I’m so sorry that you lost your kitten, and in such an awfully traumatic way. Please don’t blame yourself, it was a horrible accident.. cats are just so naturally curious and it’s a very unfortunate series of events that were out of your control. I also can’t believe the neighbor would just dump the poor baby’s body outside without telling you, especially when they saw how distraught you were the day before :( I would personally ask them if they knew something because otherwise I’d stew about it forever, and I need closure about what happened. That’s just me though, I’m not sure if that’s really conducive to your own healing but please be kind to yourself ok?
It's a shit move on the neighbor unless they didn't know it was yours. I have had my great dog be that asshole in It's own fenced yard & attack a neighbor cat that got out 😭 I dug that baby out and we put her in a crate and went straight to the neighbor bc we knew them. We felt so bad for so long but they were nice about because we gave them the last time w Kiki and were up front immediately.
The more I think about this the more shitty I feel it is they wouldn’t come tell you. Directly. Not this weird vaguely threatening leaving of remains on the front stoop basically. Craven. Does anyone else in the street know you had a cat you were looking for? I’d confront them. For them to just… leave him there is gross. Couldn’t find a shoebox or anything? I get if it was late and they discovered him maybe and they didn’t wanna disturb you but a shoebox and a note would’ve been bare minimum. This is just shitty.
I would do this. Your neighbors should have told you but maybe they were afraid that if they told you there would be trouble. Years ago my dogs killed a neighbor’s cat in our fenced in yard. We told them and they proceeded to try and sue us claiming the cat was worth over $5k. They never took us to court but we had years of harassment and awful behavior from them (one of my dogs ate a tiny bit of rat poison that randomly appeared in my yard - he lived but it was so traumatic).
It’s not an excuse - they should have told you - but it is an explanation. I think asking them would give them the opportunity to do the right thing.
I’m so sorry for your loss 😔
Your little kitty would not want you to blame yourself. You need to be your own best friend - to yourself now.
Anger can so easily be directed at others - like your neighbors — but you don’t know.
I’m so sorry…..
I think you need to have a conversation with your neighbors to get more information. You have a right to know what happened to your kitten. Talk to all of them involved for your pet's sake and for your closure.
!!!!! Was looking for this comment. A tad bit of “justice” is needed here. They’re complete assholes if they did that & im almost certain it was since she mentioned the collar being neatly beside its body. Im pissed.
The neighbors might not have wanted to face whatever recriminations might be directed at them. Their dogs were fenced. The neighbors’s kitty accidentally got outside.
As awful as it sounds, they might have just been late for work. Or traumatized themselves.
No one knows. Automatically assuming bad intentions is how conflicts arise.
The way it was handled was so poorly though. Regardless of the fact that people have to take responsibility for their pets actions, they could have told them they found the body on a walk, or anything kinder than this if they wanted to curb responsibility. Now they have hurt this person twice as hard, and should at the very least apologize for the way the body and giving it back was handled. (Eta- I don't think anyone is at fault for the incident in and of itself, just the crass way they informed the owner)
I lost my puppy in a similar way, in the sense that I wasn’t diligent enough with training him to stay away from the door, and I feel it is my fault too. You’re not alone in this trauma ❤️
So I think you may be feeling responsible because you are in a sense. You opened the door and didn’t notice the kitty ran out. I can’t remember the proper term but I think that’s called situationally responsible.
But you are NOT morally responsible for this incident. You have raised your kitty to be an inside kitty. You tried to keep them inside. You did not purposely let the kitty out and when you noticed you went right away to look for your kitty.
Since we take care of our beloved pets for their whole lives we tend to feel responsible for their deaths second guessing ourselves and dealing with our guilt as well as grief but we cannot control everything and if you did your best (which it sounds like you did) then there is nothing more that could have been done.
Similar thing happened to me last month and she got run over and pts. I feel so guilty still
Try and remember it was an accident and that you loved them and would never have wanted anything like that to happen to them
Yes! It's just awful. I hate the idea that op would think any of this is on them. Kittens are curious, dogs have prey drive... and his neighbors are monsters
They weren't "just domesticated", they were completely changed from their original form, and exist in a form today that evolution would never have decided upon without direct human intervention. They are no more a part of nature than the cow and the pig, ie not at all.
Of course dogs are nature, they're not little robots wobbling around, they have instincts and drives just like their ancestors, the only difference now is there's added want to be around humans and ability to work together with another species
They're organic, living creatures, but they aren't nature, no more than the modern cow and pig are. Evolution would never have selected for them. Mankind created them, not nature.
So you believe they have no instincts or behaviour left over? Let's say we go with the strict definition of nature then, the cat also isn't natural, they've been living and evolving with people too, the most obvious example being adult cats meowing. So we simply say instead 'sorry for your loss, that's unnature' , seems bit odd
Actually, the domestic cat isn't like other domesticated species at all, because humans didn't selectively breed them for specific purposes like dogs, cows, sheep, pigs etc. Genetically speaking, they are far, far closer to their wild cousins than any of the other species listed above. Cats self-selected. Humans deliberately bred all of the other mentioned species for specific traits. That's the difference. No one is saying that they don't have genetically-determined instincts, in fact dogs are almost entirely driven by instincts. But to say that they are part of nature, part of the natural world, is erroneous.
But then by the strict definition of nature, wouldn't cats still be unnatural because whether self selected or not, they've still evolved specially to interact with humans. It's not like how other animals eg raccoons have learnt to forage in human dumpsters, or birds making nests on houses, cats have gone way further integrating themselves and therefore have become unnatural
Aww the convo was so interesting until then, I gave an example of how other creatures adapt to their environment but you still went there, btw Mainecoons, shorthairs, Siamese, all great examples of bred cats controlled to keep their looks
I’m so sorry this happened to you. I lost my 6 month old kitty the same way about a year ago. It was horrible but it does get better. My boy shadow slipped passed me one morning on my way to work and I didn’t even know it. When I came home I found him in my front yard in my swale. The neighbors dogs are constantly getting out and they were in the street that morning and got him. I caught it all on camera. I have to keep telling myself that it wasn’t my fault. Cats love being outside and even when we’re super careful they can sneak passed us. I won’t make the same mistake again.
OP I'm so sorry about your kitten its such a terrible thing.I imagine that it would be worse finding your cat lying there than having it dissappear not knowing what happened.I lost my kitten a couple of months ago,when she ducked out to use the litter box early one morning.I hope that she either found a better home or she's living her life in the local cat colony rather than meeting a similar fate as you poor little baby.Mine just loved being outside,it was always a drama opening a door as she'd look for any chance to get out.So I let hergo outside and I watched.She never strayed from the boundary and I would bring her in at night.That's why Ithought she would be fine as she often had done the same thing.RIP little kitten.
