It's all my fault :(

I got a tiny kitten and had him in the hallway gated off and somehow he climbed the baby gate and my zu got ahold of him and killed him I took him to the vet and he's dead I've been crying all morning I feel like it's my fault I should've locked him in a room or something kitties can climb things why didn't I think of that and his death must've been so painful getting gnawed on by a dog I hate my dog right now I have her out back because I can't even be around her in so upset

I know you are upset but I don't think you were careless. You put up a gate but the kitten got over it. If your dog has never been around cats or kittens he may not have known how to act.

Sometimes terrible accidents happen because we don't think of every possible outcome when we do something. I am sorry your kitten is gone but I am sure it knew you loved it.

Lost

Thank you lost... I'm just so torn up with guilt right now. It was such a horrible thing to find... His legs were twisted and it was just horrible I almost want to my shizu gone now. But I know that's not right. I just can't believe she'd do that

Yes, you're sad & upset about the happening's with your kitten. Am sorry to hear of this sad incident.

You'll be upset with the dog for a while, but you can't hate it forever. These things happen. i witnessed it a number of times, living on a farm, the dogs we had and cats which travelled around, some ended up getting nailed from dogs.

If you think your dog cannot handle cats, then may be an idea not to get any cats while you have the dog.

I just feel like I'll never see my dog the same way again

She's been around cats and dogs and never hurt them. It's like the fact that it was a tiny kitten and couldn't defend itself so she took advantage of it I'm considering asking my mom if she can take her

I'm so sorry for your loss! I don't think it was your fault-- you did the best you could with the knowledge you had. I wouldn't expect a young kitten to be able to climb that well either.

I think it is perfectly normal to be upset at your dog, but I think you will get over it. My sister had something similar-- our cat killed her pet baby bird that we had found after a storm had blown it out of the nest. She was furious at the cat for a while, but she went back to loving it after the grief about the bird had dulled. As awful as it is, both are just cases of animals doing what they are born to do. Did you see the attack? If your dog is generally friendly and not violent, there is a good chance he was just trying to play with the kitten and didn't understand how fragile it was. That may help you view your dog in a better light.

*hugs*

I didn't see the attack. I dropped my boyfriend off at work and came home to the kitten laying limp on the floor, soaked in presumably dog slobber, with it's back legs twisted in a really unnatural way and my zu laying beside it staring at it and panting.

The worst part is she was so gentle to it when I let them around each other (supervised obviously) she would lick it and try to carry it around like a momma dog, SHE was the one animal I thought I wouldn't have to worry about around the kitten. I don't know how it happened. I just know it did. I feel so so guilty even if I rationally know it wasn't my fault.

I didn't see the attack. I dropped my boyfriend off at work and came home to the kitten laying limp on the floor, soaked in presumably dog slobber, with it's back legs twisted in a really unnatural way and my zu laying beside it staring at it and panting.

 

The worst part is she was so gentle to it when I let them around each other (supervised obviously) she would lick it and try to carry it around like a momma dog, SHE was the one animal I thought I wouldn't have to worry about around the kitten. I don't know how it happened. I just know it did. I feel so so guilty even if I rationally know it wasn't my fault.

If she was nice to it before, it was likely an accident on her part.

I'm so sorry you are going through this.

Right now is just a snap reaction to your dog. You will love your dog again don't worry. Don't send it to your mother's it is far better off with you. It sounds like an accident on the dog's part. It is a horrible accident but please just forgive yourself. And forgive your dog it was just being a dog.

I didn't see the attack. I dropped my boyfriend off at work and came home to the kitten laying limp on the floor, soaked in presumably dog slobber, with it's back legs twisted in a really unnatural way and my zu laying beside it staring at it and panting.

 

The worst part is she was so gentle to it when I let them around each other (supervised obviously) she would lick it and try to carry it around like a momma dog, SHE was the one animal I thought I wouldn't have to worry about around the kitten. I don't know how it happened. I just know it did. I feel so so guilty even if I rationally know it wasn't my fault.

