Thank You, COTHers

[Rackonteur]

My cat and I are fine. But we had a rough time at the vet this morning but greatly due to y’all we came out of it just fine.
My cat had just come back to the waiting room after her monthly shot, and was in her crate on the floor at my feet while I got out my phone to call the bus to pick us up, when out of nowhere we were attacked by the dog that had been brought in just a few minutes before barking his fool head off. He was on a leash at that time but suddenly he flew across the room, leash flying behind him, barking, and launched himself at my cat and me.

He crashed down on top of her carrier and knocked it over and banged into me. I was so terrified that I went into pure reflex mode and kicked out at him and kept on kicking because the person who had brought him in was not coming to get him. I was also yelling at him. And my heart rate and blood pressure shot through the roof.
Visions of COTHers and their innocent and well-trained dogs were shooting through my mind like a movie montage, as well as COTH posts about attacks from loose out-of-control dogs and their irresponsible and idiotic owners.
I was yelling at the dog and finally its owner was there yelling at me, so I started yelling at them. Reading them the riot act as if I were recalling a script written by responsible COTH dog people who know the ramifications of an unprovoked attack by idiots canine and human.

I am still shaking inside. I am proud-not-proud that I defended my cat and myself and told the dog’s owner they were lucky I wasn’t calling Animal Control. Which got me another “Shut up!” from human idiot.

I also got very kind and concerned attention from the vet staff and my kitty got a check by one of the vets before I called the bus that we were (more than) ready to go home.

So thank you, COTHers, for posts about how out-of-control dogs are not OK, that dog owners should be responsible dog people, and that it’s OK to stand up for our innocent and vulnerable animals.

[Larksmom]

the vet should have kicked them out unless he was there for euthenasia.

[Sdel]

Glad your cat is okay. Dog owner was in the wrong.

I remember when one of my dogs was going blind and she was becoming defensive over it. The trainer I was working with was set up in one of the pet store type places where they allow animals in. Someone’s loose dog came running up on my girl. I got: “oh, he’s friendly!”.

My response; “Yeah, but mine ISN’T”.

[beowulf]

omg! I am so sorry you and your poor kitty went through that. Just awful. I would be kicking like hell too.

[JB]

I’m about to cry just reading this! I’m SO SO GLAD your kitty was in a carrier, and that YOU are ok! I always have ours in one, but occasionally I see someone bring in a kitty in their arms, holding them. No doubt those kitties are well-behaved and don’t CAUSE trouble, but omg a cat in that scenario would have been lunch

That owner would never be a client of mine again if I were that vet practice.

[barnesthenoble]

So glad you and your kitty are safe, but so sorry you had to deal with that! Irresponsible dog owners are the worst I would have been kicking and yelling, too.

If you have a good relationship with your vet and feel up for it, I’d honestly call AC, too. You can give your vet a heads up that AC may contact them regarding the client(s) that were in at that time to get contact info. Not sure it would go anywhere, but I have no patience for folks with out of control animals that attack other animals, especially mine!

I hope you and your kitty have a wonderful relaxing day today to recover from that. Extra treatos for your girl!

[Lusoluv]

OMG, my heart rate went up just reading about your ordeal!! That STUPID dog owner! If they were smart that practice would immediately fire the client. They should be avoided at all costs as they’re a liability! I mean if the dog owner had tripped over themselves apologizing for what happened that would be one thing, but to yell at YOU??? Outrageous!

[chestnutmarebeware]

That must have been terrifying! I’m glad you and your kitty came out of it ok.

I’m constantly amazed at what dog owners let their pets get away with in vets’ waiting rooms. Years ago in Colorado the vet I used had separate waiting rooms for cats and dogs, and that was so much less stressful on everyone.

[Larksmom]

the one I use has seperate areas, not quite rooms, but it has worked so far. It is a lovely facility.

[Ericthegreat]

Good on YOU for defending yourself and your poor, terrified cat. I would absolutely report the attack to animal control and I would talk to the vet about the attack. Were you injured??? Harmed in any way?

You might call a lawyer if you were. IMO this needs to be reported and you need to have a conversation with the vet about safety in the office.

[OverandOnward]

I am so, so sorry this happened. What a terrible experience. Thank goodness your cat was in the protective carrier.

So glad that reflections of COTH gave you strength in the moment.

Just an opinion – I think you should report the attack to whatever authorities handle out-of-control pets that are a threat to people, beyond their owners.

No doubt this dog is behaving like this in other scenarios, and the owner is being equally irresponsible. The dog will get worse, not better.

Creating a paper trail on the dog may help someone else in the future.

[OverandOnward]

I think it is fair for you to have a serious talk with the vet about the deeply negative threatening experience you had on their premises. For your own comfort and maybe a bit of closure, rather than just leaving the bad memory hanging, as it were. Making a set time for a meeting to have this conversation, in or outside of clinic hours.

Or maybe just an email with a link to the article below, and your feelings and thoughts about what happened.

It doesn’t have to be phrased like a ‘complaint’, rather a conversation about something that was dangerous and upsetting that happened on their premises, in front of their staff. How awful it was for you and your pet.

In an environment created by the practice of random animals, and random species known to be reactive to each other, occupying the same space. You’d like to know how they can better assure your good experience in the future. And your cat’s.

