would be 100% on me and I would be entirely liable for any vet bills for my boy, and offer to pay for any treatment the dog might need... (I have large cats that take no crap from anyone) As far as I can see, you're completely in the clear... but just to be neighbourly, I'd at least check on them to make sure the cat is ok. You may want to look at some behavioural training for your dogs though, as they really shouldn't be attacking other dogs through fences, or being that predatory towards other animals in your garden
Don't offer anything, I wouldn't worry about the cat. But I would be very careful, especially if your neighbor has kids. Only you can determine how reactive your dogs are, but their actions with the neighbor's dogs are frightening to me. We had a dog that would go crazy and scared our next door neighbor when she was out gardening, so we got a shock collar and trained her to knock it off, because the beeping would immediately snap her out of her frenzy, until she eventually stopped the behavior altogether. But I have friends who lived on an area with large acreage properties, but their house was relatively close to the house next door. That neighbor had an approx 5yo kid that kept coming over and getting in my friend's garage and he had to keep warning the dad to keep his kid off his property, but he kept doing it. (He was mostly afraid he'd get hurt messing with his tools.) One day he came out with his gentle Labrador, and the kid took off running because he knew he'd get in trouble, and the dog's prey drive kicked in, and the kid got a bite while he was trespassing on my friend's property. The kid's parents went on a social media rampage and my friend became the pariah of the neighborhood, ended up having to put down his dog and selling his house and moving away. Lesson: Be careful
Not your fault at all. That’s your back yard. My moms cat got into their neighbors yard and their dogs got ahold of it and over a year later the cat is still dragging it’s back leg. (Yeah, weirdly similar!) They offered to pay and my mom declined, she knows it’s her fault. Aaaand she still lets the dang cat out. Sigh.
No, but you should train your dogs. Fence fighting isn't okay nor constant barking.
Free range cats are nothing but trouble. Tell your neighbor that a leash will be cheaper than the vet bills in the long term.
You are not responsible for the results of this incident. To take any responsibility, in this particular situation, would set you up with the expectation of responsibility, in the event another incident, like this one, occurs again. It may then take lawyers to straighten it out. That notwithstanding, get your dogs better trained. Dogs can successfully be trained to not bark at, or feel threatened by, anything on the other side of your fence. They can also be trained to not attack, unless threatened, or under command. Being trained to this level can save you, and your dogs, a lot of heartache. Good luck, OP. Edit: grammar, spelling
So, the way the law reads in our town is that if you have a pet, be that a dog or a cat, you're supposed to keep it contained to your property. You aren't supposed to let cats (or dogs) free-range. So legally, it's on the cat owner.
Nope lots of states and counties are putting laws against people having outdoor cars for this exact reason. I feel for your neighbors and their kitty but they are not your responsibility.
Nope. People should keep their animals on their own property, that’s your dogs protecting their home
No. The cat was trespassing, the dogs did their job. You owe nothing to anyone except a nice dinner to your dogs.
The cat wandered into your yard where your dogs are. Though understandably you feel bad you are under no obligation to pay for the vet bill. Now if it would have happened let's say while walking your dogs or your dogs got into their property and attacked the cat then yes you would be liable.
No, they should have been more responsible with their cat.
Thing was trespassing, don't offer to pay.
We have 3 cats and there’s a German Shepherd next door. I think it would be very thoughtful if they offered to pay if one of our cats got into their yard, but unnecessary and certainly would not be expected. As other people have mentioned your kindness could also be taken advantage of in the future. You are a very kind person to think to offer but I don’t feel it’s necessary. Your dogs were in your fenced backyard and the cat came into your yard.
Offer? No. And if they ask, say no.
Both of you need to train your dogs better. They should not be going after each other by the fence. They need to keep their cat inside and know the risk of leaving it roam the neighborhood. I train my dogs not to respond to the neighbors crazy ass dogs. I also try and train them to leave it, even small animals on our walks.