Given that, you are making a very unfair assumption that your dog attacked when more likely it was an accident. In fact your kitten could have fallen and broken its back or neck while climbing over the gate. Kittens aren't exactly coordinated like a grown cat would be. Your dog may have been licking it or carrying it trying to help it for all you know. Either way, accidents happen and you can't foresee everything. As bad as you feel now, I hope you can forgive yourself and please don't blame the dog.

I know I shouldn't blame myself and I don't know what happened and even if my dog attacked it she was just being a dog, but I can't help the way I feel right now....

>>I just feel like I'll never see my dog the same way again

I know this is hard, but she is a dog, and dogs are predators and notorious for not particularly liking cats unless they are raised with them from the time they are puppies. So your dog was really just doing what dogs do and isn't a 'horrible' dog, just protecting her own turf when left unsupervised. An adult cat can hold it's own against a dog, but even then you have to be careful because the dog's eyes can get scratched and the cat injured if the dog really gets ahold of it.

But you need to just take this as a lesson learned.. of course you'd never want this kitten to be harmed and it is very sad, but it's just a reminder that introducing a cat into a household with a dog doesn't always work out. So now you know that you probably shouldn't try to own a cat with your dog. And your dog will be very confused if you are too angry about this because she has no clue why you're so angry at her. She was just being a dog and either played too rough, or thought she was doing a good thing by taking on the 'intruder' in her territory.

Thank you lavender... No new pets for me for a long long time... This has been a very horrible morning

btw, I've seen dogs kill prey before (birds/squirrels/ground hogs). They usually do it quite quickly by shaking them rapidly back and forth which breaks their neck/spine, so they don't suffer and die very quickly, so don't torture yourself about that. That is probably explains what you saw. That is also how they play with their toys, shaking them very rapidly, so your dog may have thought she had a toy and not realized she harmed the kitten, and been as surprised as you were at the results.

I'm feeling a lot better thanks to you guys kind words and knowledge on animals. Thank you. I still feel hurt that an innocent kitten died but not as horribly guilt ridden.

Oh Bah, I'm so sorry. It's awful whenever one loses a pet, no matter the circumstances. Unless there were teeth marks on the kitten I don't think your dog killed her on purpose. Slobbered on and twisted legs sounds more like they were playing and your dog accidentally killed the kitten. All it takes is a good swipe of a paw and that can do it. My horse stepped on one of my kittens once and I felt so massively guilty for weeks afterwards, because I'd encouraged the kitten to follow me out to the barn thinking it was a good time to introduce him to the other cats that lived out there. He was a rescue, which made it doubly awful. I forgot that most animals do not know their own strength.

This is an issue where you may want to hold off on getting any more cats until you consult with the dog's trainer about what to do to make sure it doesn't happen with future animals. While many times things are fine sometimes killing an animal can trigger that instinct in dogs and you have to make sure that's not the case here. Yes, I'm probably going to get heat for that statement, but I live on a ranch with plenty of animals and I have had dogs revert to killing. The number one predator of my livestock and animals out where I live, outside of the coyotes and owls, are packs of domesticated dogs that have been abandoned and then band together into packs to hunt and survive. It is an instinct and dogs are descended from wolves, something most people forget. My own dogs have gotten torn up on more than one occasion fighting off these packs. It's one reason I try so hard to rescue abandoned dogs and puppies out where I live before they have to go to that level to survive.

As hard as it is you need to stop blaming yourself and just make sure your dog gets socialized around other animals and enough training that this doesn't become a larger issue.

This doesn't mean your dog is now a cat killer by any means, but like I said you need to consult with a trainer about it and make sure this doesn't become a pattern for the dog. Realize this is a wake-up call to get your dog some training and then you can explore the idea of another pet, because yes dogs and cats can become friends.

It just kills me that my little 20 lb shizu killed him... Meanwhile I was more worried about my pittie being the one id have to keep a big eye on around him...

