AITA for Not Noticing a Cat Before Letting My Dogs Outside?

I never thought I’d be in the middle of a neighborhood drama that would leave me feeling sick to my stomach, but here we are. This week, something happened that I wish I could rewind and undo. My dogs—my loyal, loving fur babies—ended up killing a cat that wandered into our fenced-in yard. It was fast, chaotic, and horrifying, and before I could process what was happening, it was already over.

The Day Everything Went Wrong

Chaos, Screams, and the Worst Outcome

The Neighbor’s Fury

The Stray Cat Problem

My Guilt vs. My Reality

Let’s find out what other Redditors think about this neighborhood drama.

At the end of the day, nothing can bring that cat back, and I can’t erase the awful scene from my mind. My dogs are injured, a neighbor has lost a beloved pet (or possibly just one of many strays they feed), and the air between us now feels heavy with tension. I feel terrible, but I also can’t help believing they were simply protecting their home—their territory. Still, the question lingers in my mind every time I look at them: was this truly just nature taking its course… or am I, somehow, the one to blame?