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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Bengal has scratched DD friend

244 replies

14NG88 · 06/02/2018 19:20

Long story short my DS had a few friends over at weekend and one of them pulled my 1 year old Bengal's tail and she too took a little swipe at them. I had to pretend I was less annoyed than I was (as you always do with kids that aren't yours) but just checked they weren't hurt and thought nothing more of it. Today I have had said parents very annoyed on the phone demanding this was unacceptable and they wanted to report it, I was clearly very annoyed aswell and it got a bit heated from there.

I don't think I am but AIBU ? All the kids were clearly told to leave Annie (Bengal) alone and I didn't overreact when they didn't. Can't help that feel this is generation snowflake when things like this happen no injuries occured.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
13
billybagpuss · 07/02/2018 07:04

This is a great thread 😂

Even my British shorthair would have done the same and he’s a big softy. I’d love a tiger though

honeylulu · 07/02/2018 07:08

If i understand correctly the child wasn't actually hurt ie there was no actual scratch. The OP checked.
Often a cats first warning is to "bat" with a paw - no claws out.
If this is the case i don't know what the parents are blathering on about. Who are going to report it to? The Pussy Police?

myusernamewastaken · 07/02/2018 07:28

I think we need a pic of said cat....

10thingsIhateAboutTheDailyMail · 07/02/2018 07:44

OP never came back...

SugarRush123 · 07/02/2018 07:56

They are obviously BTU.

My only gripe with this thread is that the reactions would be very different if it was a small dog who snapped in self-defence. Just like it’s “ok” for the neighbour’s cat to shit in our front garden, whilst we wouldn’t dream of letting our dog into someone else’s garden, or not pick up after him on a walk (I realise you can’t follow cats around but not having a litter tray is just as antisocial as not picking up dog poo IMO).

whiskyowl · 07/02/2018 07:59

Oh FFS, I hate parents like this. Kids shouldn't be brought up in cotton wool - scratches, scrapes, bumps and knocks are a healthy part of exploring the world. Cats are cats - pull their tail, they will scratch. It's a life lesson to be gentle.

WalkingUpTheMountain · 07/02/2018 13:30

frankchickens I want a cat like this because I love him. Animals aren't robots, they all have different personalities. He is a lovely playful babySmile

Letsmaketheworldbetter · 07/02/2018 17:38

Something is telling me this is their only child. I’m assuming you were quite calm. I’d be pretty pissed at someone calling me about something so trivial.
Has this child never fallen over?

MichaelBendfaster · 07/02/2018 17:49

I'm also intrigued as to who they're going to report it to.

Knittedfairies · 07/02/2018 17:50

Tell them you've already reported....their child to the RSPCA.

Rollmopsrule · 07/02/2018 17:50

'Something is telling me this is their only child.'
Why do you think that Letsmaketheworldbetter?

Kathygnome · 07/02/2018 17:51

Tell them you were willing to ignore it, but if they want to turn their child into the authorities for abusing your cat, then that's their business.

sniggy01 · 07/02/2018 17:53

Had a similar incident a while ago with my she tau puppy - a group of my dd's friends crowded around him and he was obviously terrified and started to back away and growl - the children were told (9yr olds) to leave him alone as he was telling them he was scared. One child however did not do this instead when the others walked away she tried to pick him up, she was told again by several adults to leave him but before we could get there she had tried again to pick him up and he put his mouth on her wrist not actually biting but leaving a tiny red mark. A parent at the party was an a&e doctor and checked the skin was not broken washed it and told her that that was the reason she had been told not to touch him and to leave the dog alone. He grand mother picked her up later, was told of the incident and shown the small red mark on her arm.
2 days later I received an email from the father saying that they had had to rush her to A & E that night after seeing the bite and that the doctors had had to dress the wound, put her on anti bionics and suggested that such a dangerous animal should be put to sleep and we would be hearing from the authorities. We were mystified as there was no wound to dress and no bite - at the worst possibly a bruise. It was really upsetting as you can imagine and I spent weeks waiting for someone to appear and take my puppy away. Funnily enough nothing happened and the doctor at the party said she had asked around the department and no one was aware of seeing a dog bite. The child did turn up with her arm in a sling at school the following week. Not too sure what was going on but I haven't had said child to the house again.

mydietstartsmonday · 07/02/2018 17:54

Bengals are notoriously bad tempered with little tolerance. We have one (plus a Volvo) and I would not let her (our cat not the car) near children - mind you she hates kids and takes herself off.
But she is unpredictable.

rothbury · 07/02/2018 17:58

PLEEZ let it be a tiger Grin

BarrackerBarmer · 07/02/2018 17:59

Just popped on to check we weren't discussing a tiger.
As you were.

MrsFring · 07/02/2018 18:01

In the absence of the OP's Bengal pic here's mine. If you so much as thought about going near his tail he'd rip your face off.

Bengal has scratched DD friend
LemonShark · 07/02/2018 18:04

Anyone who uses the term 'generation snowflake' is automatically BU, whatever the situation they're seeking judgment for.

tygarugby · 07/02/2018 18:04

YANBU

Pleasebeafleabite · 07/02/2018 18:08

Ah mrsfring he’s Very Handsome

But I can’t help feeling that when I was growing up he’d have just been a tabby

The OP calling the pet a bengal rather than a cat does seem a tad pretentious to me

Dozer · 07/02/2018 18:09

That is a very pretty cat mrsfring.

MrsFring · 07/02/2018 18:13

Fair point. Check out his mate though...

Bengal has scratched DD friend
Lalliella · 07/02/2018 18:13

You should report the child for cat cruelty. And you should report yourself for typing “generation snowflake”.

dragonara53 · 07/02/2018 18:22

We have four cats, one doesn't like any people apart from us so goes and hides away from visitors. Two don't like kids so they also hide but kids are warned not to touch them as they'll get bitten or scratched. The other is a soft as a ball of fluff and loves kids and doesn't scratch if they hurt her she screams at them, she's a Ragdoll. I must admit though a lot of today's generation are wimpy, soft buggers. But most have been wrapped in bubble wrap and not allowed to do stuff my generation did.

Beezley · 07/02/2018 18:24

If kids are told not to harm an animal and then they do it's tough if they get bitten or scratched. Tell the other mum to teach her child not to pull cats tails. Good for the cat.!!