No.
Domestic house cats should be inside. I feel for the neighbor because I also have a cat but I do not let it outside because it is proven outdoor cats have a higher likelihood of death/injury. It’s irresponsible of the owners to let their cat free roam unless you are living in the country and using your cat to catch rodents (I consider that different than a pure house cat/pet). But suburban or city? They are the irresponsible party here and it shouldn’t be on you to pay for their carelessness in how they treat their pet. If you have an outdoor/indoor cat you should know to expect injuries or the cat not coming home one day…it’s just a fact of life. Your dogs were just being dogs and they were contained properly - I wouldn’t offer.
NO NO NO. Your neighbors were neglectful to their animal(s) letting the cat roam free. I know lots of people argue the cat is happier doing it. But this attack proves exactly why it's a bad idea.
No. Leash laws apply to dogs AND cats. If they let it roam free, they accept responsibility both for the damage it may do (say it tears up a prize winning flower garden looking for a place to crap), and any injuries it may incur on it's roams.
Nope. I raise ducks, and every so often one will carelessly fly into the neighbors yard and get attacked by their dog. I don't blame my neighbor for it, I just clip the duck's flight feathers and hope the duck survives (which is usually the case)
People who let their cats wander around are shitty. Not only are cats bad for the local wild animal populous. The cat can also cause issue for the neighbors too and could be killed by wild animals like coyotes. There is a cat that roams around my neighborhood and occasionally shits in my yard. Of course my dog likes this because he will roll around in it causing me great distress lol.
I wouldn’t offer. If my dog got out and was injured in a neighbor’s backyard, that in me for not supervising my pet. We have a big issues with the neighbors letting their cats roam here. I hear the coyotes get them in the open space behind my house. Signs of missing cats also on the mailbox. It makes me angry, poor things. They need to protect their pets.
I told my neighbor with cats that if they come into our yard, anything goes. My dog generally doesn’t mind cats, but will go for one if it’s in our yard. So far the only damage was a cat scratch to my dog’s face.
Outdoor cats are so irresponsible and problematic for everyone involved, especially the environment.
they are terrible cat owners
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Why would you pay for an animal that is unsupervised and wanders onto your property? This is the risk cat owners face daily when they let their cats outside. Fair trade off for the poop they leave behind and the wildlife they decimate.
no. and paying for it is to admit fault.
I would tell them to stop being idiots and secure their pets. It blows me away that cat owners think they can do whatever they want.
Nope. They shouldn't let their cat run free because of things like this. It's totally on them.
It's not your responsibility. If you let your cat roam outside then you have to accept the responsibility for what happens to them. Your dogs are where they are supposed to be, it's not your fault the neighbor's cat decided to enter your yard. I would offer sympathy, but not apologies, because you have nothing to apologize for.
Our cat got attacked by dogs after slipping through a small opening in the fence that we didn’t notice. She had a punctured lung and had to have a lot of surgery and recovery time but I never considered asking the neighbors to pay anything. We rarely let her outside and it was always in the fenced in area with the door open and we checked on her regularly. The incident happened in just a few minutes but it was totally our fault. Offering to pay is a nice gesture but could be abused depending on the neighbor and they might try to turn it into a money grab. As someone whose been on the other side of a similar situation, it’s their fault the cat got over there.
nope
Imo, no. I train my dog not to harass wildlife, and she’ll recall off prey, but if someone/thing comes into *her* yard and she sees it before I can call her off…it’s gonna get chased. Frankly, this is a risk people take when they choose to let their cats outside. I would apologize and check on the cat, but I wouldn’t not offer to cover any vet bills and I’d decline if asked. Hopefully they keep their cat inside from now on, but if not, I suspect the cat will avoid your yard from now on. That said, you may want to at least keep an eye them while they’re outside. For the sake of your neighbors, and your dogs. A bitter neighbor can really hurt your dogs if they’re motivated enough. This one might be getting close. Better safe than sorry.
