Eek what a nightmare! Hope you manage to come to some kind of arrangement x

Thanks everyone.

No, don't have any kind of insurance, home, contents or otherwise.

I am so sorry. What a terrible situation for everyone involved. Are you legally bound to pay for the vets bill?

I hope you can sort this out.

Is it just me that thinks Dotties previous owner should shoulder some of the responsibility? Was it her house? her garden? her negligently unlocked gate ? and I'm guessing as she was the previous owner of said dog she'd have an idea of how she'd react.

I know if it were my house, my gate, my garden and you were there by invitation I couldn't just absolve myself of all responsibility.

I agree totally with this.

Thats a hard one, whereas they are your dogs, it wasn't your fault that the gate was left open....however some could argue you should of checked...not that I am but you know how people are.

Firstly have you yourself spoken to the owner of the cat, sometimes in the heat of the moment all sorts of emotions run high, by now she may of mellowed alittle and you can sort something out rationally. Also have you spoken to your dogs previous owner and see if she would shoulder abit of the responsibility .... its all worth a try, personally I would ring both parties and then go round and sit and have a chat, see what can be sorted Hope things work out for you x

Not trying to shift responsibility at all. After all, they are our dogs and we should have double checked that the gate was shut, as we weren't in last, and we just wrongly assumed that the gate was closed as per usual whenever the dogs visit.....BUT I do agree too that Dottie's previous owner was partly to blame by leaving the gate open! Though when we got to her house, she was a bit distracted because the dogs went mad rushing in and making loads of noise, as she herself has a cat, which they obviously know about as Dot used to live there (but she never used to be that bad with cats until she met Storm - this is the reason that we don't visit more often as the dogs just go crazy when they first get there!!!)

Thing is, I'm a bit scared to mention her shouldering some of the responsibility and helping to pay! I feel as though she may (or may not) consider this to be a way of trying to get out of paying for the cat's treatment, as she knows that we are very short of money! I haven't spoken to her since yesterday, but she although she admitted she had left the gate open, she didn't mention taking any responsibility for the blame. Dottie's previous owner and the cat's owner are quite good friends, so I'm sure that they have discussed quite a lot between them since it happened!

I haven't heard from the cat's owner yet, so still haven't heard how much the bill is going to be! The whole thing just makes me feel sick!!

Thanks!

No, we're not legally bound to pay the vets bill, but I just feel that it's the right thing to do, as it was our dogs who attacked the cat!

I totally disagree. The dogs are the OP's sole responsibility and that responsibility includes their safe containment. The OP assumed the gate would be locked rather than checking. Obviously it was just an accident but the OP's friend can't shoulder any blame for leaving a gate unlocked in HER garden where she can do as she wish. It isn't up to the OP's friend to think about how to control and contain someone else's dogs; that is down to the owner.

So sorry to hear of this. Feel sorry for everyone all round! Mind you, some might think 16 is old but my last cat lasted until 21! Best of luck!