[nysulli]

well, i got some sad news tonight, my parents called to tell me their cat was killed this afternoon, they got her as a stray when i was living at home, and she's been an outdoors cat her whole life, enough to have hunted and survived for a year before we took her in

she apparently left my mom doing some yard work, and 15 minutes later she was found with a bite mark on her back that didn't pierce to skin, but that crushed her spine, the vet said she died instantly

but i'm just curious what type of animal would have such a bite in a suburban neighborhood in western NY, people have seen a small fox once in a while, but i would think that would pierce the skin, anyone have any ideas?

 

[darkninja67]

how large was the bite?
Sorry for your loss as well.

 

[nysulli]

i should have mentioned, i really don't know, my parents had her checked out by a specialist just because its all such a shock, as a number of neighbors have outdoor cats, and this is the first time anything like this has happened

that said, my parents aren't exactly up on that type of stuff, and my mom had no clue, and she's since been buried with my childhood dog in the side yard

 

[Joshatdot]

sorry to hear

 

[Davesrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nysulli /img/forum/go_quote.gif she apparently left my mom doing some yard work, and 15 minutes later she was found with a bite mark on her back that didn't pierce to skin, but that crushed her spine, the vet said she died instantly but i'm just curious what type of animal would have such a bite in a suburban neighborhood in western NY, people have seen a small fox once in a while, but i would think that would pierce the skin, anyone have any ideas?

No telling what animal.....and I would think to kill a cat instantly from a bite on the spine it would have to be up on the neck, towards the head. The vital organs are all supplied by nerves that originate from the head and neck. So maybe it's possible that a fox or what not might have caused enough trauma on the neck. Even my parents house that's out in the rural area of western NC, they get all sorts of creatures in their back yard. Even though it's a residential neighborhood, there's still cougars and the occasional black bear.

Well anyways...hypothesizing about it doesn't make things any different. Pet loss is a hard thing. I'm sorry for the loss and hope your family might look into adopting a pet again when the time is right. One thing that always gets me is how many animals are in need of a good home.

 

[nysulli]

i'm already talking to my parents about it, my brother recently relocated back in town, and is staying at home while he gets on his feet, and brought his cat with him, a really sweet indoor cat that always wanted to play with my parents cat, but theirs wanted nothing to do with my brothers, so at least they have an animal to keep them company for now

but i know his cat would love a new friend to play with, and i'm sure my parents will get either a cat or dog, my dad misses having a dog, so i bet thats the route they go

 

[Edwood]

Sorry to hear of your family's loss. Could very well have been a dog, a grab by the neck and violent kill shake can do that.

Definitely look into adopting another rescue. But this time, for the best well being of your new pet, make it an indoor pet. A true pet that is a member of the family lives in your home with you. For a cat that craves outdoor adventure, consider fabricating an outdoor "Cat Run". Do a google search on DIY outdoor cat runs. There are some very neat projects out there.

-Ed

 

[mbriant]

Could have been a dog.

 

[PerformanceFirst]

My friends cat was killed by a coyote. I don't think there are any in NY though?

 

[nysulli]

edwood, we talked to our vet about that when we took her in, but she was already a full blown outdoor cat, and was really unhappy stuck inside, but she lived a decent life, she was spoiled, tons of love at home, would sit on my lap while posting, 9 years with my folks without incident from outdoor life other then a ton of happyness

but all of our animals have been pound animals, my childhood dog was a blast, but died of cancer when he was only 5, my brothers cat is another pound cat, so i'm sure whatever they get, it will be a lolly pop farm special (one of the local pounds)

 

[darkninja67]

Definitely could be a dog. Pit bull? Probably not. I have seen a German Sheperd kill a cat by crushing it's spine.

 

[nysulli]

could have been, theres a shaddy lady that walks her dog around my neighborhood which has attacked a person before, wouldn't shock me if it somehow got close enough to my cat if it did it and she just tried to run, she's already not allowed to walk her dog in the city which is only a block away from her house

 

[cotdt]

my bunny was killed by a coyote, so maybe a coyote.

 

[adanac061]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbriant /img/forum/go_quote.gif Could have been a dog.

That's the first thing that came to my mind.

At least your neighbour didn't run over your cat like mine did, and leave it on the road.

 

[ericj]

aint a lot of coyote in NY.