Friend said my cat attacked her

This is just a cat thing. You can be stroking them and they’ll be purring happily one minute, the next they’ve grabbed your hand and dig their teeth and claws in. It usually just means, right had enough of that now slave, off you fuck.

I’ve never known my cat to hiss, but she’s hissed twice at my friends coming to look after her while I’ve been away!

They are funny creatures and I don’t think humans will ever fully understand what’s going on in those wee heads.

My own cat decided to chomp down on my thigh last week for absolutely no reason. Broke skin and everything. All I did was move my leg slightly whilst she was sat on my lap. Cats are just arseholes sometimes!

I had a neighbour say my cat hissed and swiped at her and I was shocked as she’d never done anything like that.
Turns out neighbour was trying to pick her up and cat didn’t want to be picked up. So I blame the neighbour fully as there was no need to pick her up!

Animals aren’t playthings. They communicate if they feel scared, your cat was communicating.

I bet she didnt ask permission.

I see so many people just put their hand out and try to stroke a cat, often on the top of the head!
Of course, most cats respond to that with a what the fuck reaction.

If you want to stroke someone's cat you have to put your hand out and let them sniff it. If they head bump it, scent marking it or otherwise give a positive sign, then you can stroke them. Preferably on the chin or side of face.

Some cats are happy to skip the good manners 😁 but it's always better to be polite.

I've had people come round and try to stroke my cat without asking her if its OK and the look on her face is hilarious!

Interesting. I wonder if ex wore an aftershave worn by/looked like someone who’d abused cat before? Cats are so intelligent and I imagine accordingly that such an extreme reaction wouldn’t be as arbitrary as it might first look and likely based on some kind of (albeit mistaken in this case) logic.

Did you react shocked when she was talking about the other cat scratching and biting her? She might have then said about your cat to illustrate that it’s common and there’s no need to be shocked. I don’t think it was a dig at you anyway, sounds more like it came up naturally as you were cheating about the pet sitting.

Maybe she was hoping you’d say ‘oh yes, I’m afraid he sometimes does that if…xyz’ and she’d know for future reference?

I used to catsit and got scratched sometimes. I never mentioned it to the owners unless I thought there was something wrong.

There was one cat only the boss went to visit and she had to wear gardening gloves and thick walking trousers because the cat really would attack!

I was going into friend’s house to feed their cat while they were away. Because the cat was on his own I spent some time stroking and talking to him. We were getting on really well then one morning I was talking and petting him as usual when I noticed a sharp thing - probably a thorn on his blanket. I said “Oh! What is this Billy ?” I went to take it off the blanket when he spat at me and bit me.Blood everywhere. I put my hand under the tap and bound it with tissues and departed with haste.At home I washed it again and put germolene etc on it and bandaged it.My hand swelled up and it took some time to recover. When I went in that evening to feed him. He came around as if we were the best of friends. I was too nervous to respond and just said “you’ve got a hope mate” and fed him. Didn’t tell my friend in case it upset her. A couple of years after I mentioned it casually and she said he hated to have his chest touched and probably thought that was what I was going to do when attempting to take the thorn off his blanket.

She knows that it scratches and is fine with it. If I were you I'd just warn other visitors and carers that the cat isn't friendly so they don't get scratched if they aren't as understanding as her.

My very friendly cat swipes when she's had enough petting if you're not watching her carefully. Very normal cat behaviour. Anyone who works with cats knows this. Maybe have their nails trimmed before going away, that's what I do, less damage!

I once had a cat who was a lovely, placid, affectionate boy with everyone except for one of my boyfriends. For some unknown reason he hated him on first sight and bit him at every available opportunity 🤣 Cats are inscrutable arseholes, it’s why we love them 🤷‍♀️ The cat lasted longer than the boyfriend obviously, I trusted his judgement.

So you think she was mistreating him? Or he hates her?

My cat is very affectionate (especially mealtimes!), will come and sit on your lap, loves being stroked etc. When fully relaxed, he will stretch out onto his back, and is fine with gentle tummy strokes, but if you make the mistake of trying the same thing when he’s playful and rolling around on the floor, he’s like a wild beast! I often think if he was lion-sized, I’d be long gone by now!
Maybe your cat-sitter mistimed her approach!

Are you really trying to psychoanalyse the cat? 🤣

You are totally overthinking this.
You have nothing to be embarrassed about. You didn't scratch her.

Scratched is quite different from attacked! Sounds like she stroked the cat when he didn’t want to be stroked and that’s how she got scratched. It’s not a massive deal, cats be cats, and she didn’t have to try to stroke him - she’s experienced with cats, she won’t be holding a grudge or anything.

It's a cat. They have sharp claws. Sometimes they end up scratching you. Especially when playing.

Your title is misleading. The cat did not attack your friend.

It happened because all cats scratch. That's kind of their whole thing. You can't seriously think your one is incapable of it? It's no big deal. I've been scratched loads of times by every cat I've ever owned!

She’s a pet sitter it’s part of the job description. Animals are unpredictable

Cats behave differently towards people who aren't their trusted owners.
One of my cats loves a belly rub. I said to my adult DSS to go ahead as she likes that. She wrapped her legs round his hand and scratched and bit him. We were both quite surprised!
Don't give it another thought.

Sounds like your cat doesn't like her very much.