I'm rather upset as I've witnessed a (6month old?) kitten killed by 2 dogs.
I head a commotion outside in somebodys garden, so ran to have a look from my bedroom window and saw 2 terriers (one JRT one similar but black & tan) chasing a kitten around thier garden. The garden backs on to a narrow strip of land that my garden backs onto, the bottom of thier garden is diagnoally only about 12 ft away from my bottom fence. I ran down stairs, into my garden, jumped up & popped my head over my 6ft fence, hoping to be able to distract the dogs somehow for the kitten to escape, but could not see into thier garnen from there. (they are next to the garden that is behind mind, if you get my waffle)

I didn't know what to do. To get to thier house I would have to leave my esate, go up the man road, turn off into another road and basiaclly do a great big loop that would take 10 mins on foot - no way would that help the kitten. I ran back upstairs to see what was going on, just in time to see the dogs had caught the kitten :( I ran back downstairs, in a bit of a panick, knwoing the kitten didn't have much time, but desperately wanting to help. Dashed to my fence again (don't know why i thought I may be able to see into thier garden this time ), saw nothing, ran back upstairs, while doing so heard screaching cat noises, a painfull dog yelp, got to my window to see the poor kitten had lost the fight and was being 'ragged' by the 2 dogs, I know saw a third, larger dog that was barking at the terriers.

The poor little kitten obviously died very quickly, but the dogs continued to rag it's lifeless body, then the 3rd dog joined in and a game of 'tuggy' begane :( :(

Dogs wil be dogs nad this is perfectly natural terrier behaviour, but it really shoook me up and I am left feeling bewildered because I feel like I should 'do' something, but there is nothing I can do.....
The poor little kitten is dead, I don't know the people from that house, I don't know who the kitten belongs to (it may belong to the owners of the dogs?). I keep looking out of my bedroom window hoping to see somebody who I can tell, but there appears to be nobody in at that house, or thier neighbours house....

:( :( Gosh, how helpless I feel right now. I wish there was somehting I could have done to thelp..... :( :(

Oh poor you. There was nothing more you could do. Like you said yourself by the time you would have reached the dogs by having to walk around then it would have been too late anyway. Dont beat yourself up.
I know that dogs will be dogs is true but i think i'd be hysterical if i'd witnessed that.
If possible, try to ask around/put up posters so the owners of the kitten can find out what happened.

I know that feeling, I witnessed the same many years ago -the difference was that time it was deliberate, with a Pit Bull (this was just before the DDA) being set on to the cat and the owners urging it on. You can't blame yourself, you couldn't do a thing. It isn't even the dogs fault, or the dog owners either if the dogs were in their own garden (at least one of mine would do the same for certain) but the kitten owner who should have kept it safely inside or in a safely enclosed run.....

I also can't think of a thing you could have done and I would be left feeling as helpless and upset as you are, if you couldn't get into the garden you couldn't get in, even if you had it may well have made no difference at all, the kitten had no chance. I wish you had looked away though once you knew it was hopeless as you are now left with that image forever imprinted in your mind, it will really upset you, it would any of us who love animals and have to watch something like that.

If I were you I would write a note explaining what happened it will help release your own pent up feelings too and pop it in the letterbox of the garden that it happened in, whether any of the animals were their's or not they may well know who's kitten it is if not their own and they will know what happened.

That way you have done all you can.

(((big hug)))

What an awful thing to witness, I feel for you.
I agree, I would pop a note to the dog owners. If they aren't at home yet you'll be able to warn them about what has happened. If a child comes home from school and goes straight into the garden then it would be so distressing.

I don't think there is anything you could have done and hope that you can erase the image from your mind in time.

I own 4 terriers, my first bitch who is no longer with us used to curl up and sleep with our cat, the other dogs who have come along (new cat too) would kill the cat so she comes in through an upstairs window. They have caught her once and the terrier mentality immediately clicked in, I manged to grab her and throw her over the fence not before she scratched me really badly. However some of our pups live happily with cats, our cat and eldest dog are the same age but she ran, he chased and I have never been able to change it. It is my one regret, that I can't have the cat on my lap.

I hope the little kitten was quickly despatched, not a pleasant experience for anyone involved.

There really is nothing you could have done...

I caught two of my dogs locating and grabbing not a kitten, but a dirty great fat tomcat, from underneath my mini plastic greenhouse thing (where it thought it was safe to taunt them!).. I had my Deerhound on lead/cage rest at the time and she was on the lead so I couldnt get involved and i couldnt let go of her either...

I only JUST managed to get the two of them to drop the cat (they had it, were about to play raggy with it!) by screaaaaaaaaaming my head off at them and this is two normally pretty well behaved dogs, in my own garden, feet away from me, who have known me all their lives (7 and 9 years old)...

It was I think pure LUCK that they listened and dropped that cat... (it ran off, and it is apparently fine though it no longer taunts my dogs!) I really dont see that even if you HAD been in the garden with them, you could have got two/three strange dogs to listen to you and drop the kitten and let it escape. Even if youd got hands on and tried to prise it out of their mouths (which I wouldnt recommend!) I doubt you could have saved it.

Poor kitten - but if people will choose an outdoor free roaming life for their cats, then this is a very real possibility. Outdoor cats do sadly tend to live fast and die young. (And I wont have one again before anyone thinks im anti-cat, I love them but cannot offer a secure environment for one!)

Very sad Mastifflover, but as you say, it is nature. I can well understand your feeling of impotence and upset, seeing it happen and not being able to help or stop it.

I would agree it's best to pop a note around and explain as otherwise the dog owners may not be quite sure what happened. Also, if there are any cat owners either side, they may want to know their kitten is dead as otherwise they may hope he/she will return :(

Lindsay
x

Turns out the kitten belonged to the dogs owner. They have another kitten, so I don't know whats going to happen there, they are either going to have to ensure the cat is safe from the dogs or rehome it.

Thanks all for your words of support. I am sorry for the terrible typos & spelling mistakes in my first post, so much worse than normal