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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Did I overreact to incident in restaurant?

172 replies

fatgirlonthebeach · 08/09/2019 06:35

Currently on holiday in Greece and was out last night for a meal with DP. It's quite normal here for cats to wander around the outside tables hoping to be given a bit of food. I like cats but I don't feed them as I know some taverna owners don't like it. We had finished our meal when a couple sat on the table next to us and started to feed the cats. I didn't have a problem with this until one poor cat started throwing up right underneath my chair. It really upset me and I didn't want to stay sitting where I was with cat sick on the floor so I told DP we would have to move to another table to finish our drinks.

The couple who had fed the cat saw me trying to move and heard me say (to my DP) that it was disgusting and I wasn't happy to stay sitting where I was. The couple glared at me as if I had gone mad and was making a big deal of it (whilst they happily carried on eating). I had a bit of a job getting away from our table as we were sat in a corner and the couple had put their bags on their spare chair which was blocking my exit. They made no attempt to move the chair to help me get out and carried on looking at me as if I was overreacting.

DP and I moved to another table and finished our drinks. The taverna owner came over to ask why we had moved so I explained and he apologised but I didn't blame him at all and smiled happily and said it was no problem.

DP seems to think that I overreacted and that we should have stayed at our table. He also wanted to order another round of drinks but I really wasn't happy to stay sitting where I was. The cat-feeders clearly thought I was bonkers.

Did I overreact? Would you have stayed sitting there with cat sick under your chair?

OP posts:
Caucho · 08/09/2019 08:08

So fuck if people have cats and they consider it no big deal. The poster was in restaurant, not their own home. Plus they only mentioned it to the staff because they asked.

Some people seem here seem like the ballet changers in the middle of a cafe. ‘It’s only poo, don’t be sensitive’ or ‘how can you be offended by a poor little baby’? Or the classic it’s natural from people who are virutous about periods. There’s nothing wrong with bodily functions but so is taking a shit

Crystal87 · 08/09/2019 08:08

You did not overreact. Why should you go out to a restaurant and expect to sit next to cat sick? Why didn't the owner clean it up?

CorBlimeyGovenor · 08/09/2019 08:25

A bit over the top telling your husband loudly enough for them to hear that it was disgusting. It wasn't really their fault that the cat was sick. You could have moved much more discreetly if it had bothered you.

Poochandmutt · 08/09/2019 08:25

Are these all stray cats , o vets no home ,no food 😭

GiveMeHope103 · 08/09/2019 08:27

Yanbu that's disgusting. I hate cats though.

TheQueef · 08/09/2019 08:28

Best thing about Greek restaurants is the many cats that accompany a meal.
Can't say if YABU as that is based on the amount of vom.
I was gifted a small rodent with it's head chewed off in Skopelos, way better than the church on the rock.

TheRealShatParp · 08/09/2019 08:34

The moving part isn’t an over reaction in my opinion, it’s fair enough not wanting to sit right near vom (depending on how close you were to it). But I kind of feel like you were being a bit pathetic and embarrassing in the process. I can’t imagine getting ‘upset’ about it and going on about how disgusting it is. I’d probably think you were a bit silly if I were the other customers.

Maryann1975 · 08/09/2019 08:35

I’ve got a cat, but there is no way I would want to have a drink in a bar sat by cat sick. I’d probably end up with my feet in it and as you are in Greece, I expect you are wearing sandals, so might end up with it on your toes. That’s so grim!

Oliversmumsarmy · 08/09/2019 08:39

*I feel sorry for the poor cat when you left.

I was waiting for a poster to say something along the lines of 'YABU not to take the cat to the vet*

I was thinking it would have had its retribution from the owner

Aridane · 08/09/2019 08:40

Of course YANBU to want to move. Whether you made a huge song and dance about it, I don't know

Aridane · 08/09/2019 08:40

I feel sorry for the poor cat when you left

Eh? Confused

Aridane · 08/09/2019 08:41

oliversmummy - cross post!

BarbaraofSeville · 08/09/2019 08:44

YABU. If you hadn't made such a fuss, the cat would probably have eaten the vomit anyway because they do about 90% of the time. Problem solved Wink

ShirleyPhallus · 08/09/2019 08:47

I cannot believe the number of people who would just sit there next to a pile of sick! Bleugh 😷

messolini9 · 08/09/2019 08:47

Did I overreact?
Hugely - how can you be "really upset" by a natural occurence, presumably outdoors?

Would you have stayed sitting there with cat sick under your chair?
No, of course not.
Neither would I have given a single shit about some random cat-feeders' opinion of what table I then chose to move to.

Mushypeasandchipstogo · 08/09/2019 08:52

You were not being unreasonable in the slightest. Sounds grim.

ZenNudist · 08/09/2019 08:53

Overreaction IMO not something Id be dwelling on. Are you usually so highly strung? Id have just left asap and said theres sick over there to clean up.

OtraCosaMariposa · 08/09/2019 08:56

I wouldn't sit next to a pool of cat sick. Or next to people feeding feral cats. Yuk.

WaggingKnife · 08/09/2019 08:58

YANBU, not one bit.
Why should you have to either sit in vomit to finish your drinks or leave your drinks entirely when there were other tables available?

WaggingKnife · 08/09/2019 09:02

I feel sorry for the poor cat when you left

Yes me too, I would have taken it home in my suitcase, trained it and hired it out as talent for TV shows. I’m sure Corrie are always looking for cats to walk down a terraced roof.

MN gets more and more ridiculous.Confused

BlueJava · 08/09/2019 09:02

YANBU. I would not be sitting next to cat sick! I would have paid and left (and we'd have called it "the catsick restaurant" thereafter!)

Original poster
fatgirlonthebeach · 08/09/2019 09:06

Thank you for all your comments. It's interesting to see how peoples' opinions on things can vary so much.

First of all I must apologise to Teateaandmoretea for my thread not being exciting enough. Perhaps I should have stabbed the cat-feeders just to make it more interesting for you? No-one forced you to read the thread, let alone leave a comment. Just a thought ;)

Just to clarify, I didn't 'make a scene', I didn't shout, it wasn't just a tiny bit as some posters have presumed, and the cat feeders were fully aware of what had happened.

Thank you for the cat owners amongst you also saying that you would have moved tables.

I saw another post recently about nastiness on MN and this sort of thread really highlights how some people find it so easy to belittle others from behind the safety of their keyboards.

OP posts:
katewhinesalot · 08/09/2019 09:09

You didn't over react. It sounds as if you just moved without making too much fuss - except to your husband.

greenlavender · 08/09/2019 09:10

I would have moved & probably made a bigger scene.

HybridHetty · 08/09/2019 09:12

They probably didn’t realise the cat had been sick and thought you were judging them for feeding the stray cats.

There is a massive welfare issue for cats and dogs in Greece, lots of strays get poisoned and killed. A misunderstanding from both sides.