Get pepper spray right away.
I have heard stories of how pepper spray doesn’t work but I had to use it one time and it was effective.
I was living in Virginia Beach and was walking out to a nearby strip mall to get a paper. I noticed a very mean looking Rottweiler and went back to the house and put a can of pepper spray in my pocket. The dog ignored me but I think the reason was that I was watching him.
I got my paper and was glancing at the front page and had forgotten about the dog. I suddenly saw him running right to me and growling. I grabbed the pepper spray and waited until he got to within a few feet and sprayed him. It stopped him like he had been hit with a load of buckshot. This was old government issue spray which was only one tenth of a percent pepper. You can get spray now which is something like a hundred times stronger.
“Get pepper spray right away.”
Better yet, get bear spray. That pit will try to turn itself inside out getting away
My husband was a mailman. Pepper Spray does nothing to slow down a really determined dog. I’ve also had my good cat killed by a pit with irresponsible owners.
Get animal control involved immediately. That dog WILL kill your cats, unless it socialized with them. It’s its nature, I love pits, but they are what they are and the owners need to step up.
You missed an opportunity when the neighbors were in the yard and they didn’t call their pit. You should have made them aware right then, they needed to rein in their dog.