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My cat has been attacked by a neighbours dog, it jumped over our fence to get to him. We have now took him to?

the vet he has fractured pelvis, no tail and a huge bite mark out of his hind leg which the vet says is very close to his rectum and may cause him to be incontinent. We took him to emergency vet last night and they done no work on him, just first aid and some pain relief injections and it has cost us £250. Goodness knows what the other surgery etc will cost. Can we insist that the dog owner pays for these vet bills as it was there dog who was responsible. Dont want the dog to be put down but do think they need to be more careful as there are alot of children in the street and it could be one of them next time.

Public Comments

1. First thing, I'm so sorry for this and I hope your cat gets better soon. I understand the pain you're going through.
This is totally in-appropriate for the dog to have done and it could have done this to a child. You should go through what happened with your neighbour and agree for them to pay at least half of the bills as it is their responsibility. As a hint, you could buy them a chain to keep their dog on. I do hope your cat is okay.

God bless you;
Cat :) x

2. I am very sorry for your cat.My opinion is that you must talk to your neighbour about this.I hope ur cat will get well soon.

3. Absolutely the dog owner should pay the vet bills. Make sure your vet or you take extensive photos of the injuries. The vet's report will also be evidence of the attack.
This is why there are leash laws. Especially if the dog jumped your fence to get at your cat.

Unfortunately, with the extent of your cat's injuries, it may be more humane to euthanize him. The pelvis may be able to be fixed, depending on how badly the bones are broken. A Veterinary Orthopedist could wire the bones together.
It's the missing tissue out of the hind leg that concerns me. That probably won't heal well - if at all. And the vet is correct about the incontinence issue. It is possible that your cat has nerve damage to the rectum and won't be able to control when he defecates. He could just drop feces as he walks.

These bills will run into the thousands. I would call Animal Control or whatever your animal governing body is in the UK; and file a report on the attack.

4. My goodness what a nightmare. Yes, your neighbour should pay your bills and keep their dog under control. If it had been a child and not your cat in your garden, the neighbour would be looking at a huge fine or jail sentence. I would phone the police and report the dog as dangerous too. If the neighbour won't pay, you probably have grounds for a civil action anyway.

5. From experience with those types of injury, your vet bill will run into thousands. Be guided by your vet as to the cat's quality of life going forward. If he has no tail, his balance will be affected for life. The massive tissue loss is also an issue, as is the nerves in the pelvis that control bladder/bowel etc.

This dog is a menace. Yes they should pay your bills, that's what third party dog insurance is for. If they haven't got insurance - tough.

Call the RSPCA, report this dog. This is not natural behaviour for a dog. Yes they chase cats, but actually taking a massive bite out of one gives me great cause for concern.

This dog could be a menace, this type of aggression is not what you want from a family pet.

Don't feel guilty about it - that dog may very well have cost your cat his life.

I really do feel for you, it is a horrible situation and please update us on the condition of your cat? Good luck.