Would this worry anyone else? :(

F

FionaM12

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 August 2011
Messages
7,357
Visit site
At the back of my house there's an old quarry which is now a park. It's rather wild in parts and those bits are mostly used by dog-walkers. It's a great place to let your dog run about as it's rough terrain and woodland/overgrown in places and far from the road.

I have a rescued staffy cross, Bobby. He's fine with other dogs but he HATES cats. Fortunately they get away from him with ease if he comes across one as he's not very nippy on his feet. I never let him off the lead anywhere there are other animals and/or cats, like the yard.

However, a local chap had suddenly taken to walking his little cat in the quarry on a lead. It's on one of those extendable dog leads, so it can get quite far from him but can't run away. This seems to me a really dangerous thing to do, in a place where a lot of dogs run free. If a dog suddenly runs at the cat, it can't escape and may get tangled in its lead in trying to do so.

I saw the chap last night, fortunately Bobby wasn't with me. I asked him was he not worried about dogs? He answered (with a laugh) no, he'll just pick his cat up if a dog comes near. But the cat was feet away from him, surrounded by trees and bushes which a dog could come running out of at any time...

I might decide to muzzle Bob in the quarry from now on just in case we come across the little cat. However, there are many other dogs out there which won't be. :(

What do others think?
 
Same rule would apply for all dog walkers that dogs must be under control. Control would be on a lead or with re call. Just as dogs can't attack livestock, poultry, children or even other dogs, they can't attack a cat which is on a lead and not free roaming.
Usually, cats out roaming can look after themselves, but here the owner could be injured by a wayward dog in these circumstances.
 
dogatemysalad said:
Same rule would apply for all dog walkers that dogs must be under control. Control would be on a lead or with re call. Just as dogs can't attack livestock, poultry, children or even other dogs, they can't attack a cat which is on a lead and not free roaming.
Usually, cats out roaming can look after themselves, but here the owner could be injured by a wayward dog in these circumstances.
Click to expand...

The trouble is people won't expect to come across a cat on a long lead in these circumstances. Dogs run about in the quarry, you can't see them all the time because of the terrain. Loose cats keep out of the quarry when dogs are about, or sprint up trees (I see them do this from my back window :) ). There are some dogs who will never be entirely safe with cats, and I just think the cat is so vulnerable here. :(
 
I guess the dog owners, like yourself, will quickly get used to the cat being walked. I wouldn't expect a dog to be attacking a cat on a lead with its owner. The dog owner would not be in control.
If a dog is a danger to a cat, it could equally be a danger to a small dog. Dogs can't go around killing people's pets.
 
Sadly it does happen though, dogs do sometimes kill pets. :(

A few cats round here have been killed by dogs. I wouldn't put a cat in a situation where I think it could be at risk.
 
Yes, it does happen. I lost a nursing queen when a neighbours two GSD's escaped from their garden and my cat was too heavy with milk to escape quickly enough. Their owner was devastated, as I (and her kittens) were.

I do think that walking the cat on a lead is perfectly reasonable. My neighbour walks one of hers on a lead, as I used to when I was a child.
I also used to walk a rabbit on a lead and a friend used to walk a lamb on a lead around the village. I'm sure none of us expect to be attacked by an out of control dog.
 
It wouldn't worry me as my terrier is scared of cats.....I know...she's special!
If she's at the yard and gets too close to the yard cats they chase her away!

But I'm afraid no matter where we are, we should all be in control of our dogs all the time. We simply never know what's around the corner. Whether it's a cat/another dog/whatever.
I never let my little rascal off the lead unless we are somewhere I know for certain we are safe, as her recall just isn't 100%. 9 times out of 10 yes she'll come straight to me, but Id never forgive myself if she injured or killed another animal, especially someone's pet, which they do have on a lead, because I couldn't call her back.
 
I wouldn't walk mine where there is a cat on a lead. They see cats / rabbits etc as prey. They can't differentiate from a wild rabbit they are allowed to chase and catch and one on a lead. I don't think a dog that chases a cat is a danger to other dogs though as they don't see them as prey.
 
