Feline Emergency

September 14, 2012 7:17 PM

Neighbor's dogs just attacked my kitten. What?

Evening walk around the block with kiddo in tow - and cat, who walks with us. Long story short, he got chased into the dark by two Rottweilers - when we got to him one dog had kitty in his mouth, shaking him.

I'm not thinking clearly and there's not an emergency vet anywhere near me - but my little guy is not looking so good. He cries if touched on his undercarriage, and he's been panting and has vomited once. This just happened about an hour ago, and I'm worried that he will get worse overnight.

Trying to put the kid to bed and she's worried about her "Baby Cat." We're in East Atlanta and have no idea what to do until morning??

posted by polly_dactyl to pets & animals (45 answers total)

Find an emergency vet that isn't near you. You can call one beforehand to describe the symptoms and ask for advice, usually.
posted by jeather at 7:20 PM on September 14, 2012 [8 favorites]

Village Vets is in Decatur (probably closer to you in East ATL than downtown options) at 217 N. McDonough St. Decatur GA 30030, their number is 404-371-0111, They are well-reviewed on yelp with 4.5 stars over 48 reviews.

I'd suggest taking your baby cat to the vet ASAP.
posted by arnicae at 7:22 PM on September 14, 2012 [17 favorites]

Emergency vet for sure. I'd assume serious internal injuries - you may get lucky, but there's a nonzero chance that if you don't get help now, you are going to wake up to a dead kitten.
posted by restless_nomad at 7:23 PM on September 14, 2012 [16 favorites]

Not to scare you unreasonably, but this is how one of my childhood cats was killed. Vet ASAP.
posted by unknowncommand at 7:23 PM on September 14, 2012 [4 favorites]

Another option is to call the police non-emergency line (or possibly even 911 directly) because some EMS units are trained in veterinary first aid. This obviously is no substitute for emergency vet care, but it might keep your cat alive long enough to get there.

And although this may not be the first thing you're thinking about right now, you should DEFINITELY speak to the police (soon!) simply because it was an animal attack. What if those dogs had grabbed your kid instead?!
posted by blaneyphoto at 7:31 PM on September 14, 2012 [4 favorites]

Atlanta Animal Ambulance - 678-439-K911
posted by blaneyphoto at 7:34 PM on September 14, 2012 [8 favorites]

Call the police no matter what -- this sounds like a pretty vicious animal attack.
posted by spunweb at 7:36 PM on September 14, 2012 [6 favorites]

You need to find an emergency vet. VCA Dekalb-Gwinnett Animal Emergency Hospital is the only place I’ve had experience with and can recommend, but I don’t know how close it is to you.
posted by bongo_x at 7:37 PM on September 14, 2012 [1 favorite]

You can call your regular vet. They may have an off-hours phone recording stating what local vet is on emergency duty tonight. Definitely get seen somewhere right away.

On preview, that emergency ambulance sounds perfect. Best of luck with baby cat.
posted by dayintoday at 7:37 PM on September 14, 2012 [1 favorite]

Also sometimes if you ring your local vet they will have a recorded message at night telling you where you can ring/go to get emergency help even if they aren't open.
posted by wwax at 7:39 PM on September 14, 2012 [2 favorites]

The owners of the rotty are responsible for the vet bills.

My mother had to do this when her greyhound ecaped and attacked a neighbor cat.

Take their ass to court if they refuse to accept responsibillity.
posted by brujita at 7:42 PM on September 14, 2012 [2 favorites]

So sorry you're experiencing this. I can't help with regards to your injured pet, but should the worst happen, I lost my first pet in a similar situation when I was little. My parents were honest & pragmatic, no sugar coating.
posted by Packed Lunch at 7:52 PM on September 14, 2012 [1 favorite]

Please do whatever you have to to get your cat emergency care now, his life is certainly at risk.
posted by désoeuvrée at 7:57 PM on September 14, 2012 [3 favorites]

I don't want to pile on, but please please take the advice above and get the kitty to a vet, or at least call a vet and get a professional opinion. And please give an update, if you can.
posted by leesh at 8:04 PM on September 14, 2012 [1 favorite]

Village Vets in Decatur are our regular vets. I would not hesitate to recommend their emergency services. Great folks! I hope your kitty is okay.
posted by hydropsyche at 8:35 PM on September 14, 2012

And after you get the cat situation taken care of, report the dogs to the police.
posted by schroedinger at 8:46 PM on September 14, 2012 [1 favorite]

Another vote for vet, now. And have a discussion how much you're willing to spend before the emergency vets get to you with their high pressure sales routine. Is this a $500 cat or a $10k cat?