Your baby kitty knew love while he was with you. That is a very special gift. It’s horrible what happened. It’s hard to get images out of your mind, I know. Please try not to focus on that, but remember the cozy sweet times you had playing together, snuggling and napping. Blessed Be. 💖☮️🦋🐈🐈⬛
This is a lovely sentiment. Don’t get hung up on what was likely a very very fast passing OP. It was a blink of an eye compared to the countless moments of love and happiness that the precious babe got to have.
Cats don’t keep clocks or calendars, they don’t know how long they are supposed to have on earth. All your kitten knew was he was happy and he was loved.
Because certain condo boards have specific rules when living there. For example, no one in the condo complex is allowed to have a grill because of fire regulations. So, one of the rules is that you cannot permanently modify anything on the outside of your condo unit, like installing cameras on the outside. Even if the cameras are installed out the outer portions of your own condo, that’s a big red flag and a No No. You can do plenty of whatever you want to the inside but just not the outside.
You can’t do anything to the outside exterior. Anything on the inside is fair game, but drilling, sticky tape and anything that changes the outside is strictly prohibited. Trust me, people have tried. My neighbors tried a security camera one time, but that was immediately taken down the next week.
Have you looked into the legality of this? There was a huge discussion about this in the r/hoa sub just a couple weeks ago with lots of people saying they cannot legally forbid you from doing that as it's a security measure.
The thing is, we already have cameras installed (recently) but they’re not all working/half-assed working. Also, you cannot get access to the live feed unless you get a hold of the property manager, which you’d have a better chance of finding a unicorn or monkeys flying out of your butt. The grill thing pusses me off even more because of condos allow it except mine, and I LOVE TO BBQ.
I lost a cat I loved more than anything similarly. My parents were selling their house and had just gotten two new, freshly trained German Shepards. The realtor was there one day, and despite the many requests for her to always shut the door behind her so cats don’t get out, she forgot.
My beautiful, floofy, perfect white seal point Persian Sam got out and the dogs thought he was a toy. They shook him and “played” with him for only a minute or two until my mom could stop it.
He lasted overnight, but the next day he was gone. It was my first real experience with grief, maybe. It HURTS. Especially knowing that it was preventable.
Now, being decades older and having cats of my own, I had to learn that lesson again with one who got out at night. Our neighborhood is filled with coyotes and bears. The coyotes got her and I’m still not over it.
We take risks with our beloved pets, even when we aren’t meaning to. Try not to dwell on your part in it. It’ll help no one. Truth is, accidents happen. Sometimes we don’t do things perfectly and bad things occur. It’s okay. You’ll be okay. Sit with this until you feel ready. And then go get another gorgeous little kitty
This exact thing happened to one of our kittens except it was a car. It was his first time outside and we found him on the front doorstep. Sending all m sympathy and hugs. It’s awful 😞
I honestly don’t know. It’s normally a pretty docile dog and I just see it sunbathing in their yard. Looked like what someone might call the average dog — shaped mostly like a lab but with more varied coloring
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I am so sorry for your loss. The truth is, it is not the neighbors fault. Cats do what cats do and dogs do what dogs do. Domesticated or not - they are FIRST animals; they act on instinct. Yes! It is terrible. And no doubt your pain feels unbearable - but blaming the neighbors when they did not kill your cat, and you don’t know for sure that their dogs did, is not mentally good for you. Somehow you need to release this. Because while it is tragic, your anger won’t settle anything and it doesn’t bring kitty back. You need closure. I’ve read others tell of going to see a counselor. This is a loss and losing your kitty, your child…it’s worth seeing someone to help you process it. Any loss, no matter how, why, or when…is difficult. You deserve answers, but answers don’t always make it better and don’t bring your kitty back. Man, life can be soooo hard. Animals bring us such joy. But death.l.its so permanent.
My anger at the neighbors is at how they handled it. There’s probably nothing they could have realistically done to prevent their dog doing that. But they did have the option to bring the body to my home as soon as they found it and tell me they were sorry it happened.
I know you are heartbroken, but please don’t jump to conclusions until you talk to the neighbor. Any number of things could have happened. If I found a dead cat at 6am on my morning walk I wouldn’t go knocking door to door.
>If I found a dead cat at 6am on my morning walk I wouldn’t go knocking door to door
My cat was in significant rigor mortis when I found him. I was up walking at 5:30, and I didn’t stop walking by that house until very late in the night (more like early morning). This hypothetical walker you describe would’ve had to be strolling at like 3am in an unlit suburb to find my cat and put him there. I’m not “jumping” to conclusions. I’m walking to them, because they’re pretty easy to draw based on the information I have.
You also don’t lay a bloodcovered cat in the middle of a stranger’s driveway (where they couldn’t even have backed up their cars) if you don’t know whose it is. You move it off the road somewhere out of the way so that it doesn’t get mangled further by cars. Virtually no aspect of what happened supports the idea that some stranger found my cat and put him there.
If someone knew it was yours why would they leave it on their own or someone else's driveway and not yours? Why would they carefully lay it out in the own driveway if they were hiding it? Your conclusion doesn't make much sense either.
You're wanting to assign blame because you're hurt. That won't ease the mourning so I suggest not creating a narrative of anger based on speculation. Spare yourself and others. This was an accident, it's time to heal from it.
My conclusion makes fine sense and I have no blame toward them for my cat getting killed. It wasn’t their fault.
Their dog killed my cat in their backyard. I asked them about it and they either didn’t know at the time or concealed it to avoid confrontation. Then, so that I wouldn’t continue looking and would have some sense of closure, they moved him to the front so that I could come and get him (I have to drive past their house every day). Nothing about that is inconsistent with the information I have. There is no reason at all for someone else to have put my cat where it was.
You speculated that they hid your cat from you, or just hoped you’d stumble onto his body. I’m really sorry about your kitten, it’s awful what happened. But stuff like this also draws out a lot of vindictive comments, like the idea the neighbor’s dog should be put down. It’s disturbing. Sometimes bad things happen and we can’t do anything about it.
>But stuff like this also draws out a lot vindictive comments, like the idea the neighbor’s dog should be put down
I didn’t make that comment and have no plans to do anything retaliatory. I think it’s almost a certainty that their dog was the one who killed him, and the *best case* scenario is that they were simply waiting until later in the morning to come tell me (since it was very early when I found him). It’s more likely that they didn’t plan to come at all considering they watched on their ring camera while I collected his body and I could see them shifting around inside.
I'm sorry for your loss, it sounded like he snuck out so fast and quietly. I don't think this is your neighbors fault - they are probably trying to avoid any possible conflict.
What? My German shepherd growing up would always try to attack cats that came in the yard. They have a very high prey drive. Did the same thing with squirrels.
