HELP! Cat attacked our yorkie - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Jbj23 · 02-23-2015, 07:44 AM

We have had a horrible weekend. Our adult cat (age 4) attacked our 4 month old yorkie this weekend and tried to kill him. We had to take, Joey (yorkie) to the ER vet. we didn't not see this: Our cat, death gripped him around his neck until he passed out... He has 4 puncture wounds on his throat and top of neck. He is better today, THANK GOD! We have an adult collie and our cat has been around dogs his whole life and had been an amazing cat. We are completely perplexed... We isolated the cat since the incident and when I let him out, with in 30 minutes hunted down our yorkie again... We watched him hide, tail twitch and he tried to pounce again. We can't trust our cat now near our yorkie.....EVER.

Have any of you heard of a cat doing this? Does he think our little 4 pound yorkie is a bunny or some kind of prey?? Feeling horrible that we can't all live happy together

Love,
our once happy cat, collie, yorkie family........

Yorkiemom1 · 02-23-2015, 07:49 PM

Good bye cat!!!! Was the puppy unattended and alone with the cat? I do not trust other pets of ANY kind with a new puppy, especially one that is smaller than they are. Animals are very territorial and possive....sweet little fluffy that has never attacked anyone or anything in her intire life, can easily become a killer if some interloper intrudes what Fluffy considers HERS....HER house, HER bed, HER food, HER family, HER yard....cats instinctively strangle their pray until it collapses, then they DISEMBOWEL the pray with their back feet.

Do not ever trust that cat around your Yorkie again....you will find your Yorkie dead.....or blinded, as they also go for the eyes....I am glad your Yorkie survived this vicious attack.....hopefully there will not be any spinal issues as far as infections go, from the cat bite to the top of his neck.

smelcerk · 02-23-2015, 07:59 PM

What a horrible story. Poor little baby probably had no idea what hit him. Please protect him. They cannot ever be together again.

Lilah Charm · 02-23-2015, 08:25 PM

Oh how sad and awful! What a terrible start to your Yorkie ownership

I see this is your first post too- I welcome you to Yorkie talk but am so sorry your visit started here. All things said about cats, territory and prey are so very true. I think you need to rehome your Yorkie or your cat. It sounds like your cat is a long term family member and perhaps a Yorkie doesn't fit in with your household? I know that is a painful thought but there are many excellent rescues if that is the case or perhaps the breeder would be willing to work with you also. I hope your little guy is healing well and if it's the cat that goes I will look forward to seeing pics of your little buddy- yorkies really are amazing and special dogs.

ironmike86 · 02-23-2015, 08:58 PM

Need to decide. You can't keep both. Yorkies are more like prey to larger animals. Its a whole different dog world vs having a Collie or larger dog.

Lovetodream88 · 02-23-2015, 09:09 PM

Has your cat been checked out by the vet lately?

anneclaire · 02-23-2015, 09:32 PM

OMGosh that poor baby! It would be a hard decision to make - your cat or your yorkie but it is one that really needs made. I am so sorry.

MauiGirl · 02-23-2015, 09:34 PM

This is so sad. I feel really sorry and scared for the Yorkie, and it sounds like the two should never be alone together. Hard choice.

impish · 02-23-2015, 11:12 PM

Hi. Sorry for the situation you are in. It's not a good one. My first yorkie, Max was attacked by my boyfriend's cat. The cat was an outdoor cat. I saw his tail twitching and went to protect Max. My boyfriend said, ah let them be, they will be fine. :/ The cat went for the jugular death kill. Max had a punctured artery with blood everywhere. I applied pressure and we raced to the hospital. Max lived and did fine thank god after that but I never let him be around a strange cat again. I think this cat was a hunter and just didn't equate dog, to Max.

Today, we have three yorkies and two cats. The cats have been indoor cats for the most part and are not hunters. They have all been introduced as kittens or puppies. The dogs and cats all play together. The dogs occasionally chase the cats and they tolerate it. We haven't had any incidents, they sleep together sometimes and kiss each other. I feel confident with the safety of all.... so it just depends.

My one thought to you is that now that your cat has shown aggression/hunting instinct with regard to the pup, you may not be able to do anything outside of keeping them apart at all times.

