Cat killer

[Justalyke]

I am posting this for my best friend who has my Savion's sister. She is devastated that her 2 year old white Boxer killed her 10 year old cat yesterday. They have been together since her Boxer was a puppy and they never had any issues at all. I am guessing that Boxers are not know for cat killing like Huskies. She is understandably upset with her Boxer and is having trouble even looking at her right now. This dog is super sweet, you would have never thought that she would have been capable something like this. Right now my friend wants to give her up, I am not sure what the right thing to do is. I am taking her Boxer for a few days so that she may have time for her emotions to calm. This cat was her baby...I can't imagine what I would be thinking if it happened to one of my babies. Does anyone out there have any advice for her??

 

[sandy's mom]

Is she sure it was intentional? Sometimes they just play too rough.

 

[marciafinn]

Oh my. Sending my sympathies to your friend during this difficult time. Was your friend there to see what happened?

 

[Princess3604]

I am guessing that Boxers are not know for cat killing like Huskies

i'm not trying to start anything but i was wondering what you meant by that beacause pretty much any dog is able do something like that and i also grew up with huskies and they were always great with our cats.. i've never heard of huskies being cat killers.. but is she sure the dog did it on purpose? it could of been a accident. i understand how shes feels but i dont think that is a reason to get rid of her dog.. mine loves playing with our cats (or i should say my sisters kitten) i would always break it up when she got too rough with the cat so it wouldnt get hurt.

 

[BeckyNC]

I posted on this when I first joined BW b/c I read a book that said a dog that would kill a cat might kill an infant. I was assured by Tulsa Dan that this is not accurate, but different dogs have different prey drives, so I doubt it has anything to do with the breed, just the individual dog's prey drive! My girl has a very high prey drive. In fact, the woman who tried to adopt her (she was a rescue) before me, returned her b/c she killed two of the stray cats the woman was feeding. Tae goes bonkers over all small animals. I will never own a cat for this reason!

I must also say that I had a Husky, as a child. She never caught a cat, but I fear any cat she caught would have been a goner. That said, I do not feel Huskies are established cat killers. I've read on Husky rescue sites about Huskies that get along well with the family cat. Additionally, there are plenty of BW members whose Boxers have never had cat issues.

I'm not sure what to tell you friend. That's really sad if the doggie did it "on purpose." If that's the case, though, I doubt this is a behavior she can eradicate, as it's associated with prey drive and I think that's instinctual.

 

[Dutch04]

I think the Huskie reference is like the general Pit reference you hear. It's just an opinion based on stories you hear over time, they may or may not necessarily be true. But I did live next door to 3 Huskies when I was a kid that literally tore the next door neighbor's cat limb from limb out of nowhere one day. I never let stories sway my opinion on a breed but once you hear something like that it can stick in your mind.

 

[TheBoxerCrew]

First off, I am so sorry to hear what happened. I would be beside myself if one of my dogs killed one of the cats. I have been very fortunate that mine all get along.

That said, let's see if we can't try to make some sense of this whole situation.

Kitty & Boxer never had issues. Okay, great. BUT - did they play/interact with each other, or did kitty keep its distance and Boxer only get to see it from across a room? Did kitty initiate play, only to back off and try to retreat when Boxer got too carried away? These things when supervised would be somewhere that a human may need to intervene, but if left home alone, might turn into an accidental injury/death.

ANY dog has a prey drive. Some breeds are just more in control of them on the whole, and in some breeds where it is more of an issue (such as huskies or greyhounds - yes, greyhounds) there are some individual dogs able to suppress the urges better than others. It varies from dog to dog.

A Boxer is a dog, therefor has a prey drive. Boxers are not always good with cats. If you look at a few rescue sites, you will see many Boxers listed as "No Cats" or "Didn't get along with cats in home". My personal experience is that the dogs are far too rough and the cats get overpowered....but I am sure this is not the case 100% of the time.

Boxers play rough. We all know this...... They seem almost unaware of their size and strength, and those big ol' feet can get them in hot water unintentionally. And when you have a pup (2 is pretty close to the high end of puppydom), their clumsiness and flailing feet tend to be even more out of control. Is it possible that the 2 got to playing and the Boxer got carried away?

Your friend needs time to grieve, and I am glad that you were there to step in and take the dog in while she does this. She also needs to consider that she cannot blame the dog forever. The dog has, I am sure, forgotten the incident by now, and in fact may even seek out kitty as if nothing ever happened if/when it returns home.

Hopefully, your friend can see the situation for what it was, what it could have been, and not banish the dog if it was something which could very well have been nothing more than exuberant play that got taken too far.

 

[Justalyke]

Thanks for all the responses. First I want to say that if I offended anyone with the Husky comment, I apologize. I volunteer with the humane society and it is just something I have often heard of. Mom wasn't there to see what happened to kitty, she came in and found the house in shambles and kitty lying on the kitchen floor soaking wet and shaking. She made it to the emgcy vet and passed on there. There was obviously quite a chase, kitty usually stays in a separate room when Mom is gone. I hope she didn't mean to do it, but I guess we will never know. I hope she forgives the dog and keeps her, but I don't think I should try to sway her one way or the other right now. The whole thing just sucks. Thanks for all the advice, warm wishes and info, I love this community.

 

[nanci27]

I am sorry too. But I don't think that she would have done it on purpose, was she there when I it happened. And how did she do it. Horrible to think about but no point punishing the dog when she doesnt understand what shes done

 

[nanci27]

sorry I didnt read the last post so sorry for my already awnserd questions!