It may not be their responsibility, but it is part of the experience of being in their waiting room that they seemed to have been unprepared for. What to do for the safety of their patients and their patients’ owners.

Don’t let them dodge. In addition to patient safety, and good experiences, a situation like this could blow up into a major liability for the practice. They need to give that some thought.

Here are some tips from an article that focuses on cats in vet waiting rooms –

The reception staff, the waiting room and/or the reception area are the first things clients encounter when they attend the clinic. For cat clients and for cat welfare it is critically important that this is not overlooked.

Fears, anxiety and stress will be heightened if cats are placed next to, or have eye contact with, what they would regard as a predator species (eg, a dog) or have to share the space with barking dogs.

We regard segregation of the waiting room, with a dedicated cat area, to be important,

They also suggest arranging chairs, with signs directing owners, so that there is a separate area for cats. Even putting cat-area chairs with their backs to dog-area chairs, and vice versa.

Some clinics separate the two areas with a temporary or semi-temporary barrier or partition – this could, for example, be in the form of a wooden or metal barrier, or even a barrier composed of densely potted plants – anything that separates the two areas and prevents eye contact between dogs and cats.

Ideally the cat waiting area should also be situated in a way that reduces or minimises contact with dogs or passing by dogs when cats come in and out of the clinic or move in to a consulting room.

If there is no possibility of making structural changes to the waiting room in any way, Cat Friendly Clinic criteria at the Bronze level can be met by offering blocks of consultations for cats that are at separate times from those offered to dogs.

The waiting room - Cat Friendly Clinic

[sophie]

Oh wow, just reading your post got my blood pressure up! How terrible for you and your cat. And totally unacceptable behavior from the dog and its owner!

Most vets I’ve been to have separate waiting areas for dogs and cats. I think it should be mandatory.

What a scary experience, I am glad you and your cat are ok.

I’ve had close calls with “out of control” dogs while walking my puppy. And sorry, your dog might be friendly, but if it’s running at us and then jump up on me while I have my puppy in my arms trying to get at her, ignoring your calls to come back, I will knee your dog and yell at it to leave us alone. I don’t care if your dog “is friendly”. That is not acceptable.
Sheesh.

[Djones]

I despise negligence and stupidity.

I would have done exactly the same. When you and yours scare me or mine, and every single moment of the situation could have EASILY and REASONABLY been avoided, Katy bar the door.

I am so sorry that happened.

[Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom]

I’d have done the exact same thing - both to the dog and the negligent, stupid owner. (More to the owner.)

I would absolutely call AC on them, too. Let them explain how their perfectly innocent dog decided to go Cujo on a cat in a carrier.

[OverandOnward]

I have been the dog owner whose energetic 75 lb dog (gone now) was incredibly reactive to cats. He was instinctively owner-protective with dogs. He was great on a leash, didn’t pull, obedient – so long as other animals kept their distance (which really means that I kept him at a distance). (He loved playing with dogs he knew.)

I had a sturdy harness and a strong leash and I kept it short. My struggle was keeping him calm and minding his own business in the vet waiting room. His ‘down’ and ‘wait’ were good, that helped. But nothing is certain with enough provocation. The waiting room wasn’t easy for me, or him, in such a small, unseparated space, with other people and animals.

No incidents, thank goodness. But it was harder when the other owners weren’t considerate with their own animals.

And yes, the idiots with dogs on long leashes and no control. “They can be friends!” Those owners are not protecting their own dog. I wish I lived in their bubble where nothing bad ever happens.

I gladly changed to the wait-in-car procedure, once the vet was finally convinced (by other owners with their own issues) that it was by far the calmest waiting room they could have. For the practice’s own peace of mind as well as their patients.

Prior to that, I had left one vet, a large and busy practice, solely because their chronically over-crowded waiting room was literally an open air zoo. No separation of any kind, multiple diverse species, add some birds and reptiles and I-don’t-know-what-they-were to the dog-cat mix.

And – long waits! On my last visit there I kept my dog in down in a hallway next to the waiting room for 45 minutes, politely diverting a few requests to be in the waiting room.

That one was supposed to be a great vet practice with specialists. But my dog didn’t need specialists, and I decided life didn’t have to be this difficult. Switched to a vet that was much closer, well respected … and were willing to do wait-in-car.

So much animal behavior is situational. My wonderful dog was not wonderful in a vet waiting room. That didn’t surprise me. But I think maybe some owners mistakenly think their animal will behave the same in a waiting room as they do at home, and nothing could be further from the truth.

[Angela_Freda]

My vet still does wait in car and I much prefer it. We go in, get weighed, and go right to an exam room.

What a stressful situation Raconteur. I hope you and Kitty are recovering.

[MunchingonHay]

I am so sorry to hear about this. It is so scary to have a dog go after you and your poor cat!

I hope the vet or office manager told that dog owner off. A trip to the vet is already scary, then add a mean dog into the mix with a stupid owner… I hope your cat does not get PTSD.

Can you feed her in her crate to make sure she is not afraid of it?

You did the right thing, I would have done the same.

[Mango20]

My vet has somehow eliminated waiting in the lobby for more than a minute or so. They have 3 or 4 exam rooms, which they usher you into pretty quickly. You might be waiting there for a while, but you have the room to yourself.

[Ericthegreat]

Mine does too. Stay outside until there is a free room and clear access. Also pay in the exam room now. So much safer!