# Woman gets a bloody fortune for "emotional distress" after her cat is mauled by a dog **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 10, 2005, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200 "2005-05-10T10:47:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 20
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/381 "2005-05-13T20:28:13Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Besides, you had made a clarification in your second post after brining up your girlfriend. Thanks. I’m glad someone noticed that. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/382 "2005-05-13T20:34:26Z")
Wring, if you’re still around, for clarification, did you mean that I could not respond to Excalibre ever again anywhere, or just in this thread? ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/383 "2005-05-13T20:48:50Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Miscommunication sucks. Agreed. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/384 "2005-05-13T22:39:51Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Wring, if you’re still around, for clarification, did you mean that I could not respond to Excalibre ever again anywhere, or just in this thread? I also responded to this in the **milroyj** thread - my plea was for this thread. I don’t post/read a whole lot anymore and hadn’t bumped up against the two of you anywhere else. But in this thread at least, it seemed to me that the two of you were caught up in a microcosmic pissing match to which only the two of you were attending, and neither seemed to be able to step away and look _at_ what you were both doing, instead of trying to force the other to see your individual points. in any event - I wasn’t trying to order anyone around, just suggesting that at some point it may pay to simply walk away with the thought “I"ve explained myself as best I can, perhaps this particular point/fight isn’t worth the amount of energy I’m expending”. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/385 "2005-05-14T19:40:33Z")
I guess I’m a category 3. I know my cats are not human children. Thank goodness - I chose to have cats instead of human children. I do not take my cats on vacation - I have a friend come over and look after them. I went to the trouble and expense of constructing a “cat suite” when we moved into our new home so we could entertain friends who are allergic to cats without having cat hair all over the house. Call me crazy or whatever - it doesn’t really matter. My furbabies love me, and show me in many ways. Nothing says love like a cat dropping a still-twitching lizard tail at your feet and looking up at you as if to say “It’s yours, Mom! All for you! Go on, eat it!” And I love my cats very much. Almost as much as I love my husband. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2005, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/386 "2005-05-14T20:31:36Z")
> [@Snakescatlady](#): > > Nothing says love like a cat dropping a still-twitching lizard tail at your feet and looking up at you as if to say “It’s yours, Mom! All for you! Go on, eat it!” Oh, yeh, that’s even better than one of them horking up half-digested pieces of mouse at 3:00 a.m. for you to step on when you get up out of bed! The best kill a cat ever gave me, though, was an afghan. No, not a dog, nor a Taliban – a crocheted afghan that was lying on the foot of my bed. Somehow [Tribble,](http://community.webshots.com/photo/782975/783008) who couldn’t have weighed more than ten pounds, managed to drag it by the imaginary scruff of its imaginary neck from the bedroom of my apartment out to the kitchen while chirping her “I have killed! I bring you my prey!” call. ---
**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/387 "2005-05-15T17:51:57Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > None of that changes what I said in the very beginning: no animal is worth $30,000-45,000. Perhaps not. But then maybe some animal owners deserve to be fined that much. If one lets his dogs roam free to kill other animals and remains unscathed, he will have no incentive to ever obey the leash laws and keep them confined. My neighbor’s cat killing dogs he refused to keep confined graduated to chasing ME up the driveway and other people down the street. All concerned were lucky to have escaped the unfortunate fate of my two cats. A $45000 fine with the first, or at least the second cat would have given him pause for thought before he continued to let them run free to escalate to people mauling for entertainment. Methinks it’s possible you missed the point? ---
**Author:** ![Boldface\_Type](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@Boldface\_Type](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boldface_Type)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/388 "2005-05-15T23:10:35Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > brining up your girlfriend. Is this to preserve her for later use? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/389 "2005-05-16T13:25:21Z")
> [@Boldface Type](#): > > Is this to preserve her for later use? What’s wrong with a moist and juicy girlfriend? ---