SirTeddykins · 02-24-2015, 12:17 AM

My cat is the most loving, docile cat ever. When I got Teddy, this did not change but my cat did start to hunt Teddy and what starts out as play quickly gets very serious. Yes, I think cats are hunters and little dogs walk with targets on their backs. The fact that Teddy defers to my cat makes it worse. My cat is now a bully and, therefore, they are NEVER left alone together. All play is supervised and if one becomes too excited or agitated, they are split up and that is the end of it..

I'm not sure getting rid of the cat is the answer. It was, after all, there first..

Only you can decide about that..

However, DEFINITELY DO NOT allow these two to be together unsupervised EVER. As you have just unfortunately learned, leaving them in this type of situation can result in the death of your puppy.

Graneet · 02-24-2015, 01:42 AM

So sorry i know this is very hard and scary. When my twodogs started fighting. I thought i would have to get rid of one. So hard when you love both. Gonna be a lot more work for you to keep them. But as you have seen kitty is out to get the newcommer.

Dayswalters · 02-24-2015, 05:42 AM

I agree that you can never trust the cat with your puppy. Unfortunately, now that she sees him as prey, she will just be waiting for her chance to catch him. I hope he recovers well. Cat bites can get horribly infected not to mention the damage they already did. If you choose to keep the cat and the puppy, you need a way to insure they are never alone.

matese · 02-24-2015, 06:45 AM

OMG how tragic, that poor little puppy. Thank GOD the cat didn't harm the babies eyes. Just absolutely horrific. Terrifying for you as well as lil pup. Please keep us up dated on Joey's recovery. Keeping little boy in my prayers for a full recovery.(((HUGS)))

mybellababy · 02-24-2015, 07:10 AM

I am so sorry you have gone through this. Can you tell me a bit about your kitty. How did he come to your home was his or her mom a feral cat or a house cat? I have breed and showed cats in the past.

Do you let you cat out and is it a hunter in the great outdoors?

What I'm thinking is your cat must have alot of feral still in it and thats not going to change. You will have to rehome one or the other. If you choose to keep the cat you will never be able to bring in another puppy maybe a large dog.

Don't feel guilty choose the one you want the most its ok.

Cats do rehome quite well , if it is a hunter maybe a farm were it can hunt mice and make the farmer very happy.

I would find it hard to see the cat in any other way but a hunter even though it is nature.

I hope this helps a bit lots of hugs to you.

gracielove · 02-24-2015, 07:13 AM

I have fostered various animals for years while always having at least one small dog. When Gracie was still a very small pup I was fostering a litter of kittens that had a feral mother. Gracie loved playing with those kittens as she had the previous litter that had since been found homes but the feral mother did not take kindly to Gracie's attentions to her babies. One day when I had allowed the kittens out for some free time the mother went after Gracie for real. Gracie ran under the rocking chair to hide but the mother cat went in after her. Fortunately I was right there and shooed the mother cat out of there and grabbed Gracie. She was unharmed but after that she was never allowed in the room with the mother cat present.

It sounds like your cat is accustomed to hunting and sees the small pup as prey. Many terrier pups are so bouncy and full of energy that they scare cats off but maybe your pup is more reserved? I would defiantly keep the pup separated from your cat until he/she is bigger.

I still have cats and we have never had any other issues. Gracie actually likes to sleep with them when it is a bit chilly around her in the winter. (the floors get cold) She is such a heat seeker! Because Gracie is so much smaller than a full grown cat and any other dog around here I am really careful about which fosters I let her mix with. My own cats are very used to her.

02-23-2015, 07:44 AM	#1
Jbj23 Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Hudson, wi usa Posts: 13	HELP! Cat attacked our yorkie We have had a horrible weekend. Our adult cat (age 4) attacked our 4 month old yorkie this weekend and tried to kill him. We had to take, Joey (yorkie) to the ER vet. we didn't not see this: Our cat, death gripped him around his neck until he passed out... He has 4 puncture wounds on his throat and top of neck. He is better today, THANK GOD! We have an adult collie and our cat has been around dogs his whole life and had been an amazing cat. We are completely perplexed... We isolated the cat since the incident and when I let him out, with in 30 minutes hunted down our yorkie again... We watched him hide, tail twitch and he tried to pounce again. We can't trust our cat now near our yorkie.....EVER. Have any of you heard of a cat doing this? Does he think our little 4 pound yorkie is a bunny or some kind of prey?? Feeling horrible that we can't all live happy together Love, our once happy cat, collie, yorkie family........

