What should I have done? -> Updated

Naio wrote:
A pitbull got my cat this morning. Cat is in the hospital and dog owner gave them his credit card. I finally have a minute to breathe, and am trying to think what I could have done differently, for next time.

I was in bed at the time, and groggy when I got up. I couldn't figure out how to get the dog off my cat. And the cat kept getting away, and then getting caught again. I didn't have a firearm. I threw rocks at the dog, thinking the distraction would help cat get away. That works with cat on cat. I forgot that I had pepper spray in the rig. That may have helped although it doesn't shoot far and the animals were in brush, not visible.

Dog owners, cat owners, what is the way to go in this situation?

After about 15 mins of searching I found the dogs owner and got her to get him off. Then I dragged her dad and his credit card to the ER with me.

But is there any way I could have got that dog off my cat sooner? I am not as strong as a pit bull, nowhere near.

Maybe I should have sprayed them with a fire extinguisher, or a hose. That might have taken as long as finding the owner, though, to get stuff to where the animals were.

I feel like I failed my cat.

If the Cat was in the dogs yard and the dog was protecting it's territory, I dont think there is much to be done. This is nature at work.

However if the dog was running loose then you need to call animal control and report this.

There is just too much info missing from your story to make a thoughtful response.