Hi all,
I'm new here today. I found the forum while looking for advise.

Sadly today we lost another of our cats to the neighbours 2 Staffy bull terriers.

This is our second loss to the same dogs in 2 months.

We moved into the cul de sac only 4 months ago and brought our 3 cats, Patch, Angus and Bitsy with us. They are all out door cats and are all very friendly. The local kids loved them and will always be talking to them and tickling their tummy. Angus and Patch would always roll over and talk to anyone willing to tickle and talk back to them.

Late in may, our grey and White tabby, Angus, ventured into the back garden 5 doors down and was savagely attacked. We had to have him put down as his injuries were so severe. I approached the dogs owner and her attitude wash shocking and she showed no remorse nor any kind of apology. Nor did she offer any help with the vets bill. Just some sob story told with huge attitude about how she's a single mum.

It took me a while to calm down and accept that it's not the dogs fault and had recently just started to get over the whole trauma. My 6yr old son still sometimes bursts into tears and tells me he wants his Angus back

So 2 weeks ago we picked up 2 pedigree Bengal kittens and are keeping them indoors until I can build a cat run outside. Marley is a marble blue eye Bengal and Apollo is a brown spotted metallic.

Everything was settled until today. Our old boy Patch was on our front lawn when these 2 Staffys came hurtling across the road and they both grabbed him and shook him violently. He never even saw them coming. He passed away in the car on the way to the vets.
The dogs owner came out as the attack happened. My wife managed to pick up Patch once they let go. The dogs owner showed even less emotion this time and immediately started yelling at my wife. Patch couldn't breath very well and wasnt moving. She started denying her dog attacked my cat last time then tried to tell us Patch was ok. My wife argued that patch couldn't breath so she started Saying I suppose you'll go and have him put down now!

This woman is a nasty piece of work and what I call 'trailer trash'.
I see at least one of the dogs loose outside every couple of weeks, and in the time i have lived here, i have NEVER seen her walk the dogs, I have only seen her young daughter with one on a lead outside but not actually walking it. Im not surprised they bolt or get over excited when they see a cat! She has also admitted that her dogs hate cats, if that's true then I don't know how an 8yr old girl could keep hold of a Staffy if it decides to bolt after a cat! We have the police coming round but alas I have absolutely no confidence in Essex police.

If anyone has any advise or had a successful case against a dog owner, please feel free to advise me.

Many thanks. Andy
We have eye witnesses to both attacks and I want to press charges against the owner

I would press charges straight away and keep every cat inside till the cat run is made. Also report it to the RSPCA and the animal cruelty league.

Aren't the staffies behind a fence or are they let free to roam everywhere by the owner?

I think it is illegal if they are left to roam the neighbourhood

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Have: 4 Cats 3 Dogs currently
Have had: 6 cats

Dogs: German Shepherds
Cats: Ginger Tabby & Torbies

RIP: Ducati, Cheetah, Joy, Claire & Sapphire - Torties
Chloe - Black & White

I am afraid I can't really offer advise, but perhaps you could speak to the citizens advice bureau for help? I am so sorry to hear about what you have been through though, it must be heartbreaking to lose your cats in such a cruel way

Agree... don't let any of your cats out untill you've got the cat run.
For their own safety
I hope you can take this horrible woman to court

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Our little furry family:

Dobby- Male CC Powderpuff puppy.
Maisey- Female grey & white fancy rat.
Lillian- Female albino, seal point fancy rat.

This is awful, I'm so sorry - I can't imagine how awful this must have been to witness.

The first thing that comes to mind is the Dangerous Dogs Act; however, I don't know whether a dog attacking and killing a cat would define it as a dangerous dog under the act. If it attacked a person, then a different story - it would be destroyed immediately. As much as I hate to see animals killed, there are times when it's absolutely necessary. Your best hope might be to portray the dogs as potentially very dangerous to people, as evidenced by the way they have attacked and killed your cats.

But the biggest problem appears to be your neighbour. Unfortunately, humane common sense seems rarely to apply to trash like that.

Don't delay in reporting these dogs to the local warden - they will not allow dangerous dogs to be loose in the neighbourhood, especially if the dogs have already killed two cats. This woman's behaviour sounds disgusting, she doesn't appear to be a responsible dog owner at all. You could also report a case of cruetly to the RSPCA if these dogs aren't being walked at all. Really sad as it isn't the dogs fault - just an irresponsible and neglectful owner
So sorry to hear about your cats, take extra care in making sure these dogs can't get to your new babies until it's all sorted!!

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I'm so sorry for the loss of your cats, it sounds like the dogs' owner is irresponsible & if the dogs are always running loose then I would get in touch with the dog warden asap, sadly as the dogs haven't attacked a human & one of the attacks was on their own property I don't know if there's much that can be done
I wish you luck & hope you can pursue this, for the sake of your poor cats, any future cats who might be victims & also the dogs, who are clearly owned by the typical 'idiot' the media like to report about

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First, I m saddened you hear of you terrible loses - you must be devastated.

Next, Re youcat going into the garden of the neighour - sadly there is little that you an do on that score - as many dogs - mine probably too - could attach a strange cat in our garden.

As for the incident on your lawn - do not know how you stand legally - if I were in you shoes I would at the very least report - at the very least that dreadful woman should be made to keep her dogs under controll and at the very very least muzzled! - whether you could go for procecusion yourself again I do not know! Rainybows (an old member here) did suffer a similar loss a while back - maybe worth talking to here and see what the out come was there!

Andlast - maybe a good idea if you kept you cats in until your run it finished - would be terrible to lose another.
DT

I just want to say how sorry I am to read this sad post. It doesn't sound right that the dogs were able to run across the road and onto your private property! Surely that must be illegal. I don't think there's much that can be done about your cat sadly being attacked by a dog in its own garden. But the second attack in your garden rings alarm bells.

If there had been a child playing in your garden then this woman's dogs could have attacked a child which is definitely something the authorities should listen to even if they are not bothered about cats being attacked so I think it's definitely something that needs to be reported.

So sorry.

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Bonnie and the gang xxx

So angry (and much saddened0 to hear this has happened to your cats - definitely report it to the police and see what legal advice you can get. If you get nowhere perhaps report it to your local paper and get a bit of coverage - may force that irresponsible neighbour to take note. If they can do that to a cat - they could do it to a child.

Please keep us updated.

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Kaz

For kittens, joy is for the asking and smiles are for the giving