# my dog killed a kitten



## ali123 (Feb 17, 2012)

Earlier in the day our Lhasa apso came upon some week old kittens in our garage and killed one, only saw it much later didnt look mutilated but still, feel terrible about it, I have barricaded the enterence with stuff so he wont get in as the mother is there too and he basically is after her, is this normal behaviour for a dog towards kittens or other animal babies?


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## bonesygirl (Mar 2, 2012)

My lhasa killed my mom's budgie when he was much younger. Not a fun aspect of dog behaviour, but they are predators.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Very sad but I think most dogs would kill kittens that small, if only accidentally. They look and squeak very much like mice. Dogs shouldn't be around kittens who are too small to defend themselves.

Does the mother cat belong to you?


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

Wow.
I have 3 dogs, one of which loves kittens, absolutely 100%. I think it's because they're small, and they squeak and he can play with them without getting hurt.
The other is about 60 lbs and his best friend is a kitten. They groom each other and play and sleep together. 
The other would kill and eat one if she got the chance. Therefore, I have given her no chance. 

I would say it's normal for some dogs, yes. It's prey drive, but you really do need to make that the cats are completely 100% secure from this dog.


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## sheltiemom (Mar 13, 2007)

For some dogs it is normal, even if it's just playing rough. It would upset me though, and if it were me, I would not allow my dog any access to the kittens at all. Is the cat yours? Can you bring mom and babies in to a closet or bathroom with a litterbox, bedding, and food/water? If they have to stay in the garage, I would keep your dog out of there completely. If the cat isn't yours and you just found them, I would call/email some local rescues and get some advise on how to help mom with the kittens, what she might need, etc.


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## ali123 (Feb 17, 2012)

The cat is stray but usually hangs around my neighbours place with about ten other strays whom they feed, so its almost a pet, why she chose our place to bring her kittens here is strange, perhaps she felt they would be more at risk in the company of other cats, the kittens are fairly large could be two weeks old or more and they were not born in our garage for sure.

She has left and not returned she hasnt even had the bowl of milk I kept for her I wonder if all the kittens are dead cant hear any sound, infact dont even know how many there are, feeling uncomfortable to go and check, will do so during the day.

Thats really sad about the budgie.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

It's totally normal for a dog to kill smaller animals. Dogs are predators, smaller animals are prey. Kabota has, in 8 months, killed 4 mice, 2 birds and 2 rabbits. He's the nicest dog ever, as long as you are a human or another dog.


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## ali123 (Feb 17, 2012)

So its a bit reassuring to know this happens, thought he had devloped a mean treak overnight, by the way this happened to him in regards to big dogs, he started hating them with a vengence after a Great dane just sniffed him over and that too after having done so two three times beforein a freindly gentle way, he just snapped right infront of me and unveiled a side of him I had never seen before, since then he becomes into a monster around big breeds.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Please go check on the other kittens. If some are injured they may need a vet. (Even Animal Control would be better than letting them suffer if they are injured).


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## aiw (Jun 16, 2012)

Our hound Callie revealed her prey drive in a rather unfortunate way. My sister was walking her when suddenly she did a precision strike sideways and had grabbed a pigeon in her mouth. Vic yelled and Callie immediately dropped the pigeon who hobbled under a bush (probably not long for this world). Vic then looked across the street to where a toddler and her parents were gaping at her horrified at the "vicious" dog. Callie is a sweet gentle lovebug with humans, dogs and cats but lookout squirrels, ducks and birds! Its not at all indicative of her general temperament and its not really a problem, luckily she's not fast enough to catch anything thats not monumentally stupid or slow. Obviously we dont want anything killed by our dog so we just watch her... I suggest you just do the same.


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## sheltiemom (Mar 13, 2007)

spotted nikes said:


> Please go check on the other kittens. If some are injured they may need a vet. (Even Animal Control would be better than letting them suffer if they are injured).


This. If they are alive, call around to some local rescues and see if you can get them in anywhere.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

It's normal and not a big deal from the dog's perspective. My sweet, trustworthy dog - wouldn't harm a baby lizard - will eagerly kill other prey, then come back and cuddle. No personality change... like us killing a cockroach ... just part of the package.


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## Galathiel (Apr 11, 2012)

It could be that the mother cat (rightly) deemed the garage an unsafe area and has moved her remaining kittens - hence the reason she didn't touch the milk.


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## RCloud (Feb 25, 2011)

I'm extremely fortunate to have one dog with an extremely high maternal instincts, and another dog that will atleast listen to me when I tell them "NO", but I think this is normal for most dogs. It's the prey drive, and kittens are certainly deemed as prey :/


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## LilasMom (Jan 18, 2012)

Prey drive is normal, but can be crazy to watch! Especially when their prey drive is to go after something bigger than them! My yorkie likes to chase the chickens at my uncles ranch and they are almost three times her size lol. It is just instincts left over from their primal days 

A single flurry flash from the corner of my yorkies eye and her prey drive is "activated" lol.


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## JohnnyBandit (Sep 19, 2008)

It is normal.... I would not be surprised to see my dogs eat a kitten. It is what it is and I am not going to be upset or make excuses if my dogs kill a small animal in the yard. 

We have three dogs, three cats... My dogs will curl up and sleep with their cats but would kill a cat that jumped the fence if I was not outside with them.


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

all mine would kill a cat hands down, they will chase them & they have never gotten them thankfully they will come back when called.


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## Hallie (Nov 9, 2008)

Hallie lives with 3 cats, a rabbit, and lots of lizards. They all get along perfectly. 

However, if one of the neighborhood's ferals wondered into our yard, Hallie would act viciously towards it. If we stumble upon a rabbit during a walk, Hallie goes into 'rabbit dog' mode and hunts it, but if she caught it she'd kill it.


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

Personally, I'm still waiting to see if the OP comes back with news about the other kittens.


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## ali123 (Feb 17, 2012)

There was only one kitten and did not survive from the very beginning, but the mother cat continued to sit beside it and defend it againt the dog even though he could not get to them due to the barricade, she came back to check up on the kitten off and on perhaps even looking for new locations to move it or so it seemed from her actions, the milk remained unconsumed no other cats came to lap it up either.


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

That's quite a story. Especially how this started out being several 1 week old kittens, to several 2 week old kittens, and now it's 1 kitten, and there has only ever been 1 kitten. 
Started out as kittens, the dog kills one, mother leaves them, now it's one kitten, killed by a dog, now the mother was protecting it.

So, I'm not sure what to believe, as this was probably fabricated for entertainment, but if it's real, I hope the other kittens are alright just the same.


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## ali123 (Feb 17, 2012)

There was just one kitten after all, from a distance it seemed a week old up close it was much bigger, I expected there to be more but there werent any thankfully, there is alot of stuff in the garage and it isnt easy to look around but managed to and found none. 

Yes the mother was protecting the kitten despite it being dead, perhaps something natural in animals, and she is still coming to the place and calling out.

Never used the word several anywhere, said kittens in plural because normally there are more than one, I assumed there would be others too with out checking, when I did there was only one.

Does that help explain it more clearly.


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