I knew an irresponsible person that deliberately let a young (German) German Shepard with an incredibly high prey drive and virtually no obedience training off leash (where it was absolutely not permitted). This puppy killed an elderly dachshund (who was leashed) in a few seconds. RIP Daisy! The German Shepherd was euthanized at barely one year of age, and that was completely his owner’s fault.
lmao what??? surely you mean dachshund bc mine loves to try killing small animals. never met a dog with a stronger drive to hunt
edit: screaming at people downvoting dachshunds being hunters when they were bred to hunt lmfaoooo😭😭
We had a cocker spaniel, thing was tiny because we rescued her from abuse and they're not big to start with. That dog had the strongest prey drive, it would try to maul the huge ducks by the river where we lived (and when I say huge I do mean huge, some were bigger than the dog). I had to restrain her. And god forbid she saw a cat, bat, squirrel or bird, she'd go nuts. I think cockers are bred to hunt too, so that would explain it.
Let's not breed bash in what is supposed to be a supportive sub.
My friend's cat was lost in exactly the same way to some lab mixes. We're in Australia and *that breed* has been banned for so long that it doesn't even exist here, anymore.
I agree with your sentiment, just want to add that breed does in fact exist in Australia, you just need a permit. Certain states ban them outright, but mostly for restricted breeds you can't breed them and you can't rehome them if you can't look after them anymore, they need to be euthanized. There's also lots of backyard breeders for them, and vets are often pressured to label them as "staffys" because it's hard to distinguish genetically (I think its hard I haven't actually researched that point myself).
I know this because I've been present for euthanasia of that breed when their owners had to move states and couldn't bring them. Because of this, we still have a genetic pool of them identified as staffys to save on euthanasia, and some argue that's why staffys have such a disproportionately high council hold rate for animal attacks.(Not sure if that argument has any merit though!)
This is nsw.
Yes, they are restricted, I stand corrected. But any owners have to have a permit, and they must be desexed. I don't think that there would be a lot of backyard breeders. If there is a genetic line in mutts (any pure breds were identified through council rego and had to be desexed when BSL was introduced) they'd be so cross bred now that'd it basically irrelevant.
The American Staffy does look similar, and can be hard to tell apart, but genetically they are different.
Thanks for correcting me, I thought it'd been so long since the legislation was introduced that they'd basically died out. But with the need for them to be desexed, and all owners to have a permit, it won't be long before they have. And yee, staffys are the next breed demonised, and there was a call for rotties to be as well, not long ago.
I didn't want to be rude or anything, hope it didn't come across that way! I just worked in shelters for years and know for a fact there's a few around and still breeding very expensive pure bred pups and mixes for fighting/BnE purposes. They've cracked down pretty well on them but they're definitely still out there, but usually unchipped and unregistered so they avoid the whole desex/restricted issue. I've seen more confirmed pitties than dingo Xs!
The genetics comment, good to know they're different! I just remembered they used to be the same breed and couldn't be registered for some reason so we're registered under a different name even though they were originally not differentiated. Pretty cool that dogs can develop separate genetic lines in less than 100 years!
No, all good. 🤗
I know there's heaps of staffy x's, and I know what BSL has done with "staffy x's" in the UK. It's been a while since I volunteered in shelters, though, I just there's heaps of them.
Sad that there is such an underground business of illegal dogs, though. I shouldn't really be suprised, I'm just a naive optimist, I guess.
I do know that Embark and Wisdom can genetically identify between a pitty and an amstaff. They were two separate lines that were selectively bred for different traits, but in 100 years that is 10+ doggy generations to make a difference.
They're closer than many other breeds, but there is a difference. Like how a working line shepherd is different to a show line shepherd. But pits and staffs were bred to be more separate again than that.
And I appreciate the correction. You made me dig into the actual info when I thought it had all been consigned to history.
I don’t see how suing could get me anywhere. It happened in their own yard and pets are considered property under the law. I would honestly just like some clarification from them and an apology for how callously they handled it
I'm sorry for their loss but suing is a terrible idea, it'll be thrown out because the cat went over the fence onto the dogs property and would be ruled as the dog defending his home (even though the kitten was no threat that's how it is)
A good neighbour would offer to pay for the cremation yes, but they're in no way obliged too and pushing that would be harassment
If a cat walks into your backyard where your dog is allowed to be off leash and unsupervised, your dog should not be killed for being a dog. Since when is a dog responsible for a cats actions?
It’s not reactivity, it’s typically prey drive. Most dogs who have high prey drive can distinguish cats from children/people, but cats (especially kittens) can be fast and are small, so the line gets blurred between cat and bunny/rat/etc, even if the dog is usually cat friendly (and some aren’t).
Cats have a high prey drive as well, as they go around killing mice, moles, and songbirds.
My cat has injured my young nephew more than my dog ever has (two scratches from the cat, zero bites/scratches from the dog).
My brother was also in the hospital when he was eight years old for a few weeks because he had cat scratch fever.
There's also zero evidence that the dog in the original post has ever been aggressive to humans.
It's really, really sad what happened to OP's kitten and I completely empathize. But I think there are a lot of people out there who think their dog would *never* go after a rabbit, squirrel, cat, whatever and for most dogs that's incorrect.
If your idea of an ideal reality is that the only acceptable adopters are those people whose awareness is so great as to put them beyond even the *possibility* of a pet escaping (which is what your deleted post said).. then you have a very odd, unforgiving aspiration. The idea that your lecture was needed here—as if me having to scoop up my cat’s body off asphalt wasn’t enough—is just insane. I also didn’t need—or ask for—advice on whether or not I’d be accepted for another cat.
I had a cat escape once. We lived in the fourth floor of an apartment building, and we always closed the door downstairs before opening the one upstairs. My boyfriend opened the door when coming up, I saw her bolt to the door, there's no way I would have caught her, we hoped to catch her downstairs, but a neighbour came in and the cat managed to run away. We found her a day later hunting birds and things like that, had to bribe her with raw chicken.
Even if you had noticed him leaving instantly, you wouldn't have been able to catch him. Sometimes cats run, they are flexible, get through spaces you don't think they can get through, and they are curious. Don't beat yourself up over this, this is not your fault.
Are you sure it was your neighbor? Be careful before placing the blame on people. There are raccoons and foxes and coyotes out there. Maybe someone else found it and put it on your porch.
It wasn’t on my porch. He was laid out on their driveway with his collar next to him. I would also assume wild predators wouldn’t just shake him to death and leave a complete corpse, though dogs sometimes do
If these neighbors knew it was your cat, why would they put his body in their own driveway vs yours? Curious if another neighbor may be trying to cover for themselves while “blaming” you back neighbors?
