| Topic: | Dog kills cat | Forum Home |
| Posted by: | Paul Higham | |
| Date/Time: | 24/10/12 13:21:00 |
| At about 12.30 yesterday afternoon our cat was killed by a local dog. Sitting on our front doormat watching the world go by – as he so often did – he was brutally and savagely attacked. By a dog that had chewed through a makeshift tether, escaped through a front door left open by builders, and gone walkabout around the neighbourhood. In fairness, its owners came round to apologise and say how sorry they were. That took courage and compassion, and they are almost as distraught as we are. And I’m sure their decision not to use their normal metal lead to tie the dog up while they went out will haunt them as it haunts us. Dogs have chased cats since time began, but on most occasions those encounters seem to be in a playful ‘let’s have some fun’ mode. Very seldom do they get out of hand, even if the dog is off its lead, (most cats give as good as they get!), and it must be very rare indeed for a dog to go this far. In the end, the size difference – and the fact that our cat was cornered in our doorway – brought about this awful ending. So a beautiful, gentle, friendly and intelligent cat has been suddenly and brutally taken from us. A cat that was almost human in the way he tried to understand what we were saying, and used to ‘bat’ at our fingers with his claws fully retracted so as not to scratch us. He enriched our lives so much for 14 years, and we already miss him terribly – especially given the nature of his death. He was well-known and well-loved up and down Goldsmith Avenue, and we know he will be missed by others too. And no matter how many times we are told by the dog’s owners that their dog is gentle and friendly and “has never chewed through his lead before” and “never chased cats”, we are – perhaps understandably – unconvinced. And, speaking personally, I have no idea how I will react if I ever see that dog in the area again. It clearly has a real issue with cats and, given the opportunity, may repeat his actions. So the purpose of this sad tale is partly cathartic (and thank you for allowing me that), but also to serve as a warning for other cat – and dog – owners in the area. Pets come into our lives asking very little of us and give us a wonderful and unconditional return. And whilst allowing them their freedom to roam, we also need to be mindful of the sometimes horrific consequences… |