Opinions please. My dog chased a neighbor's cat.

[kiloyd]

First the quick version. This past weekend when walking , no never mind, the long version.

This past weekend while walking my dog and a dog I was pet sitting, I dropped the leash when my dog saw a cat and she chased it and it ended up going 10+ feet up a Pine tree.

What happened was: we were walking down the road and I noticed a cat so crossed to the other side of the road and avoided my dog even seeing the cat.

On the way back, the cat was on the other side of the road, I crossed to the other side and again avoided my dog seeing the cat. But the cat was walking toward us and the road, stopped right by a bush on the edge of a yard, a pick up truck was coming so I took a few steps in the cat's direction and held my hand up for the truck to slow down. I could see the possibility of the cat running out right in front of the truck.

Truck went by, THEN my dog saw the cat! I wasn't holding the leashes neatly and started to switch them or something and her leash got dropped, she took off after the cat. Chased it up to a fence, then the cat ran across a driveway and under bushes (with my dog in pursuit and me in pursuit of my dog) then cat ran up the pine tree.

I got my dog. A neighbor from across the street came out and I asked if it was his cat, he said no. Person who's yard cat was in came out, I asked if it was his cat, he said no. I said I'd get out of the way since my dog was still barking and freaking out the cat. So we went home.

Passed someone tonight while walking and she walked up and asked if it was my dog that chased her cat. I told her yes and said I was sorry and was cat okay?

She said she's appreciate it if I'd take another route and walked away.

I wish I had thought to ask at that moment would she like to know what happened. But I didn't.

I've been walking my dog for 2 years here. It was an outdoor cat. That is a danger of an outdoor cat. (my cat is an indoor cat). And I was trying to keep her cat from getting run over!

If you made it this far, shall I leave it alone and do my best to not let my dog get loose? (she rarely gets loose anyway). Or shall I go over there without my dog and tell cat owner what happened?

[ECingMama]

Yes, I'd let her know what happened. Yes, I'd keep walking that way. How rude of her to suggest her u.leashed cat owns the street!!!

[ThreeKids]

I'd ignore her. You never know who's looking for some drama. If she wanted to know what happened, she'd have let you tell her before bossing you around.

[houseforjoy]

i'd ignore here and keep walking your dog wherever you want. if she makes more of an issue of it i would try and politely explain what happened, but if you let your pet outside without a leash then.... well there are in fact consequences of that

[kiloyd]

Don't know if age matters but cat owner is white haired, 75? 80?

---------- Post added at 12:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:19 AM ----------

Originally Posted by houseforjoy

i'd ignore here and keep walking your dog wherever you want. if she makes more of an issue of it i would try and politely explain what happened, but if you let your pet outside without a leash then.... well there are in fact consequences of that

I lean toward this.

I walk this route almost daily. This is the first time this has happened to her cat.

Nearly two months ago my 7 yr old was walking Lady with me next to her and Lady saw a cat and ripped the leash out of Amanda's hand. I chased Lady around that house twice! Ended up on their deck and caught her. A man came out on the deck and I said "she chased your cat, I'm so sorry!". He was totally fine with it. This was around the corner. I now know to watch for a cat and my dd rarely walks Lady anyway. I walk her 99.9999% of the time.

I had never seen this cat that she chased up the tree. Cat was kind of taunting her anyway, as cats do. I mean, hey! I managed to walk by cat twice without Lady noticing.

[AngelaVA]

I can't believe she said that. No don't take a different route, and you don't owe her an explanation either. Her cat is running loose, a dog scared it, I really can't think of anything more predictable or normal.

[twentysixcats]

I'm a total cat person and I think you should ignore her and continue on your normal route. That was really rude of her.

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[WanderingJuniper]

I'm a cat person who has her cat sneak out arast once a day. I would expect animals to be animals when they encourage get each other without restraint. And it happens on occasion . Leave it alone and simply be more aware of leash control.

[twoplustwo]

Originally Posted by kiloyd

Cat was kind of taunting her anyway, as cats do. I mean,

I was going to say, this cat was taunting your dog (oh how the cats love to taunt my dog. Even sitting on our front porch. One time my dog got out, chased the cat back home and she doesnt come on our property anymore).

Her cat was outside. Which isn't even legal here, but people do it. Which is fine but I would say at their own risk then.

Your dog was leashed. Yes, she got away, but that occasionally happens.

I say to this lady and her you can't walk this way attitude.