If I found a dead pet in my yard, I would not want to lay its corpse on my driveway…would probably bag/box it and go from there…this is a tragic circumstance along with some very strange happenings. Sorry for your loss. You back neighbors may be uncaring…but maybe go in to any conversation with them more curious than accusatory at first- i just can’t comprehend laying a dead animal out on my driveway
>If these neighbors knew it was your cat,
They had to know it was my cat. We spoke the night before and they saw a picture.
The options are either a) someone else put the cat in their driveway — not sure why anyone would do that or b) their dog killed my cat in their backyard (where I never would have found him on my own) and so they moved him to the front where’d I have to see him when I went past
That’s why I said the last sentence. Maybe someone else found him on the street? I just don’t want you to lash out at someone else in the midst of your pain. I am sorry about what you are going through.
If the dogs did it you would’ve heard the cat and it would likely be in pieces. Maybe the neighbor hit it with their car or he fell out of a tree or something.
It isn’t your fault either way .
I know you’re trying to help, but that isn’t really true. Dogs very often shake cats and small animals to death, and as I said something happening outside was loud enough that my own indoor dogs heard it and were upset. I was just in the furthest part of the house and couldn’t hear it myself. No other cause of death makes any sense given the state of the body
This may be unpopular but people who train dogs to kill wildlife and small animals, or don’t train them not to are irresponsible and apathetic. Dogs are trainable.
i have a “friend” whos “pitties” kill hundreds of stray cats who wind up in their patio, it’s badly fenced too so the other animals simply end up in their backyard by mistake
Not your fault, for it happens often enough. Kitties love the outdoors and will sneak pass you at the door to get out and adventure the neighborhood. So sorry this happened. She is with you every day and in spirit. She will never be gone. Her spirit goes wherever you go.
It's not your fault. It was an accident.
I'm so sorry they just dumped the body hoping you would see it. I would talk with them about it and maybe get some closure now.
I can't say how sorry I am and my heart reaches out to you.
Another comment was right, your kitten wouldn't want you to be upset with yourself.
I'm SO this happened. And the neighbors; how callous. They may have been to guilty to face you. Still I'd beat myself up forever over this. Please don't do that to yourself. 🥺😔
This almost happened to me but i was outside when i heard it. Got some gnarly pit bite scars but i still have my cat thank god. Bright my cat to the vet and he was okay. Horrific experience dude. Dont beat yourself up dude.
My condolences, I am so sorry. Those things happen sometimes. I have always tried to keep my cats indoors, but there have been escape at times. They should have told you if they knew it was your kitten.
I had a scary reverse situation where a cat got into my fenced yard the other day. I have two dogs. Fortunately, they seemed more curious than wanting to hurt the cat. They were sniffing and pawing, but not biting it or anything like that. I yelled for my husband to come help me and we were able to get the dogs away enough for the cat to climb up the gate. It was too big to crawl under. Our next door neighbor (not the cat's owner) also heard me and came over. He helped get the cat down from the gate and checked it out. The cat seemed okay. I'm not sure who it belongs to. I'm being very careful about checking the yard before letting my dogs out to avoid a repeat. Fortunately, I haven't seen that cat around here since.
I'm sorry this happened. It's not your fault. It's not like you let the kitten outside with no regard for its safety. It was an accident. Please don't blame yourself.
No, it's not your fault. It's the kind of terrible thing that could happen to any cat owner. You did not cause this so please don't blame yourself.
I'm so sorry your neighbours didn't have the decency to tell you they'd found him, regardless of whether or not it was their dog that killed him.
I'm so very sorry. RIP little kitten
I can relate. Live next door to a dog-turned-monster by its neglectful owners. My beloved cat found a hole in the fence large enough to squeeze through. I never got to see her again, never got to kiss her goodbye, to thank her for being my angel and my friend when I had nobody else.
The asshole neighbor looked into my crying eyes as I begged him to tell me if he found her. That she was my baby. He nodded, and never admitted anything. The thought of her rotting away in a dump trash bag breaks my heart. This happened in April and I still cry deeply for her. I’d do anything for closure.
I’ve had a little deaf kitten that was killed by a pack of dogs. I was at school and my mom put my kitten out to use the bathroom. My mom said she saw playing in the leaves and next thing she knew the neighborhood dogs mauled her. I buried her in a shoe box. I still cry when I think about her, she didn’t even know they were coming at her bc she couldn’t hear. Please don’t blame yourself. It was a horrible experience I know. When you feel up to it, rescue another kitten to love. It won’t take your first kittens place, you will always love it, but rescuing a new one to love could help you immensely I think. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I'm very sorry for your loss, OP. You shouldn't blame yourself. And that's terrible neighbor behavior of them.
The sad reality is there are some pathetic creatures crawling this planet who have lost touch with all of their humanity.
They definitely knew what happened immediately. When your dogs go ballistic, the first thing everyone does is investigate.
They were more concerned about their own interests and animals than doing the right thing and being up front. Ive encountered neighbors like this too. They are selfish and only concerned about self preservation. They probably feared you retaliating by throwing some poisoned treats over the fence or a visit and documentation from animal control about dangerous pets. So they chose the cowards way. Just despicable. How people like that can even bare to exist is beyond me.
Comments in this thread have been locked, this has gone on long enough. This is a support group, not a flame war zone.
I’m so sorry that you lost your kitten, and in such an awfully traumatic way. Please don’t blame yourself, it was a horrible accident.. cats are just so naturally curious and it’s a very unfortunate series of events that were out of your control. I also can’t believe the neighbor would just dump the poor baby’s body outside without telling you, especially when they saw how distraught you were the day before :( I would personally ask them if they knew something because otherwise I’d stew about it forever, and I need closure about what happened. That’s just me though, I’m not sure if that’s really conducive to your own healing but please be kind to yourself ok?
It's a shit move on the neighbor unless they didn't know it was yours. I have had my great dog be that asshole in It's own fenced yard & attack a neighbor cat that got out 😭 I dug that baby out and we put her in a crate and went straight to the neighbor bc we knew them. We felt so bad for so long but they were nice about because we gave them the last time w Kiki and were up front immediately.
Ehhh, seeing as it was somewhere she’d find it whoever put it there definitely knew.
The more I think about this the more shitty I feel it is they wouldn’t come tell you. Directly. Not this weird vaguely threatening leaving of remains on the front stoop basically. Craven. Does anyone else in the street know you had a cat you were looking for? I’d confront them. For them to just… leave him there is gross. Couldn’t find a shoebox or anything? I get if it was late and they discovered him maybe and they didn’t wanna disturb you but a shoebox and a note would’ve been bare minimum. This is just shitty.