02-23-2015, 08:25 PM	#4
Lilah Charm Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,721	Oh how sad and awful! What a terrible start to your Yorkie ownership I see this is your first post too- I welcome you to Yorkie talk but am so sorry your visit started here. All things said about cats, territory and prey are so very true. I think you need to rehome your Yorkie or your cat. It sounds like your cat is a long term family member and perhaps a Yorkie doesn't fit in with your household? I know that is a painful thought but there are many excellent rescues if that is the case or perhaps the breeder would be willing to work with you also. I hope your little guy is healing well and if it's the cat that goes I will look forward to seeing pics of your little buddy- yorkies really are amazing and special dogs. __________________ Alyssa and Lilah

02-23-2015, 09:09 PM	#6
Lovetodream88 Yorkie mom of 4 Donating YT Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: LaPlata, Md Posts: 23,247	Has your cat been checked out by the vet lately? __________________ Taylor My babies Joey, Penny ,Ollie & Dixie Callie Mae, you will forever be in my heart!

02-23-2015, 09:34 PM	#8
MauiGirl Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Maui, Hawaii Posts: 7,740	This is so sad. I feel really sorry and scared for the Yorkie, and it sounds like the two should never be alone together. Hard choice. __________________ SANDY, MOM TO TIKI , KAYLA , KARLEE , R.I.P. MEIKA

02-23-2015, 11:12 PM	#9
impish Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: USA Posts: 954	Hi. Sorry for the situation you are in. It's not a good one. My first yorkie, Max was attacked by my boyfriend's cat. The cat was an outdoor cat. I saw his tail twitching and went to protect Max. My boyfriend said, ah let them be, they will be fine. :/ The cat went for the jugular death kill. Max had a punctured artery with blood everywhere. I applied pressure and we raced to the hospital. Max lived and did fine thank god after that but I never let him be around a strange cat again. I think this cat was a hunter and just didn't equate dog, to Max. Today, we have three yorkies and two cats. The cats have been indoor cats for the most part and are not hunters. They have all been introduced as kittens or puppies. The dogs and cats all play together. The dogs occasionally chase the cats and they tolerate it. We haven't had any incidents, they sleep together sometimes and kiss each other. I feel confident with the safety of all.... so it just depends. My one thought to you is that now that your cat has shown aggression/hunting instinct with regard to the pup, you may not be able to do anything outside of keeping them apart at all times. __________________ Guide to Finding a Reputable Breeder

02-23-2015, 07:49 PM	#2
Yorkiemom1 Rosehill Yorkies Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 9,462	Good bye cat!!!! Was the puppy unattended and alone with the cat? I do not trust other pets of ANY kind with a new puppy, especially one that is smaller than they are. Animals are very territorial and possive....sweet little fluffy that has never attacked anyone or anything in her intire life, can easily become a killer if some interloper intrudes what Fluffy considers HERS....HER house, HER bed, HER food, HER family, HER yard....cats instinctively strangle their pray until it collapses, then they DISEMBOWEL the pray with their back feet. Do not ever trust that cat around your Yorkie again....you will find your Yorkie dead.....or blinded, as they also go for the eyes....I am glad your Yorkie survived this vicious attack.....hopefully there will not be any spinal issues as far as infections go, from the cat bite to the top of his neck.

02-23-2015, 07:59 PM	#3
smelcerk Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Emmett, ID, USA Posts: 189	What a horrible story. Poor little baby probably had no idea what hit him. Please protect him. They cannot ever be together again.

02-23-2015, 08:58 PM	#5
ironmike86 Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: USA Posts: 1,628	Need to decide. You can't keep both. Yorkies are more like prey to larger animals. Its a whole different dog world vs having a Collie or larger dog.

