Random Cat Wont Leave Family Dog Alone : ( (border collie, chihuahua, skin)
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Hi Everyone! First off, I need to tell you the story of “Trooper”. My parents dog.
Trooper came from a family who has him in crate all day and night locked up in a laundry room. They’d only let him out twice a day. They didn’t have time for a pet. We came across him on Craigslist and adopted him. He didn’t like being inside anymore (cant really blame him). So my parents fixed up their backyard, more grass, trees and a new gate. He got a new dog house, new bed, kiddy pool for the summer and tons of toys and love. He loved his new home. They would try to bring him inside occasionally but he was miserable. So recently this cat came around. Theres a bunch of cats since my parents neighbors had two cats and guess what? Didn’t get them fixed so now their two cats have tons of strays around. They really don’t bug anyone. They stay in that area. BUT theres one, that lets you touch/pet him and what not. He’s skinny so I know he’s gone days without eating. This cat has totally invaded the dogs space. He started off when they’d hear his “meows” loudly at the front door. (Causing the indoor dog to bark all night as well). The cat made his way to the backyard and made himself at home. Trooper cant even go into his dog house cause the cat is always in there. He even scratched up his bed!! We used to leave dog food out for Trooper to munch on through out the day but took it away once we noticed the cat. (He still gets fed!). One of my parents now has to stand guard while Trooper eats cause we have noticed the cat go near him and try to scratch his eyes and eat his food. Trooper doesn’t eat comfortably when someone is around (don’t know why) but we have to cause theres no getting rid of the cat. My mom has tripped over him cause he’s always in the way. My dad tried wetting him, he comes back.(I know it may be cruel but we never hit him just a quick splash of water when hes watering the grass) We checked for a microchip, put fliers, asked around and he doesn’t belong to anyone. Trooper isnt happy anymore cause of this cat. We don’t want to turn him into animal services cause we know he’ll be put down. Humane Society is full and wont take him in, researched about 5 different volunteer groups who take in pets, they're all full and cant take him in. We asked around and no one wants cats :/.
My dad was considering him taking him away from their neighborhood. Would it be cruel to drive him (the cat) out into the country and leave him there? We are losing our minds and our dog is miserable (which isnt fair). We are all animal lovers but we feel as if we need to look out for OUR DOG's well being first before any other pets.
Hi Everyone! First off, I need to tell you the story of “Trooper”. My parents dog.
Trooper came from a family who has him in crate all day and night locked up in a laundry room. They’d only let him out twice a day. They didn’t have time for a pet. We came across him on Craigslist and adopted him. He didn’t like being inside anymore (cant really blame him). So my parents fixed up their backyard, more grass, trees and a new gate. He got a new dog house, new bed, kiddy pool for the summer and tons of toys and love. He loved his new home. They would try to bring him inside occasionally but he was miserable. So recently this cat came around. Theres a bunch of cats since my parents neighbors had two cats and guess what? Didn’t get them fixed so now their two cats have tons of strays around. They really don’t bug anyone. They stay in that area. BUT theres one, that lets you touch/pet him and what not. He’s skinny so I know he’s gone days without eating. This cat has totally invaded the dogs space. He started off when they’d hear his “meows” loudly at the front door. (Causing the indoor dog to bark all night as well). The cat made his way to the backyard and made himself at home. Trooper cant even go into his dog house cause the cat is always in there. He even scratched up his bed!! We used to leave dog food out for Trooper to munch on through out the day but took it away once we noticed the cat. (He still gets fed!). One of my parents now has to stand guard while Trooper eats cause we have noticed the cat go near him and try to scratch his eyes and eat his food. Trooper doesn’t eat comfortably when someone is around (don’t know why) but we have to cause theres no getting rid of the cat. My mom has tripped over him cause he’s always in the way. My dad tried wetting him, he comes back.(I know it may be cruel but we never hit him just a quick splash of water when hes watering the grass) We checked for a microchip, put fliers, asked around and he doesn’t belong to anyone. Trooper isnt happy anymore cause of this cat. We don’t want to turn him into animal services cause we know he’ll be put down. Humane Society is full and wont take him in, researched about 5 different volunteer groups who take in pets, they're all full and cant take him in. We asked around and no one wants cats :/.