I don't think I'll have to worry about her hurting other animals... I think it was an accident... There was no blood or teeth marks...

Rip titan

My dog, a miniature poodle, goes NUTS when he sees animals in our back yard. He immediately charges and tries catching them.

Well last week he caught a baby rabbit. He had it in his mouth shaking it like he does with his toys (he chomps on them and shakes his head back and forth furiously). He injured but didn't kill the rabbit.

I was angry too, but he was going by his instincts. Just like humans, animals have instincts.

I understand your anger towards your dog right now, I thinnk it's natural. But I think with time it will pass.

I'm sorry for your loss of the baby fur baby

Thank you.

It very well could have been an accident. Dogs are smart but they can play rough at times as you know. If your dog has always been gentle I would assume it was a terrible accident.

If the kitten had been mangled or torn apart it might be different.

Lost

I recently had to rehome my parrot (an animal that I rescued) because of my dog (corgi). I did the best I could to try to introduce the dog to it and train him not to go after it... Nothing worked. The bird was extremely unhappy about not being let out of his cage often as he did. In the end, it wasn't a good home for the bird and I had to think about his safety around a dog who has instinctive prey drive.

If I recall, didn't you mention in one of your threads about having two zus and a pit bull, and that there was some concern about aggressive tendencies from the zus? If there is, I would not bring in any small animals into your home.

This doesn't mean your dog is now a cat killer by any means, but like I said you need to consult with a trainer about it and make sure this doesn't become a pattern for the dog. Realize this is a wake-up call to get your dog some training and then you can explore the idea of another pet, because yes dogs and cats can become friends.

Very true. But I would add that maybe you need to adjust your idea of getting a future pet based on the pets you have and not based on the pet you want and trying to fit that pet in with who you have. A "dog savvy" and crafty slightly older cat that previously lived with dogs and needs a home is a better idea than a kitten - they can really hold their own. But more so, didn't you say the dogs or some of them were your dads? Or periodically talk about how you wish you could move because your mom comes around or things are sometimes chaotic? Maybe its best to finish school and really figure out where you are going to end up more permanently before committing to another pet. Its just a lot harder to move x the number of pets you have if you think of moving out of your dad's house in the next 5 years. If you felt more settled where you were going to stay there for sure permanently, etc, then maybe that would be different. I know that is probably not what you were aiming for as far as advice.

My shizus were slightly aggressive when humans played with them. Never any aggressive tendencies towards animals. I was worried my pit would think that was "ok" - which she doesn't, she's a huge baby.

My older shizu is being put down this week. He's blind old and in pain. Urinating on himself, barely eating ect. I got the kitty to fill the hole he's going to leave. It was a rash decision but my boyfriends mom had abandoned kittens and I figured it was meant to be considering the time frame.

There is one dog out back that is kenneled. He's a hunting dog. There used to be two but my grandpa took the other one. My dad is closing on a house this week and will take the hunting dog with him.

So, within the next week, it would've been just my two dogs. Fergie, the shizu, and Athena, the pit bull. I just stupidly thought considering all these animals are about to be gone it was perfect timing to get a cat. I'm a cat person and I've always missed having one ever since my ex took ours

But what's done is done I suppose... No kittens until fergies old and gone... Or possibly a older cat with experience with dogs. But not for a long time.

When you have a dog that is in pain, they might lash out or the other dog may in attempt to protect the one in pain. I am so sorry that you have to put your dog down. I am sorry that pain meds are not working. You did have your dog tested for a UTI, right?

I would wait until all the changes have shuffled out and give your dogs time to adjust. I wouldn't get any other pet if one of your dogs is aggressive. They will either kill or injure another pet or will be injured when a bigger pet has had enough of them. I am glad your pit is a big sweetie and doesn't care what the little dog does.

Hi, I just wanted to let you know that I have witnessed a story of a kitten being 'crushed' by a horse's foot, it was on a farm. These things happen.. And it is awful, but it was an accident.. I don't think your dog has purposely killed your kitten.. I'm sorry for your loss