Could not feel any worse right now.

blackcob

blackcob

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Dax attacked my mum's cat this afternoon. I got her to the vet immediately but they've just called to advise that they think it would be best if she was put to sleep; they're calling my mum now to obtain permission.

I very rarely visit but my aunt and young cousins were there also and she specifically asked if I would bring Dax as the boys love to see her. They asked if they could play tag with her in the garden - I asked if the cat was out, she was but they hadn't seen her all day, the boys had hunted high and low and hadn't found her, she was probably in the field next door, let her off to play.

Not five minutes later Dax dived behind the hedge and grabbed her, tight round the middle, I had to prise her off. :( There's not a mark on her, no wounds at all but she's obviously had a good squeeze and a terrible fright, she's in her late teens so not able to bounce back from something like that.

Awaiting a final decision from my mum and the vet but it's probably RIP Tabby Toast, aged (probably) 18, a crazy cranky old rescue cat. :(

God I feel fecking awful. I could kick myself right now. I can hardly look at Dax but it was my fault, not hers.
 
Don't feel too bad, these things happen, with dogs with a high prey drive, for what it's worth, my old girl killed three of my rabbits at separate intervals and I'll come out and say this right now, we have less cats than we did five years ago, I'm not going to say who did what or when or how, because it's done now and I agree totally, it was our fault for being lax, not the dog's fault for taking advantage of that laxity.
Again, all crush injuries, no ragging or ripping or tearing or blood.

You got her to the vet quickly, she's in good hands, she isn't suffering.

Hope the kids are OK/didn't see too much.

For me, the worst bit is how *pleased* they are with themselves for getting their 'thing' :o while you are going banzai trying to get them off it....
 
Goodness what a shame. Not your fault though, or Dax. You did ask if she was there. I always worry what Cara would do if she got hold of a cat. she is the most gentle dog ever until a cat appears and she turns into the tazmanian devil.
Don't be too hard on yourself or the dog. Hope your mum is ok.
 
Well it's done now, RIP Tabby Toast. :(

The vet said she probably had a head injury?! No idea what they're going on about there, I saw it all and she was crushed in the middle only, she got up and ran a good distance away and up a tree so we thought she was okay but it was obviously adrenaline kicking in.

It was entirely my fault, I knew exactly what Dax would do with a cat and I still let her go, I should never have let her off the lead. It would be a slightly different matter if she was in my own garden and killed a trespassing cat but I took her to someone else's house and let her out of my control. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Thankfully the kids didn't see anything except her running up the tree to the treehouse, they think she's still in there and she'll come down when they've gone.

Poor Tabs, she really didn't deserve that, she's had a hell of a life and even survived being run over a few years back, at our best estimate she was eighteen and still very sprightly.

My poor mum has been surprisingly good about it all but I suspect her OH will never forgive me, he loved that cat to bits.

:(

Just going to compose myself a bit, had a good old cry on the phone, then I'll pop over and sort everything out with the vet.
 
RIP Tabby x

It really is just one of those things, don't beat yourself up and I am sure that your Mum's OH will come round. Early doors I know but you could help them look into getting a new rescue cat or something?
 
She has decreed no more animals, ever - we had our share of heartbreak with my childhood cat, Tom, who died from cancer when he was just ten and there's ongoing issues with the horse (not her health, she's fine, just livery issues that I can't see a way to resolve at the moment and the knowledge that this winter is going to be very, very hard to cope with, mother is stressing her head off about it already).

Gah. I just feel so stupid, and so sorry for that poor old cat who didn't deserve an end like that. :(
 
Dreadful thing to happen, but please don't beat yourself up too much. She had a good life, rescued by your mum, and was clearly much loved.

Sending you some (((((hugs))))) as I daresay you could use one or two.

RIP, Tabby Toast.

C xx
 
Being handed the empty cat carrier has set me off all over again. :( All sorted and paid for despite mother's protestations, it was the very least I could do.
 
