Cats Will Not Take This Lying Down

[Whateverist]

I've never known what to do with cats that come into my fenced in backyard. It hasn't been an issue for a while but I did have a dog that killed a cat once and I'd rather not have a repeat of that. It wasn't exactly my dog but one I'd taken in for a niece going through a divorce. My dog would bark at and chase cats out but who knew 12 year old, out of shape Mathilda would go in for the kill. I came out when I heard my dog barking to find Mathilda on her back with a white cate dug in with all four paws and its jaws on Mathilda's underside. She meanwhile had the cat's back in her jaws. When I got them to separate Mathilda with her thick fur had no injuries. But that poor cat was not able to crawl far into the bushes and was soon dead. Fortunately none of my neighbors knew who it belonged to so maybe it was a stray?

I'm not sure if I would be legally liable for damage done to a pet cat killed by one of my dogs inside my fenced yard. I can't imagine what sort of fence would be required to keep a cat out but I definitely don't want them stalking wild birds in my garden.