**Author:** ![Boldface\_Type](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@Boldface\_Type](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boldface_Type)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/390 "2005-05-16T13:52:01Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > What’s wrong with a moist and juicy girlfriend? Wouldn’t she be overly salty? ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/391 "2005-05-16T20:23:16Z")
Okay, I think 45k is a little over the top also. However, (I’m sure this has been said, and I apologize to those who’ve said it first, and likely much better than I’m about to), the compensation wasn’t for the _cat_. It was for what the loss of the cat did to the woman’s emotional status as a result of the dog owner’s totally irresponsible actions. In part, a big monetary settlement like this isn’t just to compensate the person who has suffered the loss, but also as a message to the perpetrator of the wrongdoing. Lastly, animals as pets, whether or not it’s true that they can’t really love us, are never “just pets”. I deplore this attitude of “if it dies, just get another one”. As if it’s a pair of worn out socks. Each has its own unique personality and can give much to its owner. The ole “it’s only a cat, I can just get another one” is practiced widely among our Air Force population here in Anchorage. They get ready to move on to their next tour of duty and just dump whatever “pets” they may have obtained while on this tour. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/392 "2005-05-16T20:37:28Z")
> [@CanvasShoes](#): > > Okay, I think 45k is a little over the top also. However, (I’m sure this has been said, and I apologize to those who’ve said it first, and likely much better than I’m about to), the compensation wasn’t for the _cat_. It was for what the loss of the cat did to the woman’s emotional status as a result of the dog owner’s totally irresponsible actions. > > In part, a big monetary settlement like this isn’t just to compensate the person who has suffered the loss, but also as a message to the perpetrator of the wrongdoing. > > Lastly, animals as pets, whether or not it’s true that they can’t really love us, are never “just pets”. I deplore this attitude of “if it dies, just get another one”. As if it’s a pair of worn out socks. > > Each has its own unique personality and can give much to its owner. > > The ole “it’s only a cat, I can just get another one” is practiced widely among our Air Force population here in Anchorage. They get ready to move on to their next tour of duty and just dump whatever “pets” they may have obtained while on this tour. We’ve resolved this issue already. However, if you’d like to be brined, some posters would be willing to help you out. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/393 "2005-05-16T20:54:58Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > We’ve resolved this issue already. However, if you’d like to be brined, some posters would be willing to help you out. 🙂 Only if they’re crazy about her pussy. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/394 "2005-05-16T21:05:23Z")
At least the cat had the decency to die, rather than linger on for 6 days… ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/395 "2005-05-17T19:29:58Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > We’ve resolved this issue already. However, if you’d like to be brined, some posters would be willing to help you out. 🙂 ??? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/396 "2005-05-17T19:32:59Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > We’ve resolved this issue already. However, if you’d like to be brined, some posters would be willing to help you out. 🙂 I dunno. We could make a Great Circle and start at furbabies again. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/397 "2005-05-17T19:39:39Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > ??? see post 388. (referring to another poster’s typo of “brining” vs. “bringing”) ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/398 "2005-05-17T19:45:02Z")
> [@wring](#): > > see post 388. (referring to another poster’s typo of “brining” vs. “bringing”) Got it. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/399 "2005-05-17T19:47:32Z")
> [@NurseCarmen](#): > > At least the cat had the decency to die, rather than linger on for 6 days… 7 days… ---
**Author:** ![coleridge78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@coleridge78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coleridge78)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/400 "2005-05-17T20:01:08Z")
> [@PinkMarabou](#): > > If I was fucking my cat or dogs, THAT would be unhealthy. Providing them with a safe, warm, loving environment, and keeping them healthy is NOT crazy. You know… it’s okay to love your pets. Just don’t _love_ your pets. > [@](#): > > I love my pets enough to kill to protect them if needed. Sorry, that’s called being insane. If you killed someone to protect your pet, I’d be personally willing to flip the switch on you–and I’m against the death penalty. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200.md?page=19) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200.md?page=21)