The owners of the rotty are responsible for the vet bills.

This is extremely questionable if said cat was off leash in the street, or possibly wandered into a yard. Do not make medical decisions you're not prepared to cover yourself.
posted by fshgrl at 9:02 PM on September 14, 2012 [2 favorites]

Regardless, if the dogs were outside and off the leash, they need to be reported.
posted by infinitywaltz at 9:35 PM on September 14, 2012 [7 favorites]

There is no such thing as a "high pressure sales routine" in EMS. I encourage you to ignore that advice.
posted by blaneyphoto at 9:44 PM on September 14, 2012 [4 favorites]

I hope you are on your way to the e-vet. I hope you were able to call ahead so they are prepared to begin examination and treatment ASAP. I hope your heart is strong for whatever news they may have. I hope you know my sympathy is with you.

I also hope you report the dogs. The onus is on the owners of the beings that can do harm to keep them under control. If your cat had harmed a more vulnerable animal (or person), I would be giving the same advice to the person reporting that. You can call the cops to let them know that prey-driven dogs are loose - non-emergency number is fine. Ask after that if you need to call Animal Control separately or if they'll be notified automatically. Follow up later, if you can, to find out if AC really did get involved if it's the latter (or go ahead and report it yourself). I'm a dog lover, and this is how to be a responsible guardian of their capabilities: taking them seriously.

Legally, the owners may or may not be responsible for the kitty's medical bills, so don't rely upon that as an assurance. Even if they are, it may require a fight you might not be interested in having (or able to afford initiating). Simply make sure the right thing happens as far as reporting goes, and make the rest of your decisions from there.

I'm sorry. So, so, so very sorry.
posted by batmonkey at 10:01 PM on September 14, 2012 [1 favorite]

I wasn't going to comment because most people have covered the basics. However, since this was already touched on...

This is extremely questionable if said cat was off leash in the street, or possibly wandered into a yard. Do not make medical decisions you're not prepared to cover yourself.

I'll go ahead and give some bad news: Atlanta residents are occasionally fined for having their cats offleash. Google around; it happens. Unfortunately for the pro indoor-outdoor crowd, cats sometimes fall under the same laws as dogs. Generally, they must be on-leash, registered, and carrying the appropriate tags. Whether these laws are enforced varies depending on the area.

So I'm going to agree with fshgrl, don't count on suing to cover the medical bills. Talking from too much experience, going to court is time-consuming, mentally and physically exhausting, and far more difficult than most people believe. I've gone through this process (dog-on-dog attack, medical bills), and it took 8 months to finally win because they appealed the first decision and kept delaying the court dates. We never saw a dime and didn't have the energy to continue pursuing the matter. I "won", but I also lost and regret not letting it go and being more responsible for my pets.

All that said, I hope you've already taken Kitty to the vet. He's suffering and stressed out. You can definitely call animal control on the dogs for being off-leash. Sometimes they won't act unless they actually see a dog running around; other times, they'll take your word for it, fine the person, and leave it up to them to take issue with it. Best of luck. I hope next weekend goes better for you.
posted by plaintiff6r at 10:17 PM on September 14, 2012 [2 favorites]

And have a discussion how much you're willing to spend before the emergency vets get to you with their high pressure sales routine. Is this a $500 cat or a $10k cat?

There is no such thing as a "high pressure sales routine" in EMS. I encourage you to ignore that advice.

A friend of mine once called asking me to meet her at the emergency vet, because she had gone there in a hurry without her wallet and wanted to temporarily use my credit card. 24 hours later, she was on the hook for 8K worth of post-car crash dog surgery. I don't know if I would characterize what happened there as high-pressure sales, but she certainly was not presented with a set of options, and nobody ever once mentioned cost as a consideration or a limiting factor. (Except me.)