[Ms_Dahl]

I have an elderly neighbor that had an issue when we parked our car on the street (we have a one car driveway and occasionally one car will need to be parked on the street to give access to the other vehicle). She left a bossy note on my car, which was a minor trigger for personal reasons. I was annoyed but my spouse told me to be "neighborly" in my dealings with her. Now that it has been over a year since the encounter and her daughter sought my spouse's services for his job skills, I'm glad I followed his advice. I do occasionally park on the street where she doesn't like it but I try to avoid that if possible.

So, all that to say that I suggest to find a way to be neighborly without having to inconvenience yourself entirely....is there a way you can do that? Perhaps it's to make sure you stay on the opposite side of the street where her house is located when you walk that route and be extra conscious of the leash when you pass her home?

[CelticJourney]

Ok......so dog sees cat, dog chases cat, cat runs faster than dog and cat climbs a tree.

Sounds like the 'cat avoids dog' system worked perfectly!

If they say this again, try 'well, for that to work, you are going to have to install some sort of GPS system on the cat and link me in so that I know WHERE your free roaming cat is at any particular time so that I can "take another route". I rerouted twice to avoid your cat that night and slowed down a truck so it wouldn't HIT your cat and you are still upset, so clearly this method isn't working'.

[kiloyd]

Originally Posted by CelticJourney

Ok......so dog sees cat, dog chases cat, cat runs faster than dog and cat climbs a tree.

Sounds like the 'cat avoids dog' system worked perfectly!

If they say this again, try 'well, for that to work, you are going to have to install some sort of GPS system on the cat and link me in so that I know WHERE your free roaming cat is at any particular time so that I can "take another route". I rerouted twice to avoid your cat that night and slowed down a truck so it wouldn't HIT your cat and you are still upset, so clearly this method isn't working'.

Most often I walk the whole circle so only pass her house once on a walk, occasionally I switch it up or need to take a quick short walk so go down and come back.

I have a cat and LOVE cats but this is one of the dangers to an outdoor cat. No, I should not have let go of the leash. And it would have been much less likely to happen had I not had two leashes in my hand and it wouldn't happened at all if I had not back tracked a few steps to see if the cat would go away from road and then held my hand up to slow the truck.

Dumb cat to be taunting two dogs anyway.

---------- Post added at 02:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:50 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Ms_Dahl

So, all that to say that I suggest to find a way to be neighborly without having to inconvenience yourself entirely....is there a way you can do that? Perhaps it's to make sure you stay on the opposite side of the street where her house is located when you walk that route and be extra conscious of the leash when you pass her home?

Yes, I can walk on the other side of the street when passing her house and be more conscious of hanging on to the leash in that area (as I do where the other cat lives that she chased).

Lady does come when called, just not when chasing a cat.

I just realized that this house is diagonally across from the house where I use their back yard to let her run.

I think it will be fine if I don't drop the leash again for a very very long time!

What threw me off was cat owner said that then turned around and walked away.

I may actually call Animal Control tomorrow just to see what the law is. I know we have a leash law. And of course I am responsible for my own dog.

She walks on a loose leash by my side or the side of the stroller, except when she sees a cat.

[marbles]

Originally Posted by CelticJourney

Ok......so dog sees cat, dog chases cat, cat runs faster than dog and cat climbs a tree.

Sounds like the 'cat avoids dog' system worked perfectly!

If they say this again, try 'well, for that to work, you are going to have to install some sort of GPS system on the cat and link me in so that I know WHERE your free roaming cat is at any particular time so that I can "take another route". I rerouted twice to avoid your cat that night and slowed down a truck so it wouldn't HIT your cat and you are still upset, so clearly this method isn't working'.

exactly! an outdoor cat is going roam and be chased. If you habitually let your dog run loose and chase anything and everything, yeah she'd have a right to be mad. But dogs on leashes sometimes escape I have an outdoor cat. If I see her being chased, I will open a window so she can jump inside and maybe I would wave to whoever's dog it was. I would just ignore it unless or until this person approaches you again. She will probable tire herself out before then demanding all dogs to stay off her street

[kiloyd]

I would only be angry if a dog chased my cat many times or hurt my cat.

I have always wondered if Lady would hurt a cat if she caught it. Nope. She sort of cornered the cat against a privacy fence then cat shot away and ran up the tree. I think it is just the thrill of the chase. She is a Treeing Walker COONHOUND.

[Wonder Woman]

I'm a total, total cat person - actually afraid of dogs - and I still think you did nothing wrong, nor should you have to change your route.

I'll save my rant about irresponsible pet owners who let cats out unleashed and unwatched for another thread (One thing if they escape...another thing to let them roam and spray all up my siding. Errr...I said I'd save that rant, didn't I? )