My dad was considering him taking him away from their neighborhood. Would it be cruel to drive him (the cat) out into the country and leave him there? We are losing our minds and our dog is miserable (which isnt fair). We are all animal lovers but we feel as if we need to look out for OUR DOG's well being first before any other pets.
Any advice?
~ Note, I say "their" because I dont live with them.
What kind of dog is it? You'd think he'd just bark at the cat and scare it away?
Maybe the dog has to be trained to eat inside? I mean I know it was abused but really he needs to be retrained to be okay with being inside now and then.
Personally I'd call animal control, driving the cat to a new area doesn't always work, my dad tried that years ago with a cat and it kept coming back.
Also, what if another cat starts doing the same? What then? Dog needs to grow some huevos! I think your parents might also want to just leave the dog alone and let him learn to defend himself. It's just a cat, unless this is a tiny dog? Smaller than the cat?
We thought about that (bringing him indoors to eat) but this cat is still invading his space. I’ll tell my parents to bring him inside just to eat but we’re still trying to figure out how to get rid of this cat : ( He does come inside sometimes but only for an hour or so then wants to go back out
Hate to say this but you should take the offending cat to animal control. It will probably be put down at animal control BUT it will likely die a very painful death "out in the country". There is a chance the cat will be adopted if it is at animal control, pretty good chance it will be coyote food out in the country.
I had a lot of feral cats in my area a while back and then noticed a lot of coyotes howling at night. I have not seen one of the feral cats since the coyotes moved on.
Would it be cruel to drive him (the cat) out into the country and leave him there?
Yes it is cruel. Starving to death or being torn up by wild dogs is no fate for a friendly cat that lets you pet him. He could also be tortured to death by kids. The poor cat is starving to death right in front of your eyes and all you can do is throw water on him, deny him food or chase him away. If you can't find him a position as a farm cat or in a home through craigs list then take him to your local shelter.
please do not abandon this cat in the country. This happens way too frequently by people who think"Oh she will live on birds and mice and be just fine"
Here we read many sad tales of people who live in the country inundated with dropped off cats and dogs. Do people who do this really think they are the only ones doing it?. Why make somebody else do your dirty work?
If you have tried to find out who the cat might belong to call animal control or take the cat yourself to a shelter where it will be humanely put to sleep rather than a long lingering and painful death "in the country".
Absolutely agree that dropping him off in the country is a bad idea. I live in the country and can tell you that the most likely scenarios are starving to death, being hit by a car, dying a horrible death from rabies (from contact with infected raccoons and opossums) or being eaten by coyotes. The most humane thing by far is to take him to a shelter to be painlessly put to sleep.
I noted in the OP that you have already tried your local Humane Society as well as several other area rescues. If I were in your position, what I would do is keep trying. Keep broadening your search for a rescue that will take this cat. Go to Petfinder and look up every rescue in your state, and surrounding states. Email and call all of them. Explain your story. If they can't help, ask if they know who can. Keep trying and one will eventually take this cat. The shelters and rescues are overwhelmed. But I promise there is one somewhere in America that WILL take the cat. You just have to find it.
Also there is something fishy going on with this previously indoor only dog "wanting" to live exclusively outdoors. That's not how it typically works with dogs. Quite the opposite.
Phoenix was much more comfortable outside and she too preferred to eat out doors. From the day I adopted her then the years she spent at my parents house she always had a pet door so the choice was hers. The minute she saw anyone grab a pet bowl she would be outside standing waiting even if it was raining ( this is SO CA so no snow!) if you tried to get her to eat indoors she would run out the door and stand in her spot and if you did not bring the bowl out she would not eat. She was a rather poor eater and always a bit thin so she usually got her way and got fed outside. I do not know anything about the first 1.5 yrs of her life then the next 6 months she lived at the local humane society so who knows why she was the way she was she was two when I adopted her. She was the deaf vision limited homozygous merle border collie and had her weird ways !
OP My parents ended up with a cat that sounds much like this one. It decided it wanted to live with them and at first drove them crazy trying to get in and be a member of the family. You would open the door and there it was hanging on the screen door a good 4 or 5 ft off the ground, it pulled open screen windows and came inside on its own. Was not at all afraid of dogs either. My parents ended up giving it a home and it really was an awesome cat as it was more like a dog in many ways. Poor Kitty just wants a home!
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