Now that I think of it, I actually know a handful of people who regret what they see, in retrospect, as over-spending on their animal's emergency care. So yeah, I'd recommend that you think about your financial ceiling for this before you get too far down the spending road.
posted by Susan PG at 11:07 AM on September 15, 2012 [2 favorites]

Just to add a little: my friend was shocked and crying. Her dog had been hit by a truck 15 feet in front of her --- there was some blood and gore, and she had to get the dog to the clinic by herself, with it in considerable pain. She was feeling horrified and guilty, and worried about how her son would react. I did feel like the clinic took advantage of her by not giving her very clear options, with costs. They seemed like lovely, calm, helpful people, but 8K IMO is worth a serious conversation, and they know that.
posted by Susan PG at 11:12 AM on September 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

How is the kitten doing?
posted by MaryDellamorte at 11:51 AM on September 15, 2012

Yes, please update us if you are able to. Thinking good thoughts for you and your kitty!
posted by lalex at 11:57 AM on September 15, 2012

Our cat was killed via a neighbor dog. You should really, really report the incident to the authorities.
posted by cowmix at 1:39 PM on September 15, 2012

UPDATE:

Hi everyone and THANKS for all the ideas, I knew there would be things here that I hadn't thought of. We were worried about these dogs mostly because they have growled at us before and chased other animals in the area. They are usually fenced in but we had the misfortune to be walking by just as the homeowner pulled up -- the dogs came over excitedly to greet her and then they caught sight of the cat and all Hell broke loose. We haven't called the police yet but still may??

Dresden (aka "Schmitten Whiskers"; "Noodle Tail"; "My Little Spaghetti") is resting comfortably on the couch with my little girl. He is swollen and bruised but the vet gave him a painkiller and some other stuff, and he's on bedrest for the next few days. Some of our family immediately leapt to "punctured lung" and "he'll have to be put down," which added to my anxiety last night.

We don't drive and finances are an issue, but we ended up with some very reasonable fees and a lovely vet at Briarcliff Animal Hospital.

Hope this link works: http://imgur.com/Tg6Bg
posted by polly_dactyl at 2:04 PM on September 15, 2012 [27 favorites]

Oh, that's good to hear, and what a cute little guy! I am super relieved to hear it worked out ok.
posted by restless_nomad at 2:07 PM on September 15, 2012

Please report it to the authorities so that a paper trail can be created so if the dogs end up attacking a person (or a small child), more action can be taken.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 2:10 PM on September 15, 2012 [5 favorites]

24 hour emergency vet in Atlanta: Georgia Veterinary Specialists. It is not on MARTA but really, what is.
posted by Medieval Maven at 2:28 PM on September 15, 2012

I am relieved that your kitty is okay. Such a cutie.

You do need to call the police. The first time a dog bits an animal -- if this is the first time -- they don't put the dog down. But they need to know for the future, so if these dogs are regularly violent they can be obliged to get training, or wear muzzles, etc.

Also, the homeowner SAW their dogs chase your cat and didn't immediately apologise and offer to pay vet bills? That's an asshole move. You should be asking your neighbour to cover the vet bills.
posted by jeather at 2:41 PM on September 15, 2012

Allergies kicking up terribly in this thread. Specially round my eyes. Kiss that kitty til he's threadbare, ok?
posted by Lou Stuells at 2:45 PM on September 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

I'm so glad it worked out. Speedy healing to your kitty!
posted by unknowncommand at 3:13 PM on September 15, 2012

Oh thank god! Yay kitty!
posted by Kloryne at 4:03 PM on September 15, 2012

I have kept this tab open hoping for that very update. Thanks so much, and so glad Dresden is going to be ok!
posted by clone boulevard at 4:47 PM on September 15, 2012

Oh so glad you came back to update us, I was worried about the little guy, cats are too good at hiding when something is wrong.
posted by wwax at 6:34 PM on September 15, 2012

YAY!!!
posted by désoeuvrée at 7:31 PM on September 15, 2012

Like others, I've been keeping this tab open, and I am so relieved to know that Dresden is okay!
posted by Ruki at 7:47 PM on September 15, 2012

Oh, yay for your kitty!
posted by leesh at 9:07 PM on September 15, 2012

What a sweet kitty; I'm so glad you managed the situation and I loved your photo.
posted by xyzzy at 9:18 PM on September 15, 2012

Glad kitty's back at home!
posted by brujita at 9:36 PM on September 15, 2012

So glad your kitteh is OK.

Happy recovery.
posted by BlueHorse at 10:14 PM on September 15, 2012

Glad to know your kitty will be ok! Been watching the thread and worrying.
posted by leslies at 8:13 AM on September 16, 2012

I'm so glad the kitten is okay! I had also been worried about him. He's a sweetie.
posted by capricorn at 7:49 PM on September 16, 2012

YAY! Now call the Atlanta Humane Society and report what happened.
posted by moammargaret at 11:31 AM on September 17, 2012