BAD Day Yesterday - Dogs Attacked Cat!! :(

We took Dottie (EBT) and Storm to see Dottie's previous owner, as we are very local to her and still keep in touch and see her occasionally.

She lives in a very quiet road and has a small front garden with a gate, which is always locked when we visit, as the dogs can get out into the road if it's not.

Anyway, as we got to her place, we went in with the dogs and Dottie's previous owner was last in and we assumed had locked the gate as usual. We were sat down talking and the dogs weren't around, so we just thought that they were in the front garden as they usually were, looking out across the road. Suddenly though, we heard all this noise and rushed out to find that the gate had been left open (by Dottie's previous owner) and our two dogs had gone across the road and had the neighbour's cat cornered behind a water butt and Dottie was furiously digging at the soil to try to get to the cat!!!

So, we immediately rushed out, grabbed our dogs and got them away as quick as we could and the owner of the cat rushed out crying and picked up the cat (who we found out was 16 years old) and took it into the house. The cat was obviously in shock and bleeding from the mouth!!

They then quickly got into the car and took the cat off to the local vet (which the cat wasn't registered at, as it was registered at another vets somewhere else) and we went back inside shocked and horrified!!

Anyway, Dottie's previous owner (who is friends with the neighbour who owns the cat) phoned me to tell me that the cat has a fractured jaw and obviously needs surgery!! Then she asked if it was ok to give the cat's owner my number, so she could ring to sort out some payment.

Now, I know it was our dogs who attacked the cat and we should pay for the treatment, but I just can't believe this is happened. Apart from the horror of it all and the poor cat being terrified and in pain and having to go through surgery at 16!! We are almost finished paying off (and it's been a real struggle) a huge vet bill from last December (as we weren't insured when Dottie broke her leg a couple of weeks after rehoming her!!) and now, as soon as we have finished paying that off, we will have the same again!!!

I don't know if insurance does pay for this kind of thing, but even if it did, it wouldn't help, as we have Dottie registered with the PDSA only!

What bad luck for everyone involved!!

My dog did the same thing and the 3rd party part of my pet insurance paid up.

Does your household insurance cover you for anyone making a claim against you?

Haven't got any insurance at the moment, don't even drive so no car insurance either. It's just an added expense we can't afford.

We're b******* basically!!

Oh how horrible....

though if I'm being completely honest i'd rather put down an elderly animal than put it through surgery.

does the cats owner have insurance? if so then surely you can just pay the excess?

Oh dear, what a horrible situation. Try not to beat yourself up over it -- accidents happen and your dogs are certainly not alone in the way they reacted to the cat; many would do the same.

Do you know how much it is going to cost roughly? maybe the vet will let you pay in installments.

TBH I can't imagine many owners insuring an elderly cat.

Poor cat and poor you.

Do you not have any buildings or contents insurance?

Dogs Trust will give you 3rd party cover for £25 a year membership.

Oh dear, I do feel for everyone involved. I hope you manage to sort things out x