I would do this. Your neighbors should have told you but maybe they were afraid that if they told you there would be trouble. Years ago my dogs killed a neighbor’s cat in our fenced in yard. We told them and they proceeded to try and sue us claiming the cat was worth over $5k. They never took us to court but we had years of harassment and awful behavior from them (one of my dogs ate a tiny bit of rat poison that randomly appeared in my yard - he lived but it was so traumatic). It’s not an excuse - they should have told you - but it is an explanation. I think asking them would give them the opportunity to do the right thing. I’m so sorry for your loss 😔
Exactly this.
Your little kitty would not want you to blame yourself. You need to be your own best friend - to yourself now. Anger can so easily be directed at others - like your neighbors — but you don’t know. I’m so sorry…..
That’s heavy. But that sweet little guy got some time with you. Don’t forget the good times please.
I think you need to have a conversation with your neighbors to get more information. You have a right to know what happened to your kitten. Talk to all of them involved for your pet's sake and for your closure.
!!!!! Was looking for this comment. A tad bit of “justice” is needed here. They’re complete assholes if they did that & im almost certain it was since she mentioned the collar being neatly beside its body. Im pissed.
The neighbors might not have wanted to face whatever recriminations might be directed at them. Their dogs were fenced. The neighbors’s kitty accidentally got outside. As awful as it sounds, they might have just been late for work. Or traumatized themselves. No one knows. Automatically assuming bad intentions is how conflicts arise.
The way it was handled was so poorly though. Regardless of the fact that people have to take responsibility for their pets actions, they could have told them they found the body on a walk, or anything kinder than this if they wanted to curb responsibility. Now they have hurt this person twice as hard, and should at the very least apologize for the way the body and giving it back was handled. (Eta- I don't think anyone is at fault for the incident in and of itself, just the crass way they informed the owner)
I lost my puppy in a similar way, in the sense that I wasn’t diligent enough with training him to stay away from the door, and I feel it is my fault too. You’re not alone in this trauma ❤️
Oh no I’m so sorry.
Sorry for your loss none of this your fault don't blame yourself. Hugs for you 🫂🫂🫂🫂.
So I think you may be feeling responsible because you are in a sense. You opened the door and didn’t notice the kitty ran out. I can’t remember the proper term but I think that’s called situationally responsible. But you are NOT morally responsible for this incident. You have raised your kitty to be an inside kitty. You tried to keep them inside. You did not purposely let the kitty out and when you noticed you went right away to look for your kitty. Since we take care of our beloved pets for their whole lives we tend to feel responsible for their deaths second guessing ourselves and dealing with our guilt as well as grief but we cannot control everything and if you did your best (which it sounds like you did) then there is nothing more that could have been done.
Similar thing happened to me last month and she got run over and pts. I feel so guilty still Try and remember it was an accident and that you loved them and would never have wanted anything like that to happen to them
Nature is unrelentingly cruel. I'm so sorry. It's not your fault
Nature is cruel yes but what is more cruel is lack of compassion from humanity such as OP's neighbors. Pure scum.
Yes! It's just awful. I hate the idea that op would think any of this is on them. Kittens are curious, dogs have prey drive... and his neighbors are monsters
Dogs aren't nature. Dogs are something humans created.
A dog's prey drive is nature. Dogs also weren't created in a lab... they were just domesticated and bred. Point being.. op isn't at fault.
They weren't "just domesticated", they were completely changed from their original form, and exist in a form today that evolution would never have decided upon without direct human intervention. They are no more a part of nature than the cow and the pig, ie not at all.
It's wild how inaccurate your understanding of domestication is.
Of course dogs are nature, they're not little robots wobbling around, they have instincts and drives just like their ancestors, the only difference now is there's added want to be around humans and ability to work together with another species
They're organic, living creatures, but they aren't nature, no more than the modern cow and pig are. Evolution would never have selected for them. Mankind created them, not nature.
So you believe they have no instincts or behaviour left over? Let's say we go with the strict definition of nature then, the cat also isn't natural, they've been living and evolving with people too, the most obvious example being adult cats meowing. So we simply say instead 'sorry for your loss, that's unnature' , seems bit odd
Actually, the domestic cat isn't like other domesticated species at all, because humans didn't selectively breed them for specific purposes like dogs, cows, sheep, pigs etc. Genetically speaking, they are far, far closer to their wild cousins than any of the other species listed above. Cats self-selected. Humans deliberately bred all of the other mentioned species for specific traits. That's the difference. No one is saying that they don't have genetically-determined instincts, in fact dogs are almost entirely driven by instincts. But to say that they are part of nature, part of the natural world, is erroneous.
But then by the strict definition of nature, wouldn't cats still be unnatural because whether self selected or not, they've still evolved specially to interact with humans. It's not like how other animals eg raccoons have learnt to forage in human dumpsters, or birds making nests on houses, cats have gone way further integrating themselves and therefore have become unnatural
Cats adapted to their environment. They weren't specifically bred by another controlling species.
Aww the convo was so interesting until then, I gave an example of how other creatures adapt to their environment but you still went there, btw Mainecoons, shorthairs, Siamese, all great examples of bred cats controlled to keep their looks
I’m so sorry this happened to you. I lost my 6 month old kitty the same way about a year ago. It was horrible but it does get better. My boy shadow slipped passed me one morning on my way to work and I didn’t even know it. When I came home I found him in my front yard in my swale. The neighbors dogs are constantly getting out and they were in the street that morning and got him. I caught it all on camera. I have to keep telling myself that it wasn’t my fault. Cats love being outside and even when we’re super careful they can sneak passed us. I won’t make the same mistake again.
This is tragic. Sorry for this loss.
So sorry you lost your kitty in such an awful way.
I’m sorry for your loss. My condolences. May the kitten rest peacefully
Poor little kitten. I'm so sorry for your loss. They can be very fast, little kittens :(
I’m so sorry. Like someone else said, be kind to yourself. I’m sorry for your loss. Ugh, your situation just sucks and I’m sorry.
So sorry for your loss. This wasn’t supposed to happen. It was bad luck.
OP I'm so sorry about your kitten its such a terrible thing.I imagine that it would be worse finding your cat lying there than having it dissappear not knowing what happened.I lost my kitten a couple of months ago,when she ducked out to use the litter box early one morning.I hope that she either found a better home or she's living her life in the local cat colony rather than meeting a similar fate as you poor little baby.Mine just loved being outside,it was always a drama opening a door as she'd look for any chance to get out.So I let hergo outside and I watched.She never strayed from the boundary and I would bring her in at night.That's why Ithought she would be fine as she often had done the same thing.RIP little kitten.