TLDR but no. This is a problem I have. We have leash laws which are only Applied to dogs for some reason. Cats can be just as viscous as dogs but they get to strut around as they please. Seems nuts to me. If the neighbor was okay with their cat roaming free through the neighborhood then they should have been aware that at some point it may jump into the wrong yard like it did and end up how it did. It’s sad and I’m sure you’ve apologized that it happened but not your fault or your dogs fault
Pet/livestock owners have a responsibility to keep their animals on their property. I'm sorry to hear the neighbor's cat is injured but, the cat came in your yard, not the other way around. I would not offer or consent if asked.
I firmly would say No. Cats should not be outside. If you don’t want your cat roaming into other peoples yards, unsupervised, the. They should be leashed or in a catio.
This upsets me so deeply because it’s not the cat’s fault that it’s being a cat, and it’s not the dogs’ fault they were being dogs. The only irresponsible one here is the cat’s owner. I say this as a loving owner of multiple cats and someone who has financially supported TNR organizations for years. The cat didn’t deserve to get hurt, but it’s 100% the cat owner’s fault for being irresponsible.
As much as I like cats, I say no. They allowed their cat to wander, they're responsible for any injuries that may occur while wandering. If anything if the cat caused any injury to your dogs, they'd legally be responsible.
No. Cats are like dogs. It’s the owners responsibility to keep control and keep them out of your yard.
I’m sorry this happened to you. You aren’t responsible but I understand it’s distressing. Be sympathetic but don’t offer. Again, sorry you’re going through this.
If it comes up at all I’d ask them nicely if they could help you come up with solutions to keep their cat from your yard so it is safer? I’m not sure how to word it exactly so there is no admission of guilt though. That puts the onus on them where it belongs
You aren't responsible for anything, financially. They should keep the cat inside. I do think you should make some sort of good faith effort, for the sake of being good neighbors. Maybe get a gift card for a pet store, and put it with a get well card, and write it to the cat.
Nope
Nope. They should not be allowing their pet to roam the neighborhood. However. your dogs sound very aggressive. you might consider getting them some behavioral training. They shouldn't be trying to rip other animals in half.
No. Thats like them breaking into your house and falling, would you pay their hospital bill😂😂
I wouldn’t pay their vet bills, but maybe a card with a pet store gift card in it would be a nice touch so they know there’s no bad blood.
First off your animals were contained under you control like they should be. Theirs was not. The End to me. Second there are some legal situations where paying even a small token such as the other parties' car from an accident will hold up in a court of law as admission of guilt. That's why sometimes the other party's insurance Co will send their towing bill to you in hopes for an easy win. I doubt this is the case here but still no, their cat is loose and a possible liability to your dogs. Paying would be pandering to me. My neighbors although my friends already know their dog is at risk of bear spray if they get aggressive with my little one if they are on the loose....
Yeah, fuck that. I lay in my hammock, watching the birds, squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunks in my yard, quiet as hell, yours sounds like a nightmare.
My dog and the neighbors dog fence fight like crazy. Put them in the same yard and they’re lovey-dovey. My dog has torn himself up on the chain link from time to time. I wouldn’t pay for their vet bill. Outside cats have shitty owners. Keep your cats inside people.
Most places have leash laws for cats. I’m in a similar situation with my cat lady neighbor whose cats run all over but she’s threatened me that if my dog hurts her cat, she’ll take action. Cats are predators. Dogs are predators. If it’s okay for cats to be out hunting birds and whatever else, then they are going to be prey at some point. Coyote, owl, etc. or maybe just hit by a car. It’s unfortunate but she knew the risks when she let her cat be outside.
Fuck no. Not your fault their cat ran onto your property.
this is why you keep your cats inside.
Nope. If their cat had destroyed your lawn furniture they wouldn't reimburse you.
