Should he pay the vet bill or not.?

Question

I have a friend who recently chased off a neighborhood cat from his garage because it was eating his own cat's food on several occasions. He chased it off with a broom and accidentally hit it. It turns out that it was the neighbors cat and they took it to the Vet ER. Turned out the cat was fine just had a small abrasion and now the neighbors are asking him to cover the vet bill. Should he have to pay the bill or not.

Answer 1

Yes, he should. What he did is considered animal abuse and should be glad the neighbors are only asking him to pay for the vet bill and not filing a poice report against him.

Answer 2

No, he shouldn't. He allows his cat to wander the neighborhood. That's the chance you decide to take when you refuse to keep your pet inside your home. But, to keep peace in the neighborhood, I'd be tempted to make a deal. I would offer to pay half the bill. After all, the abrasion is AT LEAST half the owner's fault for having the cat run loose. I think that they overreated by taking the cat to the vet for a simple abrasion. Would you take your child to the doctor if the child had a simple scraped knee? Their reaction doesn't make sense to me. If they cared for the cat that deeply to overreact, then why are they allowing it to be loose and eat an inconsistent diet of who-knows-what -- not just another cat's food, but I'm sure garbage?

Tell your friend, too, that outside cats live an average of 5 years. Inside cats live 12 - 20 years.

Answer 3

Sorry but if the owners are going to let their cat run loose all over the neighborhood, knowing all the dangers the cat could face out there, they should not be asking him to pay for it. If the cat ran in front of a car and got hit, or goes into someones yard and eats poison, it is only the owners responsibility.

Answer 4

Well it sounds like they over reacted a bit and so did your friend. If the other cat is eating the food take it up, or find out who it belongs to and tell them what is happening so they can replace the food. As for the bill I would say it should be split. It doesn't sound like your friend ment to hit it and it wasn't hurt. I have accidentally hit my own cats with toys before.

Answer 5

Yes. He was the one who hit that cat and damaged it therefore he should pay for it. He should of called animal control if it was bothering him and his neighbors could of came got the cat. But he can still complain because the neighbors should have known that there cat outside if the cat keeps coming up and eating your cats food. Unless the cat is loss but he couldn't be because why after the accident they find the cat. But he had to have hit the cat hard if the cat has a abrasion so he should pay for it. He should of hit it lightly and there wouldn't of been a problem.

Answer 6

I think that every responsible pet owner controls their animal... and accepts responsability when the animal is not controled. (I feel this applies to parents as well- control your kids or take responability for their messes!)

I live in a "free-range area, which means that fences are built to keep others' out, not to keep your own in... There are a number of dogs that roam at night... and kill livestock that belongs to my neighbor. My neighbor is simply protecting his livelihood when he shoots at these dogs.... should he have to pay to vet these dogs who kill his sheep, attack his horses, eat his chickens, etc? Is it his fault that others can't control their dogs?

In areas that do require owners to control their animals- whether via leash laws or some other type of legislation, then the owner is responsible for damage done by their animal...

I say he should cover the vet bill.... then bill them for the food their cat ate.... or just buy them a cat carrier... (wink, wink!)

BTW- why does a cat who gets whacked by a broom need to go to the ER?? was the cat limping? bleeding? yowling?.... sounds like the cat-owner was as much of a pu&&y as the cat.... (PUNS!!! so much fun!!)

Answer 7

No, he shouldn't have to pay the bill. He didn't do anything wrong. If the neighbors don't want to pay the bill then they shouldn't take their cat into the ER over a minor scratch. My cats get worse injuries from fighting outside.

Answer 8

nope.

If the neighbors brought the cat to the ER for a small abrasion, and they let the cat out all the time, whos to say HES the one that caused the damage, and a dog, car, other neighbor didn't do it! they would have to prove that he did it in court, and they couldn't say that it was ONLY him. I love my cats, but once they go outside, they gotta take care of themselves. they come back injured, then its up to me to take them to the vet and pay the bill.

Now, abuse would be setting it on fire, breaking its legs, or such. Next time he should catch it, and charge the owners a fee for room and board, for as long as he has it, or just keep it, since its a stray ;)

Answer 9

What if it had bitten someone? Who do you think would be responsible? The animals owner, that's who. If you're going to have a pet and you aren't going to keep it contained in SOME way, then the responsible person...is the owner. If it were me, one, I'd have shooed it away too, were it MY cat? It would never be outside where this type of thing could happen. ( I have two cats, they never go outside and there's toys galore inside) I admit, he shouldn't have hit the cat, that was a little over-board. but the key is people, if you're going to have an animal, why let it roam outside where it can get hurt or hurt someone else? Why let it roam when the Nations population almost matches the human one? People want the cuties, yet getting them neutered and/or spayed, vaccinated and given preventions such as Heartworm and Flea, is beyond the comprehension of 90% of the population...I have horses, dogs and cats, all of whom are contained in some way, vaccinated and spayed or neutered where applicable......I don't have a lot of money either, but I work and get it done, because I want my pets happy and healthy, I don't know, it's beyond me how people can be that way

Answer 10

The neighbor's cat should never have been in his garage.

It never ceases to amaze me how people let their animals run loose, without food/water/shelter, and then blame someone else when something happens.

If those people had money to pay the vet bill, they should have had money to feed their own cat.

Answer 11

that's a tough one. cats are difficult cos they pretty much do whatever they want, owners have only a limited amount of control. your friend, however, can control his actions and shouldn't have hit the kitty. although i can understand being annoyed. if the neighbors freaked enough to take the cat to the ER (which MAY have been an overreaction), he must've hit it pretty hard.

i'd say he should pay at least half, cos he should know better than to hit an animal. he should also move his cat's food to a place that's not accessible to other cats, or else come to terms with the fact that other animals will get into it.