Yesterday, I heard barking outside that reminded me of the barking I heard outside years ago when a Pit Bull was in our backyard trying to get our neighbor’s cat, Casper. You can read that story here.
The barking sounded close, and I knew our cats were on the back porch, so I hurried outside to see what was going on. Sure enough, our next-door neighbor’s dog was outside in their yard. The dog had no supervision, which was okay since it was in a fenced-in yard, but it had pulled one of the fence slats off and also pulled away the chicken wire attached to the other side.
I tried talking to the dog calmly, but it would not stop barking. It wanted our cats just as much as the pit bull wanted Frankie a couple of weeks ago. It tried crawling under the fence a couple of times, but the chicken wire was just enough in the way to prevent it. I’m sure that if the dog kept trying, it would have made it under the fence. It then surely would have taken no time to rip through the screens.
I took a less-than-great photo just before the neighbor’s door opened, and the sound of a whistle caused the dog to go inside.
The funny, or not-so-funny thing about the incident is that both cats were standing near the screen closest to the dog. This makes me worry that if a dog does get into our backyard, the cats won’t have enough sense to run into the house.
This morning, I put a couple of nails in the fence slat. Hopefully, that will hold the dog back.
Bad Cat Chris 
Unfortunate YOU had to do fence repairs, but good you were okay with taking it on, for your (well, all) pets safety … and neighborhood “calm”. Sounds as this may be a never-ending tale of your W.VA summer sadly … just stay safe …
Thank you.
Yikes……..not fair – those dogs are very determined from what I hear…..fortunately there are no pit bulls in our neighborhood AND there is a noise ordinance about nuisance dog barking. You have screens but if that dog WANTED to it would get those screens down quickly. I don’t suppose you can put an additional screen (those heavy duty ones) up as a backup?? You shouldn’t HAVE to do anything and thankfully the neighbors whistled their dog back but still – you all should be able to enjoy your screened porch.
Hugs, Pam
I don’t think there is much more I can do other than check on them more often. Frankie would be on the catio all day and night if I didn’t make him come in.
Oh, dear. I am so sorry that this dog and the other one are such a scary bother. Good thing you were able to fix the fence. Maybe put in some metal stakes deeply, on your side of the fence to keep naughty dogs from getting in?
Terriers of any kind are determined and stubborn…unfortunately.
My Benji would be just like those dogs, and he is NOT a pittie…he seems to have the got to get it instinct. At least we have a five foot high fence…actually a 6 footer, buried a foot to prevent digging, and I let the grass grow under it to further hinder any digging attemnpts.
Our neighbor has a young pittie girl, but she is very friendly and obedient. However Benji & Dalton go nuts when they see her. I am considering putting one of those fence privacy covers on the fence to make it harder for them to see the next door yard. (I think Benji, esp, is jealous and wants to go there to play…)
I miss all the little dogs in our Florida neighborhood. 🙂
Sounds like a friendly trip to the neighbor is in order. Take something freshly baked with you, so they don’t think the encounter is meant to be confrontational or adversarial. Maybe you can come up with a plan that the dog is out when Frankie and Floki are in, and vice versa. Good luck. Keep us posted. XOCK, angels Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta & Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo, Cooper Murphy, Sawyer, Kizmet, Audrey & Raleigh
The problem is Frankie is always out.
Good suggestions above – purrayers that things can be worked out and your cats (and any others in the neighborhood !) kept safe !
Thank you.
What a heartbreaker about Casper – you (and Dutch !) did what you could
Yes. We felt so bad for him.
I agree with others who said to go over and speak to the neighbor. They might not be aware that you have cats, and if they are, it isn’t the dog you need to worry about, it’s the neighbor. If they are nice they should take it upon themselves to fix the fence rather than you doing it for them. If what you fixed doesn’t hold……it’s you who is at fault (believe it or not), not them…because it isn’t your fence.
Actually, it is our fence but the chicken wire was put there by the neighbor that lived there before the current neighbor.
Brave kitties… Maybe a little TOO brave!
Soppy kisses,
Delilah
I was very sorry to hear about Cupcake.
Thank you. 💔
You need an electric fence and a Byrna gun for your walks.
Yes, and maybe some Kevlar.
Dogs are such a pain. I hope your cats stay safe.
This type of fence is no way to keep a dog in. One reason I don’t have a dog is I do not have a good, proper fence at this time. If I can ever afford one, I would like to have a small dog that gets along with cats, we had both as kids and it always worked out well. I’d insist, though, on proper fencing and keeping it supervised.
I like dogs but I don’t like having to walk them in all weather conditions. I think a fence would be mandatory if I ever do get a dog.
Oh no. What a horror story. Any dog that wasn’t raised with a cat in the family is a threat to cats. And a pit bull (I don’t use that term of endearment, “Pittie” to make them seem less frightening and dangerous) is among the several dogs that are always dangerous. I am so sorry about Casper.
Thanks. I am sure there are plenty of nice pit bulls, but the odds that one will not be nice are better than average.
Sorry you have to deal with this.
Thanks. We come here to get away from the Florida crowds but life in the slow lane offers different challenges.
That’s scary. I don’t think a couple of the cats here have been exposed to dogs either.
I don’t know about cats, but dogs should be exposed to cats when they are puppies, so they establish that cats are not the enemy.
That is an excellent idea