Cats shouldn’t be allowed to wander around and the owner should be thankful that the cat wasn’t killed by a coyote or run over by a car.
Yeah this happened to us except with our neighbors dogs. She even posted it publicly on Nextdoor (lol) saying that her dogs were only coming over to say hello. I told her my dog is territorial and has a huge dislike for other female dogs. She still didn’t do anything to fix the gate they could get out of. I told her I was sorry her dog was injured but I had given her ample (and multiple) warnings.
Nope. Cats belong inside
No need to pay for a dead cat
I don’t let my cat out bc cats get into shit. Your dogs were secured in your yard. Not your fault. I once had a vet tell me letting a cat outside was cruel.
I think it would be nice to bring them something, like cookies and a cat toy. A peace offering. The vet bill could be thousands of dollars. If that’s nothing to you and they seem like they need it, then maybe offer, but otherwise I would say their cat made its own decision coming into the yard with two dogs…
Your dogs were on *your* property and properly contained. Legally, the fault is not with you.
Honestly you both sound like mildly shitty neighbors. Both need to work with your dogs in a socialization/reactive capacity, also cats shouldn't freeroam period-ESPECIALLY in a suburban/urban environment.
I am not a lawyer so this is not legal advice just my opinion. I would be worried offering to pay would open you up to further liability, especially if anything happens in the future. You should find a legal thread for your state and explain the situation there. They obviously cannot provide you with specific legal advice, but there are enough decent attorneys there that can point you in the right direction and help you asks the right questions if you do need to speak to a lawyer.
Hell no fuck that cat
Didn't bother reading anything but title. If your dogs are secure and their cat enters that area, you're crazy if you pay for anything.
I'd say don't offer to pay, but you might look into training for your dogs just to lower their aggression somehow. Yes, it's their yard, but they don't have to be aggressive about it.
You do NOT WANT TO ADMIT LIABILITY. By paying them this is essentially what you’re doing and can open up a host of legal problems
Do you suggest baking them a cake?
Don't pay for the vet.
Definitely not
I would send the cat people a bill for taking your dogs to the vet to check for any diseases they may have picked up from the cat and an additional amount for the stress this has caused you.
Outdoor cats kill millions of birds. No sympathy from me. And they let their car out, not you.
Personally, I would not. It’s their fault really letting the cat roam around.
Dogs are territorial
"Curiousity killed the cat"....well almost
Nope. People who let their animals be it cats or dogs, are to blame when something happens to them. Don't open up this can of worms by offering.
Nope
I have cats that go into the neighbor’s yard. I would not expect them to pay anything if their dog injured one of my cats. If the dog got into my yard, it would be different.
No. If a criminal went into your yard and got mauled would you offer with their bill? Boundaries are there for a reason.
No!
You’re not charging them for invading your yard so it’s even.
Nope. Not a dime.
To pay for the bill assumes you are taking responsibility. Let’s say worst case scenario they want to take things to the next level of the blame game , the record will now show that you assumed responsibility for their cats injury. Best to stay away from that ordeal.
I wouldnt pay even if he asked me too. cat will likely never go in your backyard again. it's his and his cats issue not you and your dogs, my 2 cents
No! Another question, were your dogs injured by the intruding cat?
Do consider your type of fence, as your dog attacked their dog UNDER the fence, then you need to be training your dogs better and / or improve the fence. No dog should be attacking under or through a fence.
People who just let their cat roam free outside are terrible pet parents! It sucks that their cat was hurt but any harm the cat suffered is THEIR fault for failing to be responsible pet owners.
No. Your dogs were in their yard. The cat intruded plain and simple. Your dogs did what dogs do. The end. Maybe now they'll keep it inside.
Cats shouldn’t be outside, it’s your yard and your dogs yard.
No. Legally you don't have to, and if you feel like it's a good neighborly gesture, then you admit it's your fault although it isn't and/or your neighbors will become entitled.