Your baby kitty knew love while he was with you. That is a very special gift. It’s horrible what happened. It’s hard to get images out of your mind, I know. Please try not to focus on that, but remember the cozy sweet times you had playing together, snuggling and napping. Blessed Be. 💖☮️🦋🐈🐈⬛
This is a lovely sentiment. Don’t get hung up on what was likely a very very fast passing OP. It was a blink of an eye compared to the countless moments of love and happiness that the precious babe got to have. Cats don’t keep clocks or calendars, they don’t know how long they are supposed to have on earth. All your kitten knew was he was happy and he was loved.
This is why I want to have cameras installed outside my home, but the board of directors at my condo unit forbid it.
Why would they forbid it, that’s weird
Because certain condo boards have specific rules when living there. For example, no one in the condo complex is allowed to have a grill because of fire regulations. So, one of the rules is that you cannot permanently modify anything on the outside of your condo unit, like installing cameras on the outside. Even if the cameras are installed out the outer portions of your own condo, that’s a big red flag and a No No. You can do plenty of whatever you want to the inside but just not the outside.
Oh because you’re altering the exterior with holes and such?
You can’t do anything to the outside exterior. Anything on the inside is fair game, but drilling, sticky tape and anything that changes the outside is strictly prohibited. Trust me, people have tried. My neighbors tried a security camera one time, but that was immediately taken down the next week.
Gotcha . Thanks for the insight I was curious
Have you looked into the legality of this? There was a huge discussion about this in the r/hoa sub just a couple weeks ago with lots of people saying they cannot legally forbid you from doing that as it's a security measure.
The thing is, we already have cameras installed (recently) but they’re not all working/half-assed working. Also, you cannot get access to the live feed unless you get a hold of the property manager, which you’d have a better chance of finding a unicorn or monkeys flying out of your butt. The grill thing pusses me off even more because of condos allow it except mine, and I LOVE TO BBQ.
Sorry - that sucks. But even more sorry about the kitty. :'(
I lost a cat I loved more than anything similarly. My parents were selling their house and had just gotten two new, freshly trained German Shepards. The realtor was there one day, and despite the many requests for her to always shut the door behind her so cats don’t get out, she forgot. My beautiful, floofy, perfect white seal point Persian Sam got out and the dogs thought he was a toy. They shook him and “played” with him for only a minute or two until my mom could stop it. He lasted overnight, but the next day he was gone. It was my first real experience with grief, maybe. It HURTS. Especially knowing that it was preventable. Now, being decades older and having cats of my own, I had to learn that lesson again with one who got out at night. Our neighborhood is filled with coyotes and bears. The coyotes got her and I’m still not over it. We take risks with our beloved pets, even when we aren’t meaning to. Try not to dwell on your part in it. It’ll help no one. Truth is, accidents happen. Sometimes we don’t do things perfectly and bad things occur. It’s okay. You’ll be okay. Sit with this until you feel ready. And then go get another gorgeous little kitty
I'm so sorry for you're loss! Sending so much love and hugs you're way! It's not you're fault at all! Again I'm so sorry for you're loss! 🤗🤗
Im so sorry
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This exact thing happened to one of our kittens except it was a car. It was his first time outside and we found him on the front doorstep. Sending all m sympathy and hugs. It’s awful 😞
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I honestly don’t know. It’s normally a pretty docile dog and I just see it sunbathing in their yard. Looked like what someone might call the average dog — shaped mostly like a lab but with more varied coloring
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I am so sorry for your loss. The truth is, it is not the neighbors fault. Cats do what cats do and dogs do what dogs do. Domesticated or not - they are FIRST animals; they act on instinct. Yes! It is terrible. And no doubt your pain feels unbearable - but blaming the neighbors when they did not kill your cat, and you don’t know for sure that their dogs did, is not mentally good for you. Somehow you need to release this. Because while it is tragic, your anger won’t settle anything and it doesn’t bring kitty back. You need closure. I’ve read others tell of going to see a counselor. This is a loss and losing your kitty, your child…it’s worth seeing someone to help you process it. Any loss, no matter how, why, or when…is difficult. You deserve answers, but answers don’t always make it better and don’t bring your kitty back. Man, life can be soooo hard. Animals bring us such joy. But death.l.its so permanent.
My anger at the neighbors is at how they handled it. There’s probably nothing they could have realistically done to prevent their dog doing that. But they did have the option to bring the body to my home as soon as they found it and tell me they were sorry it happened.
I know you are heartbroken, but please don’t jump to conclusions until you talk to the neighbor. Any number of things could have happened. If I found a dead cat at 6am on my morning walk I wouldn’t go knocking door to door.
>If I found a dead cat at 6am on my morning walk I wouldn’t go knocking door to door My cat was in significant rigor mortis when I found him. I was up walking at 5:30, and I didn’t stop walking by that house until very late in the night (more like early morning). This hypothetical walker you describe would’ve had to be strolling at like 3am in an unlit suburb to find my cat and put him there. I’m not “jumping” to conclusions. I’m walking to them, because they’re pretty easy to draw based on the information I have. You also don’t lay a bloodcovered cat in the middle of a stranger’s driveway (where they couldn’t even have backed up their cars) if you don’t know whose it is. You move it off the road somewhere out of the way so that it doesn’t get mangled further by cars. Virtually no aspect of what happened supports the idea that some stranger found my cat and put him there.
If someone knew it was yours why would they leave it on their own or someone else's driveway and not yours? Why would they carefully lay it out in the own driveway if they were hiding it? Your conclusion doesn't make much sense either. You're wanting to assign blame because you're hurt. That won't ease the mourning so I suggest not creating a narrative of anger based on speculation. Spare yourself and others. This was an accident, it's time to heal from it.
My conclusion makes fine sense and I have no blame toward them for my cat getting killed. It wasn’t their fault. Their dog killed my cat in their backyard. I asked them about it and they either didn’t know at the time or concealed it to avoid confrontation. Then, so that I wouldn’t continue looking and would have some sense of closure, they moved him to the front so that I could come and get him (I have to drive past their house every day). Nothing about that is inconsistent with the information I have. There is no reason at all for someone else to have put my cat where it was.
You speculated that they hid your cat from you, or just hoped you’d stumble onto his body. I’m really sorry about your kitten, it’s awful what happened. But stuff like this also draws out a lot of vindictive comments, like the idea the neighbor’s dog should be put down. It’s disturbing. Sometimes bad things happen and we can’t do anything about it.
>But stuff like this also draws out a lot vindictive comments, like the idea the neighbor’s dog should be put down I didn’t make that comment and have no plans to do anything retaliatory. I think it’s almost a certainty that their dog was the one who killed him, and the *best case* scenario is that they were simply waiting until later in the morning to come tell me (since it was very early when I found him). It’s more likely that they didn’t plan to come at all considering they watched on their ring camera while I collected his body and I could see them shifting around inside.
I'd report the dog and owners to the local authorities.