I used to walk my rabbit on a lead, but not in a place where I knew dogs were running lose. Also not on one of those long extended leads.
 
Copperpot said:
I wouldn't walk mine where there is a cat on a lead. They see cats / rabbits etc as prey. They can't differentiate from a wild rabbit they are allowed to chase and catch and one on a lead. I don't think a dog that chases a cat is a danger to other dogs though as they don't see them as prey.
Click to expand...

That's what I think. However good we think our recall is, they are running through the woods, instinct can kick in and it could be over in a minute.
 
I can stop them chasing most things. The sheep in my horses field run around and I say leave and he will. Even though he's dying to chase them. But however good his recall is, I honestly don't think I'd stand a chance with a rabbit or cat on a lead.
 
All I can suggest is muzzle, keep him on a lead or choose somewhere else to walk... Maybe the cat walker will see that it is an accident waiting to happen after a near miss with another dog?
 
I'm a cat owner, not adog owner, and I think that's a crazy thing to do with a cat where dogs are running loose. The street, maybe yes. A park, no.
 
I used to have ferrets and took them down the street on a lead. But I wouldn't dream of taking them to the local dog walking place. It would be asking for a disaster!
 
Tiddlypom said:
My terrier would take out a cat in an instant.
Click to expand...

Sadly it's in their nature. No dog is foolproof, you see the odd one being disobedient even at high level competitions. In the end they're dogs, and terriers killing instinct is very strong. :(
 
I think it's rather charming and eccentric, although perhaps not very sensible.

I suppose at the end of the day he takes the risk regards any injury that might befall the cat, and I certainly wouldn't change my dog walking habits because of him. Nor would I muzzle my dog.
 
muzzling wont necessarily stop anything happening. Lurchers in particular will use their had and the muzzle to bludgeon rabbits/cats etc. My 2 are cat friendly and live happily with my cat but I'd hate to think what would happen if they came across one in an area like that :(
 
My two can't catch a loose cat (we get the occasional visitor to our garden). They could probably catch one on a lead! I can recall both off chasing rabbits and squirrels but if we came upon man + cat suddenly I'd have to pray that I was quick enough to get the recall shout in in time.
 
I think the guy has as much right to be walking his cat on a leash as anyone does having their dogs walking out. However, dogs, even ones who have their own cat/s at home can react very differently to other cats they find in a different environment. My own dogs, whilst they don't go off my property, would for sure kill a strange cat if they found it on our farm, and yet they adore our 3 house cats. But even our own cats would most likely be seen as vermin if the dogs saw them outside on the farm as they are not used to our cats being outside. Outside small fluffy critters are badgers, rabbits, chipmunks, porcupines, groundhogs and raccoons and my dogs will kill them.
 
I think your dogs shouldn't be off the lead if there is a chance of him being there with the cat and your dogs were likely to chase/kill the cat. We have a footpath through a field next to our house, our dogs are a bit territorial there, so if there's anyone else there with a dog I wait ten minutes or so until they have gone past. In the same vein he has every right to be there with his cat and you should wait a bit until he leaves. He can't be there all day..
 
Honey08 said:
I think your dogs shouldn't be off the lead if there is a chance of him being there with the cat and your dogs were likely to chase/kill the cat. We have a footpath through a field next to our house, our dogs are a bit territorial there, so if there's anyone else there with a dog I wait ten minutes or so until they have gone past. In the same vein he has every right to be there with his cat and you should wait a bit until he leaves. He can't be there all day..
Click to expand...

Due to the nature of the terrain, you wouldn't know who was there until you come across them. It's a windy path through trees and quite overgrown. There are dogs running everywhere and you just come across each other. You often meet a dog some minutes before you see his owner. :)

I'm not disputing his right to be there, I just think it's very risky.
 
cptrayes said:
I'm a cat owner, not adog owner, and I think that's a crazy thing to do with a cat where dogs are running loose. The street, maybe yes. A park, no.
Click to expand...

