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My pit bull mauled my cat. Is my small dog safe? What to do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Female | spayed | 2 years and 10 months old | 70 lbs

my pit bull just mauled my cat this morning for the second time and we had to put the cat down because of how bad this time was, i have a small dog and need to know if he is safe with her she has never harmed him purposefully but she has killed possums in the backyard, i cant bring myself to be around my own dog and if i have to ill consider trying to rehome her but as she is a pit bull and obviously has a history of violence i do not see that as a viable option please any advice is welcomed

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Amanda Miller Cook

Certified Dog Trainer

Published on November 11th, 2016

As a dog trainer, I have a different view from previous answer given. Pit Bull types are terriers which means they have a high prey drive. The cat was possibly viewed as prey and I am very sorry to hear of your loss. For your other dog, due to the size it is possible your Pit may react the same at some point. I don't think leaving them unsupervised together is a good idea as I'm not sure what the actual trigger was in the attack of your cat. In terms of rehoming, you would need to find a very suitable home and with no small children. Because your dog mauled a cat does not automatically mean he will be aggressive toward people, but sometimes dogs are reactive toward small children, especially babies and toddlers who don't know the boundaries of a dog. I never leave my own child and dog unsupervised and my dog loves my son. I would recommend hiring a canine behaviorist and getting a behavioral assessment from them. Best of luck.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    I am very sorry that you lost your cat!! I would be very concerned that your small dog is not safe with your pit ball. Because your pit bull has mauled your cat, there is a very real potential that he can maul her. In addition, a dog that is mauling animals also has the potential to maul children and adults. It is not likely that your pit bull will be able to be rehomed with such a history of violence, and the only option you may have is to humanely euthanize him. In the interest of safety for your little dog, yourself, and other people and animals, I would speak with your vet about this option. I know it is very difficult decision to make, but it may ultimately be the best one. I'm sorry :-(

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