Got cross - kicked the neighbour's cat

[TheEffinOasis]

Have to qualify this really - it wasn't exactly a send-the-cat-flying-kick but was a little more than a gentle-nudge-with-foot.

This cat is a nasty little bugger, has bitten or scratched both mine and my neighbour's children, plus myself. She comes up to you as if she wants a stroke and then goes for you. She bit my daughter this afternoon totally unprovoked - drew blood - and I got cross. Gave her a bit of a 'shove' with my foot to get her to go away. Now I feel guilty...BUT if she comes near my house she'll probably get the same again. AIBU?

Have a horrible feeling I'm going to get crucifed now. Is it worth mentioning that I have a cat of my own and don't make a habit of this?

Zuckie not necessarily. Cats enjoy play hunting. They'll do it with a toy mouse or with your hand if they are that way inclined. Whichever is closer.

Never in all my life have I known a cat who just walks up to people and randomly attacks them when they've totally ingored it.

This is not a case for justifying you hurting an animal.

I thought you were going to say you got annoyed at something un-cat related, then stomped into the street and booted the beast across the road. Possibly under the wheels of a passing ice cream van, in front of all the children scampering out for lollies.

So, having read your post, I wouldn't waste another second worrying about your neighbour's cat. Sounds like it was spoiling for a ruck anyway.

Spot on discobeaver.

I throw water/push with my foot, cats all the time.
They try to steal my cat's food.
She's an outdoor cat, and hates coming in so she has to be fed at the back door.
I've never hurt any of them, and if I had, I doubt they'd all come back, which they do, daily!

TheEffinOasis

What colour is this cat? I think I know it

If someone threw water on my cat (who I have had for many years) for scratching/pooing on their property etc I would not be upset. I believe they would be totally justified. I will get a water pistol to deter her in future, as I said this was not a premeditated attack on the cat. The cat has bitten or scratched both myself, my neighbour, both of my children, plus three other neighbour's children...the list goes on. She seems one very confused animal - she wants affection I think, we don't give it to her, but she still smooches all around you and then bites or scratches if you ignore her. To date I have blown in her face or clapped loudly to get her to shoo away.

This was a really bad time to post, cooking tea for the kids. Hence bit of a delay in responding...

cats love getting shoved,you did it a favour

worraliberty

My friends cat is like this. Bloody evil it is. Comes up to you, rubs around your legs then goes for you.

Or she'll fly at you from the other side of the room trying to tear chunks out of you! Doesn't do it to her owners (much) and doesn't touch the baby of the house, but tries to kill me every time I go over there.

Tortoiseshell - they're all a bit bonkers aren't they? I used to have one a few years back and she was a bit unbalanced to say the least!

My cat only likes me, and then not often.
She comes to get food and loves to be stroked, but then she decides she doesn't and goes off in a sulk.
She won't come near DD, and if she's in one of her moods, will turn her nose up and walk off, for no apparent reason.

I tried having her in the house, but she hated it, cried all the time and took to shitting on my bed, hence her living outside all the time, even in deepest winter.

She once disappeared for 8 months and then strolled up as if she'd never been away.

Cats are weird creatures aren't they? I must admit I do tend to feel that I know where I stand with dogs more. Cat owners can also be weird too (I feel I can say this because I am one and have been for many years).

The balance of opinion seems to be swaying towards not totally unreasonable, but don't do it again. I won't of course. I have also explained to my daughter that what I did was wrong and that I did it because I got cross and wasn't thinking - and that she should never do it. She already knows never to go near this particular cat and how to behave with animals in general - never to approach dogs she doesn't know, animals are not toys etc etc. I grew up surrounded by animals - dogs, cats, tortoises, hamsters etc - and consider myself a responsible pet owner with a healthy regard for the fact that they are animals at the end of the day and as such are unpredictable. I guess I behaved unpredictably too this afternoon (maybe not helped by the fact that I am heavily pregnant - but maybe just looking for excuses there) and am not massively impressed with my own behaviour.

Are you the same woman who put a cat in a wheelie bin OP. In which case YABU

Cat are weird creatures.
I adore mine, but have no idea whether I'm coming or going with her. My rats and goldfish are far easier!

I don't think, after careful consideration, that you kicked it hard enough.

My mums friend had a cat that was totally badshit crazy and would sit on your lap, rub your legs for a stroke etc purring away and then without warning, turn round and maul you.

Some cats are just psychotic and a nudge with a foot is neither here nor there, it's not like you drop kicked it over the fence. Get the water pistol but ditch the guilt, sounds like the furry fiend was asking for it.

Nooooo, wellies, that was so weird - but I did also find the nationwide uproar over it a bit weird too (but that's going to open a whole new can o' worms...surely not your intention ?). We used to foster mistreated puppies when I was a kid and far far worse things happen to animals than being plopped into a wheelie bin by a deranged woman.

OpalFruits, my cat does that too. It's like he wants the love but it all suddenly gets too much for him. We have learnt to spot the signs and stop just in time. I say again, they are weird animals.

A foot push is not a kick! I end up pushing my cat out of the way all the time with my foot. She constantly walks between my legs, insists on sleeping/sitting right against the front door, in the middle of the stairs etc and does not respond to me requesting that she moves. I am often carrying stuff (washing, drinks, DS), so use my foot to budge her.

YADNBU I hate cats. We live in a neighborhood that has a lot of cats, and DP likes to grow our own veg, and quite regularly we find cat shit in our veg patch. We also have our very own neighborhood crazy cat lady, she lives opposite us and god knows how many she has, but at say, 3am in the morning she will be outside her front door shouting in a really high pitched voice
"PUSSYYY! PUSSEEEEEEEEEEEEE! PUSS PUSS PUSS! GINGE! GINGE! GINGEEEEEEEEY!"
Problem is, we have never actually seen a cat in our garden, so we don't know where it/they live, one of them could even be DPs aunties cat, she only lives 2 doors down from us!

I just hate animal kickers. I have a 17.2, 750kg HORSE that can be quite bolshy, and I manage not to kick him. It causes a bad attitude in the animals and just sets your children right up for having a bad atitude towards them as well if you are unlucky.

OP - I'm sure you know the word "kick" in this context can be misinterpreted.

nijinsky if I could review the title of this thread to 'shoved' 'pushed' I would, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. I don't think I 'kicked' but I do think I did what I did in anger, which is where my problem with my own behaviour lies.