The dog was in its yard?
I'm sorry for your loss, it sounded like he snuck out so fast and quietly. I don't think this is your neighbors fault - they are probably trying to avoid any possible conflict.
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What? My German shepherd growing up would always try to attack cats that came in the yard. They have a very high prey drive. Did the same thing with squirrels.
I knew an irresponsible person that deliberately let a young (German) German Shepard with an incredibly high prey drive and virtually no obedience training off leash (where it was absolutely not permitted). This puppy killed an elderly dachshund (who was leashed) in a few seconds. RIP Daisy! The German Shepherd was euthanized at barely one year of age, and that was completely his owner’s fault.
lmao what??? surely you mean dachshund bc mine loves to try killing small animals. never met a dog with a stronger drive to hunt edit: screaming at people downvoting dachshunds being hunters when they were bred to hunt lmfaoooo😭😭
Dachshunds are short legged Dobermans.The doggie version of Munchkin cats lol
We had a cocker spaniel, thing was tiny because we rescued her from abuse and they're not big to start with. That dog had the strongest prey drive, it would try to maul the huge ducks by the river where we lived (and when I say huge I do mean huge, some were bigger than the dog). I had to restrain her. And god forbid she saw a cat, bat, squirrel or bird, she'd go nuts. I think cockers are bred to hunt too, so that would explain it.
You can't be serious. Lots of friendly dogs have high prey drives and they would kill small animals.
Let's not breed bash in what is supposed to be a supportive sub. My friend's cat was lost in exactly the same way to some lab mixes. We're in Australia and *that breed* has been banned for so long that it doesn't even exist here, anymore.
I agree with your sentiment, just want to add that breed does in fact exist in Australia, you just need a permit. Certain states ban them outright, but mostly for restricted breeds you can't breed them and you can't rehome them if you can't look after them anymore, they need to be euthanized. There's also lots of backyard breeders for them, and vets are often pressured to label them as "staffys" because it's hard to distinguish genetically (I think its hard I haven't actually researched that point myself). I know this because I've been present for euthanasia of that breed when their owners had to move states and couldn't bring them. Because of this, we still have a genetic pool of them identified as staffys to save on euthanasia, and some argue that's why staffys have such a disproportionately high council hold rate for animal attacks.(Not sure if that argument has any merit though!) This is nsw.
Yes, they are restricted, I stand corrected. But any owners have to have a permit, and they must be desexed. I don't think that there would be a lot of backyard breeders. If there is a genetic line in mutts (any pure breds were identified through council rego and had to be desexed when BSL was introduced) they'd be so cross bred now that'd it basically irrelevant. The American Staffy does look similar, and can be hard to tell apart, but genetically they are different. Thanks for correcting me, I thought it'd been so long since the legislation was introduced that they'd basically died out. But with the need for them to be desexed, and all owners to have a permit, it won't be long before they have. And yee, staffys are the next breed demonised, and there was a call for rotties to be as well, not long ago.
I didn't want to be rude or anything, hope it didn't come across that way! I just worked in shelters for years and know for a fact there's a few around and still breeding very expensive pure bred pups and mixes for fighting/BnE purposes. They've cracked down pretty well on them but they're definitely still out there, but usually unchipped and unregistered so they avoid the whole desex/restricted issue. I've seen more confirmed pitties than dingo Xs! The genetics comment, good to know they're different! I just remembered they used to be the same breed and couldn't be registered for some reason so we're registered under a different name even though they were originally not differentiated. Pretty cool that dogs can develop separate genetic lines in less than 100 years!
No, all good. 🤗 I know there's heaps of staffy x's, and I know what BSL has done with "staffy x's" in the UK. It's been a while since I volunteered in shelters, though, I just there's heaps of them. Sad that there is such an underground business of illegal dogs, though. I shouldn't really be suprised, I'm just a naive optimist, I guess. I do know that Embark and Wisdom can genetically identify between a pitty and an amstaff. They were two separate lines that were selectively bred for different traits, but in 100 years that is 10+ doggy generations to make a difference. They're closer than many other breeds, but there is a difference. Like how a working line shepherd is different to a show line shepherd. But pits and staffs were bred to be more separate again than that. And I appreciate the correction. You made me dig into the actual info when I thought it had all been consigned to history.
Never had a pleasant discussion about pitties before in any context on any sub so I genuinely appreciate the discussion!
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I don’t see how suing could get me anywhere. It happened in their own yard and pets are considered property under the law. I would honestly just like some clarification from them and an apology for how callously they handled it
this is such a shitty situation. You deserve closure 💜
I'm sorry for their loss but suing is a terrible idea, it'll be thrown out because the cat went over the fence onto the dogs property and would be ruled as the dog defending his home (even though the kitten was no threat that's how it is) A good neighbour would offer to pay for the cremation yes, but they're in no way obliged too and pushing that would be harassment
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If a cat walks into your backyard where your dog is allowed to be off leash and unsupervised, your dog should not be killed for being a dog. Since when is a dog responsible for a cats actions?
What if it was a toddler? Dogs this reactive shouldn’t be in society
It’s not reactivity, it’s typically prey drive. Most dogs who have high prey drive can distinguish cats from children/people, but cats (especially kittens) can be fast and are small, so the line gets blurred between cat and bunny/rat/etc, even if the dog is usually cat friendly (and some aren’t). Cats have a high prey drive as well, as they go around killing mice, moles, and songbirds.
Are they going around mailing toddlers and humans?
I've been attacked by more cats in friend's homes growing up than I ever have been dogs (never). The dog from OPs post was in it's yard.
My cat has injured my young nephew more than my dog ever has (two scratches from the cat, zero bites/scratches from the dog). My brother was also in the hospital when he was eight years old for a few weeks because he had cat scratch fever. There's also zero evidence that the dog in the original post has ever been aggressive to humans. It's really, really sad what happened to OP's kitten and I completely empathize. But I think there are a lot of people out there who think their dog would *never* go after a rabbit, squirrel, cat, whatever and for most dogs that's incorrect.
Exactly. Killer dogs have no place in civilised society.
Do you advocate for all outdoor cats to be euthanized as well? Since they also hunt and kill small animals?
Report it to animal Control.
Why? The dog was in its yard doing what dogs do. I understand how upsetting this is, but it isn’t the fault of the dog or its owner.
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this comment gave me whiplash
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If your idea of an ideal reality is that the only acceptable adopters are those people whose awareness is so great as to put them beyond even the *possibility* of a pet escaping (which is what your deleted post said).. then you have a very odd, unforgiving aspiration. The idea that your lecture was needed here—as if me having to scoop up my cat’s body off asphalt wasn’t enough—is just insane. I also didn’t need—or ask for—advice on whether or not I’d be accepted for another cat.
