Giving Cat People A Bad Name

We foster dogs who have been retired from racing and place them in homes. Greyhounds are bred to chase small furry animals, and at the track, chase a fuzzy lure. Some of them cannot be homed in houses with cats, but many can.

I am at a meet-and-greet event at a local pet store, holding the leash of a hound, near a cat rescue that has also been set up for the day. The hound is ignoring the cats. A woman comes up and addresses me in an accusatory tone.

Woman: “I heard that greyhounds will kill cats! Is that true?!”

Me: “We take steps to determine how a dog reacts to cats, first by exposing them in a kennel while they are in a crate, then by having them on a leash, muzzled, and finally, by carefully observing them in a home, also muzzled. The dogs that are thought to be cat-tolerant are then fostered for a time in homes with cats, just to be sure. At no time is the cat in danger; if a dog shows interest in attacking cats, they are removed immediately from the home.”

As one of the fosters with cats, I even show her a picture of one of my greyhounds, with my kitten snuggled up against his neck, sleeping peacefully. All this time, the hound I am holding is begging for ear scratches and completely ignoring the cats nearby. After I finish, I ask if she has any questions.

Woman: *Screeches* “I’ll just keep my opinion to myself of people who are willing to sacrifice cats to save dogs!” *Storms off*