Legal Question in Civil Litigation in California

Re: Dog Bite

I am very sorry to hear about your cat. Small claims court is usually the answer for your type of case, but I believe that there is a $7,500.00 cap in California. Please note that your cat is merely considered property and besides the vet bill, you may also be entitled to the value of your cat. One may be entitled to other damages. Lawsuits involving pets is a new area of law and there are attorneys that specialize in pet rights.

However, with the above said, the fact that your cat was in your neighbor's yard (Assuming that it was the area where the dogs were legally kept), you may not have a case at all. If your cat went into your neighbor's backyard and your neighbor's dogs attack your cat, why should they be held liable? This is one reason why many cat owners have indoor cats, to prevent this sort of harm.

Good luck and I hope that your cat fully recovers.