02-23-2015, 09:32 PM	#7
anneclaire YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Leon, Iowa USA Posts: 474	OMGosh that poor baby! It would be a hard decision to make - your cat or your yorkie but it is one that really needs made. I am so sorry.

02-24-2015, 12:17 AM	#10
SirTeddykins aka ♥SquishyFace♥ Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: n/a Posts: 1,875	My cat is the most loving, docile cat ever. When I got Teddy, this did not change but my cat did start to hunt Teddy and what starts out as play quickly gets very serious. Yes, I think cats are hunters and little dogs walk with targets on their backs. The fact that Teddy defers to my cat makes it worse. My cat is now a bully and, therefore, they are NEVER left alone together. All play is supervised and if one becomes too excited or agitated, they are split up and that is the end of it.. I'm not sure getting rid of the cat is the answer. It was, after all, there first.. Only you can decide about that.. However, DEFINITELY DO NOT allow these two to be together unsupervised EVER. As you have just unfortunately learned, leaving them in this type of situation can result in the death of your puppy.

02-24-2015, 01:42 AM	#11
Graneet YT Addict Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Marion ohio Posts: 476 Blog Entries: 2	So sorry i know this is very hard and scary. When my twodogs started fighting. I thought i would have to get rid of one. So hard when you love both. Gonna be a lot more work for you to keep them. But as you have seen kitty is out to get the newcommer.

02-24-2015, 05:42 AM	#12
Dayswalters Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: California Posts: 842 Blog Entries: 1	I agree that you can never trust the cat with your puppy. Unfortunately, now that she sees him as prey, she will just be waiting for her chance to catch him. I hope he recovers well. Cat bites can get horribly infected not to mention the damage they already did. If you choose to keep the cat and the puppy, you need a way to insure they are never alone.

02-24-2015, 06:45 AM	#13
matese Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: E.Stroudsburg, Pa. Posts: 67,952	OMG how tragic, that poor little puppy. Thank GOD the cat didn't harm the babies eyes. Just absolutely horrific. Terrifying for you as well as lil pup. Please keep us up dated on Joey's recovery. Keeping little boy in my prayers for a full recovery.(((HUGS))) __________________ Joan, mom to Cody RIP Matese Schnae Kajon Kia forever in my A House Is Not A Home Without A Dog

02-24-2015, 07:10 AM	#14
mybellababy YT Addict Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Ontario canada Posts: 365	I am so sorry you have gone through this. Can you tell me a bit about your kitty. How did he come to your home was his or her mom a feral cat or a house cat? I have breed and showed cats in the past. Do you let you cat out and is it a hunter in the great outdoors? What I'm thinking is your cat must have alot of feral still in it and thats not going to change. You will have to rehome one or the other. If you choose to keep the cat you will never be able to bring in another puppy maybe a large dog. Don't feel guilty choose the one you want the most its ok. Cats do rehome quite well , if it is a hunter maybe a farm were it can hunt mice and make the farmer very happy. I would find it hard to see the cat in any other way but a hunter even though it is nature. I hope this helps a bit lots of hugs to you.

02-24-2015, 07:13 AM	#15
gracielove YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NY Posts: 6,582	I have fostered various animals for years while always having at least one small dog. When Gracie was still a very small pup I was fostering a litter of kittens that had a feral mother. Gracie loved playing with those kittens as she had the previous litter that had since been found homes but the feral mother did not take kindly to Gracie's attentions to her babies. One day when I had allowed the kittens out for some free time the mother went after Gracie for real. Gracie ran under the rocking chair to hide but the mother cat went in after her. Fortunately I was right there and shooed the mother cat out of there and grabbed Gracie. She was unharmed but after that she was never allowed in the room with the mother cat present. It sounds like your cat is accustomed to hunting and sees the small pup as prey. Many terrier pups are so bouncy and full of energy that they scare cats off but maybe your pup is more reserved? I would defiantly keep the pup separated from your cat until he/she is bigger. I still have cats and we have never had any other issues. Gracie actually likes to sleep with them when it is a bit chilly around her in the winter. (the floors get cold) She is such a heat seeker! Because Gracie is so much smaller than a full grown cat and any other dog around here I am really careful about which fosters I let her mix with. My own cats are very used to her.