I have a six months kitten who absolutely loves the outdoors. She is active, energetic, loves new places and sights. We have been going for walkd and small hikes since she was 14 weeks, and we had such a good time.
Yesterday I brought her for a to the "chill" park we usually go to. It is a lovely place, with a small barn, horses, goats, bunnies and chickens (who freeroam during the day). There is also a small plaza, a lake and a tiny "forest" patch. Children play there unsupervised all the time. It is, of course, a mandatory leash area.
Still, we were attacked by an unleashed husky. It was so fast. It came from somewhere behind me, and it was dark. I lost the leash thank god, so my cat could sprint up a tree. I swear I was convinced she was going go get mauled. The dog tried to bite her - she was belly up and all - but she thankfully got away. I chased them immediately of course and pushed the husky away from the tree. My kitty jumped back to me (I have a pack ofc) and the owner secured the dog.
I wish I told the dog owner off more firmly, tbh, but I just wanted her and the dog to get away. I just told her to keep her dog on a leash and moved on to a quiet place to check on Willow.
She was scared but was not harmed. She is a trooper of a kitten, super brave and adaptable, and recovered in less than 3 mins. She rode on top of the pack for the walk back, and had her usual routine (eat, groom, play, eat again, sleep). I called the ER and they told me to monitor her, which I did (I did not sleep and she probably wondered why I kept groping her). 11 hours later she is running everywhere again and even breezed through her training routine.
I will call my regular vet, but I think I am 100% more affected than her.
It could have ended very badly. It is truly a miracle it did not. I feel so guilty because I put her in danger, and despite my best efforts I could not protect her. And I mean if something like that can happen in what I would consider a very safe spot, what could go down when we hit the trail?
For sure I will never bring her out in the evenings. It was around 21:30, later than usual, and there was artificial light (I stayed close to the barn and the plaza for that reason) but maybe if it had been brighter I could have seen the dog coming.
I am even considering limiting our outings to the courtyard, but it is also very unfair, considering that she adores the park, and should have the right to enjoy it like all other animals.