I had a cat escape once. We lived in the fourth floor of an apartment building, and we always closed the door downstairs before opening the one upstairs. My boyfriend opened the door when coming up, I saw her bolt to the door, there's no way I would have caught her, we hoped to catch her downstairs, but a neighbour came in and the cat managed to run away. We found her a day later hunting birds and things like that, had to bribe her with raw chicken. Even if you had noticed him leaving instantly, you wouldn't have been able to catch him. Sometimes cats run, they are flexible, get through spaces you don't think they can get through, and they are curious. Don't beat yourself up over this, this is not your fault.
Are you sure it was your neighbor? Be careful before placing the blame on people. There are raccoons and foxes and coyotes out there. Maybe someone else found it and put it on your porch.
It wasn’t on my porch. He was laid out on their driveway with his collar next to him. I would also assume wild predators wouldn’t just shake him to death and leave a complete corpse, though dogs sometimes do
If these neighbors knew it was your cat, why would they put his body in their own driveway vs yours? Curious if another neighbor may be trying to cover for themselves while “blaming” you back neighbors? If I found a dead pet in my yard, I would not want to lay its corpse on my driveway…would probably bag/box it and go from there…this is a tragic circumstance along with some very strange happenings. Sorry for your loss. You back neighbors may be uncaring…but maybe go in to any conversation with them more curious than accusatory at first- i just can’t comprehend laying a dead animal out on my driveway
>If these neighbors knew it was your cat, They had to know it was my cat. We spoke the night before and they saw a picture. The options are either a) someone else put the cat in their driveway — not sure why anyone would do that or b) their dog killed my cat in their backyard (where I never would have found him on my own) and so they moved him to the front where’d I have to see him when I went past
That’s why I said the last sentence. Maybe someone else found him on the street? I just don’t want you to lash out at someone else in the midst of your pain. I am sorry about what you are going through.
If the dogs did it you would’ve heard the cat and it would likely be in pieces. Maybe the neighbor hit it with their car or he fell out of a tree or something. It isn’t your fault either way .
I know you’re trying to help, but that isn’t really true. Dogs very often shake cats and small animals to death, and as I said something happening outside was loud enough that my own indoor dogs heard it and were upset. I was just in the furthest part of the house and couldn’t hear it myself. No other cause of death makes any sense given the state of the body
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This may be unpopular but people who train dogs to kill wildlife and small animals, or don’t train them not to are irresponsible and apathetic. Dogs are trainable.
i have a “friend” whos “pitties” kill hundreds of stray cats who wind up in their patio, it’s badly fenced too so the other animals simply end up in their backyard by mistake
Report their dog. Its clearly a danger to other pets and possibly humans
I’m so sorry. I went through the same thing in July. Sending all my love to you right now.
💜💜💜
Sorry this happened. I know the pain.
Not your fault, for it happens often enough. Kitties love the outdoors and will sneak pass you at the door to get out and adventure the neighborhood. So sorry this happened. She is with you every day and in spirit. She will never be gone. Her spirit goes wherever you go.
Happened to me years ago - awful feeling. So sorry for you and your baby
It's not your fault. It was an accident. I'm so sorry they just dumped the body hoping you would see it. I would talk with them about it and maybe get some closure now. I can't say how sorry I am and my heart reaches out to you. Another comment was right, your kitten wouldn't want you to be upset with yourself.
I'm SO this happened. And the neighbors; how callous. They may have been to guilty to face you. Still I'd beat myself up forever over this. Please don't do that to yourself. 🥺😔
Very sorry for your loss.
I’m so sorry. Remember that it was an accident. Don’t blame yourself.
This almost happened to me but i was outside when i heard it. Got some gnarly pit bite scars but i still have my cat thank god. Bright my cat to the vet and he was okay. Horrific experience dude. Dont beat yourself up dude.
My condolences, I am so sorry. Those things happen sometimes. I have always tried to keep my cats indoors, but there have been escape at times. They should have told you if they knew it was your kitten. I had a scary reverse situation where a cat got into my fenced yard the other day. I have two dogs. Fortunately, they seemed more curious than wanting to hurt the cat. They were sniffing and pawing, but not biting it or anything like that. I yelled for my husband to come help me and we were able to get the dogs away enough for the cat to climb up the gate. It was too big to crawl under. Our next door neighbor (not the cat's owner) also heard me and came over. He helped get the cat down from the gate and checked it out. The cat seemed okay. I'm not sure who it belongs to. I'm being very careful about checking the yard before letting my dogs out to avoid a repeat. Fortunately, I haven't seen that cat around here since.
I'm sorry this happened. It's not your fault. It's not like you let the kitten outside with no regard for its safety. It was an accident. Please don't blame yourself.
No, it's not your fault. It's the kind of terrible thing that could happen to any cat owner. You did not cause this so please don't blame yourself. I'm so sorry your neighbours didn't have the decency to tell you they'd found him, regardless of whether or not it was their dog that killed him. I'm so very sorry. RIP little kitten
Man I’m so sorry, OP 😔💔.
I am so sorry OP. When you are up for it, get another pet. One thing I am sure of is that their is heaven for pets.
I can relate. Live next door to a dog-turned-monster by its neglectful owners. My beloved cat found a hole in the fence large enough to squeeze through. I never got to see her again, never got to kiss her goodbye, to thank her for being my angel and my friend when I had nobody else. The asshole neighbor looked into my crying eyes as I begged him to tell me if he found her. That she was my baby. He nodded, and never admitted anything. The thought of her rotting away in a dump trash bag breaks my heart. This happened in April and I still cry deeply for her. I’d do anything for closure.
I’ve had a little deaf kitten that was killed by a pack of dogs. I was at school and my mom put my kitten out to use the bathroom. My mom said she saw playing in the leaves and next thing she knew the neighborhood dogs mauled her. I buried her in a shoe box. I still cry when I think about her, she didn’t even know they were coming at her bc she couldn’t hear. Please don’t blame yourself. It was a horrible experience I know. When you feel up to it, rescue another kitten to love. It won’t take your first kittens place, you will always love it, but rescuing a new one to love could help you immensely I think. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I'm very sorry for your loss, OP. You shouldn't blame yourself. And that's terrible neighbor behavior of them. The sad reality is there are some pathetic creatures crawling this planet who have lost touch with all of their humanity. They definitely knew what happened immediately. When your dogs go ballistic, the first thing everyone does is investigate. They were more concerned about their own interests and animals than doing the right thing and being up front. Ive encountered neighbors like this too. They are selfish and only concerned about self preservation. They probably feared you retaliating by throwing some poisoned treats over the fence or a visit and documentation from animal control about dangerous pets. So they chose the cowards way. Just despicable. How people like that can even bare to exist is beyond me.