I am heartbroken

This morning, I was walking one of my dogs, who stays inside the house. I have three dogs that stay together outside—a Dogo, a Rottweiler, and a Rottweiler mix. I noticed my Rottweiler barking, so I circled back to where she was by the fence and saw that one of my cats had somehow gotten inside the gate with the dogs. She was alive, backed up against a wall and shielded by a board, in a space big enough for the dogs to reach her. My Dogo approached her a couple of times and backed off, but on the third attempt, she went all the way in and grabbed my cat.

In the midst of this, I was trying to secure the dog I was walking so I could get to my cat, but I was too late. My Dogo ran into the middle of the yard with the cat, and then my Rottweiler joined in—my Dogo had the head, and the Rottweiler had the bottom part of her. I tried to get to them, but I tripped and fell. When I got up, I was too scared to try and pry my dogs’ mouths open. My Dogo charged at me, and ever since I broke my foot a few months ago, I’ve developed a fear of her. All I could do was yell “stop,” and I ran into my house to find something to help, but it was too late. My cat is gone, and I feel terrible.

I can’t stop crying, my head is hurting, and today is my daughter’s 15th birthday. I don’t know what to do. I feel so guilty because I believe I could have done more to save my cat. She was so sweet, and I can’t believe this happened. I am truly heartbroken.

Oh man, that sounds incredibly tough. I once had a similar scare with my own pets, and it’s so overwhelming when things spiral out of control like that. It’s really hard not to blame yourself, but sometimes accidents just happen, and it’s not always possible to predict or prevent them. Your feelings are totally valid, and it’s okay to grieve. Remember to lean on your loved ones today—especially since it’s your daughter’s special day. Maybe channel some of that energy into making her birthday as special as you can, even if it’s hard. Take care of yourself and give yourself some grace.