This ^^^ its hard enough people avoiding dog on dog attacks without a cat in the mix on a long line. I also dread to think how many dogs would leap up at the man with a cat in his arms, which then then cause the cat to panick and claw/scratch in sheer panick and get dropped by the owner and then no doubt scragged by a dog. Cats with full freedom to run often get caught and killed, I think the idea is lovely but in practice its not good safety for the cat.
 
CAYLA said:
This ^^^ its hard enough people avoiding dog on dog attacks without a cat in the mix on a long line. I also dread to think how many dogs would leap up at the man with a cat in his arms, which then then cause the cat to panick and claw/scratch in sheer panick and get dropped by the owner and then no doubt scragged by a dog. Cats with full freedom to run often get caught and killed, I think the idea is lovely but in practice its not good safety for the cat.
Click to expand...

Yes, the awful thought of him grabbing the cat and the dog leaping up had occurred to me too. :(

It does seem most here agree it's a dangerous situation. My parting words to him the other night after our conversation were, "I'd just hate to think of something awful happening to your lovely cat." Maybe he'll think about that, but I fear he just couldn't see the danger. :(
 
This would be an interesting legal case as I think the law regards cats differently to dogs. Does anyone know?

I came across this…. Dog kills cat but police say there is no evidence of a criminal offence.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/1056...s_kitten_is_killed_by_dog_in_Shoreham/?ref=rc

Also, if you stick your head in a lion's mouth and get it bitten off, you wouldn't have much of a case against the owner of the lion as you've seemingly put yourself in that position! Taking a cat or a rabbit out for a walk in public where others exercise their dogs would seem a particularly stupid thing to do in my opinion, but then there is no shortage of stupidity in this world.
 
I can't see that there is a case in that story above. Different if the jrt had got into the cats garden I imagine. But the cat was on the dogs property. Sad but these things do happen. My friends grey hound killed a cat that came into it's garden and there were not charged with anything either.
 
We've got an old disused quarry near here, its an area where dog walkers (and children) go regularly. Has a steep precipice and NOTHING but nothing there to stop dogs or kiddies going through it, only a notice saying "Danger". Like, dogs & kiddies can't read!!

Its been there for years, god knows how they're allowed to get away with it, but the company who opened up the original diggings promised that when they had finished quarrying the land would be restored to its original order (i.e. woodland), however their promises were short-lived as they were very soon after taken over by someone else, who were then taken over by someone else, etc etc. So only a few older members of the population can actually remember the fact that this promise was made. Presumably it was in the Parish Council minutes somewhere, but they're as much use as a nun-in-a punch-up TBH.

Unfortunately I've got the horrid feeling that sweet FA will be done about it till some poor kid goes adventuring and topples in there..............:(
 
Copperpot said:
I can't see that there is a case in that story above. Different if the jrt had got into the cats garden I imagine. But the cat was on the dogs property. Sad but these things do happen. My friends grey hound killed a cat that came into it's garden and there were not charged with anything either.
Click to expand...

My next door neighbour's cat comes in my yard and "teases" Bobby, sitting just out of reach or runs through the yard and leaps the wall in the nick of time. It drives Bobby frantic and worries me as the cat's getting old now and only had to make one mistake...

Nothing I can do though. I can't keep the cat out of the yard. :(
 
Off lead out of control dogs drive me insane, but in this case I do think the man with cat is taking a risk, people simply don't expect to see a cat on a lead and quite right the cat is not as able to shimmy up a tree etc.

I walk a dog who is not too good with other dogs, they tend to dislike his over confident stance but then he gets defensive and snappy, I just tend to avoid off lead dogs, he is never ever off lead bless him but does go on a long line. I know it would be the fault of the person with loose dog, but that wouldn't really help me sleep at night if something happened to him in my care. Of course last week there was a collarless staffy rocketing at him in the street, times like that I am glad he can defend himself and that he is small enough for me to pick up :-/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top