Oh dear:( it will feel raw for a while yet, these things happen. It could have happened to mine many times over, im just lucky and have a big gob:D
I have 2 akitas in boarding at the moment and I left them out in the garden for a romp, when I went out, they had dug the rabbit out of the run:eek:.
rabbit is thick so he thought they where just extra large play mates and was merrily hopping between them:eek:
cue me........................."LEAVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE IT"! I grabbed girl akita by the scruff and dragged her in and yelled at the male to "LEAVE, LEAVE, LEAVE" luckily he did indeed freeze.
I also threw a terrier in the fish pond for trying to get the cat, I caught him first.
Im sorry for cat, you and your mam, these things happen:(
 
oh what a shame. I can imagine no words will make you feel any better even though it really wasn't your fault, or the dogs really (natural instinct and all that)just an accident! As hard as it is, you just need to try and move on and remember the rescue cat had many happy years. RIP tabby toast :) proper cute name btw!!

chin up!! :D worst things happen at sea..........

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Is there any chance that the cat could already have had the head injury, hence why your dog caught it?

Dont worry too much, its really sad and I understand your upset, but at least you dealt with it really responsibly....xxxxx
 
Oh BC - you must feel absolutely wretched, I know I would be feeling exactly the same as you right now :( If only we could turn back the clocks eh?

But at the end of the day whats done is done I'm afraid. It wasn't your fault, it wasn't Dax's fault, it was just very unfortunate.

Poor old cat but at least he had a very swift and painless ending and lived a good life with your Mum far better than going down hill and her having to make the decision.

Lots of hugs to you.

My old dog Badger came over the road with me one day when I popped in to see my friend, just as he had done a hundred times before, but that day, whilst we were in her kitchen drinking coffee, he killed every one of her chickens :( She was in tears at the carnage, I was distraught, it was bloody awful :(

Don't let this incident cause a rift between you, your Mum and your stepdad if you can help it... more hugs xxx
 
Cedars said:
Is there any chance that the cat could already have had the head injury, hence why your dog caught it?

Dont worry too much, its really sad and I understand your upset, but at least you dealt with it really responsibly....xxxxx
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was just thinking this. If you only saw her get the cat round the middle, how could she have a head injury? It isn't often that a cat is caught by a dog, they are normally too fast.
 
Aw so sorry BC, can just imagine how you are feeling, but you mustn't blame yourself. A friends dog has killed 2 neighbourhood cats, in both instances they came in her garden and nothing she could do but she still felt awful. As I said to her you can't blame the dog, to them it is no different to killing a rabbit out in the field.
Thoughts to you and your mum and family, RIP Tabby Toast.
 
Poor you and poor Tabby Toast. I know exactly how you feel, last year a visitor left my front door open and 2 of my dogs ran into the front where my cat took refuge and after 11 years of keeping him safe they got him. I had a hell of a job to get Liz off and when I did she had already damaged his back end so much that he had to be pts because of the infection a week later. I felt so bloody awful and couldn't look at Liz for weeks, just fed and walked her and that's all, until she got so depressed I had to either forgive her or get rid of her.

I still don't feel the same about her but like everyone else said, it's not the dogs fault, it was entirely my fault and I could kick myself every day when I think about how the poor mite ended his days.

It just shows us all how very close they are to being wild animals still and how we should respect their animal instincts however domesticated we think they are. Try and forgive yourself and the dog, it's horribly sad but it's done and you'll learn from it.
 
chestnuttymare said:
was just thinking this. If you only saw her get the cat round the middle, how could she have a head injury? It isn't often that a cat is caught by a dog, they are normally too fast.
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I honestly don't know, there wasn't a scratch on her outwardly so how the vet came to that conclusion I don't know, unless they meant more like a brain injury as she was in respiratory distress as we arrived there?

God only knows, I am still feeling stomach-clenchingly guilty at the moment. :(
 
Head injury will have been a brain haemorrhage (stroke). Either it had happened prior, or it will have been a bang to the head.

Either way the cat wouldn't have been aware enough to have suffered.

A quick end rather than a slow, lingering, decline.

Rip old kitty.
 
Aw how awful for you :( Try not to dwell on it too much (easier said than done I know) you took all steps for it not to happen, flook that the cat was there and not Dax's fault as you say.

Sweet dreams Tabby cat x
 
I feel awful saying this but I wish this had happened to my Mum's cat :( Instead she has got painfully thin for no reason the vet can find, has a weeping cyst on her jaw that can't be removed, spends most of her time sleeping in the airing cupboard and Mum won't have her pts because she is still "happy". There are worse fates than a dog attack. Rip Tabby and don't beat yourself up about it x
 
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Poor cat and you. No-ones fault, these things happen sadly. As for the knock on the head it could be easilly done if Dax had her round the middle and she bumped her head on the floor.

RIP Kitty and please dont blame yourself too much. x
 
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