Stroking Cats and Getting Yelled At 😨😨!

[Heathercob]

Got two cats, and a dog (who is cat friendly) at home. I was taking our dog for a walk this morning and a little grey cat was sitting on the wall, so I started stroking her. This woman came out and started screaming at me to get away from her cat with my dog. It wasn't as if I was either going to steal her cat, or get the dog to attack her. AIBU to stroke cats when on a walk?

I’m not saying anyone would contract Covid-19 directly from a dog (or cat, or whatever). I’m talking about potential transmission of virus from touching the fur, not actually catching it from the animal.

It’s vital at the moment to keep yourself to yourself and take sensible precautions.

@Inittogether...I didn't post about the pom. I posted about the 2nd dog that has tested positive for C19

Try to have some sense. It is not the right thing to do at present to be stroking strange cats.

If you have to be told this, then the messages on the virus are not getting through to your brain.

Op stroked a CAT, not a dog.

As a cat owner, I accept that my cat is going to shit in other people's gardens and also that people will stroke him.

You can't have your cake and eat it too.

I don't think there is anything wrong with stroking a cat, but it sounds to me as though it was the dog which was bothering her - i.e. it being near her cat.

@Malvinaa81, Amongst everything I have learned about the virus, I have never been warned about not touching strange animals and if that is the case then surely keeping in cats makes sense (I never touch dogs without the owners consent).
And in a world where we are divided between the haves and the have no (common sense), asking people to use their common sense is a bit of a reach.

I wouldn't be bothered if someone stroked our cat. You wouldn't get a chance if you had a dog though as our cat is scared of them. If the car had been bothered it would have run.
I get people being worried but surely you wash your hands every time you touch your cat don't you?

@annamie, exactly!! You can't control what your cats do and what people are doing to your cats, but you can (sort of ) control whether to let them out or not.

I love cats and the "not my cat" memes where they are making themselves quite at home in some randoms bed .

@doingtheboxerfeat The issue is that this is a brand new virus. They don't actually know what the hell is going on. Not the WHO,not the NHS and not the CDC. They haven't had time to actually research the virus so they are all flying by the seat of their pants. We were first told it was like a mild flu,then we were told that it would only affect the elderly and people with underlying issues and that children wouldn't contract it. All of this has been proven false so far. A healthy 36yo died in Britain a day or so ago.We have a 3yo on a ventilator in my hospital....They absolutely don't know. However, I think the WHO,NHS and the CDC are doing the world a huge diservice by saying dogs can't contract the virus when 2 in Hong Kong have tested positive. One was a weak positive but still they shouldn't be categorically denying it either. Our pets are part of our families and they need to be protected too.

@Doingtheboxerbeat just looked that meme up, so adorable!

She's an ancient collie X.

It could be that the dog was the issue . Maybe the cat is afraid of dogs. Previously been attacked ?

Or maybe had a sore spot? Surgery or illness .

Or she was worried you would take the cat as dog fight bait

I have two cats . One is very shy no aggression but I cannot vouch for him 100%. His sister would bite you , no reason needed .
I wouldn't want anyone to touch them but I wouldn't shout unless I feared they meant harm.

@Leaannb, my mum who has done me so proud by isolating herself and even offending her friends by turning them away - because they just don't get it - is going to have a hell of a time keeping her 10 month old kitten in .
I understand that this is not the most important life changing thing to have to adapt to, but still.
As for only the old are vulnerable - very poor decision to be telling people that. I have seen so many teens roaming the streets in groups.

It could well be the fear of corona not your dog

@annamie I truly believe that cats are the only species who have benefitted 100% because of the Internet .

You might be interested to know that a cat was found CV positive in Belgium recently.

Of course you shouldn’t be stroking any animals that aren’t yours. You are putting people at risk.

YABU.

Do not stroke anyone's pet at the moment. Viruses can be transferred on pet fur so I would be pretty unhappy if people were stroking mine at the moment.

And this is from someone who will pet any animal I meet usually.

...and yes, I could keep them in. But I already have one kept in at the moment with a broken paw and she is wailing like a banshee every time we look at her to register her displeasure.

I don't think I could cope with that x four cats and they'd be very unhappy kept in all day (I can't exactly rationalise with them).

It's a difficult time op people are very highly strung. Try not take it to heart x

And in a world where we are divided between the haves and the have no (common sense), asking people to use their common sense is a bit of a reach.

And that is the problem with people saying use common sense. Common sense clearly, to some, means you do not touch anyone else’s pet in a pandemic. It’s blinding obvious. Some people, clearly from this thread, think it is common sense to be able to do it.

@Heathercob You are not being unreasonable. The posters sayImg that you are, are simply not worth listening to. They're clearly the types who have a garage full of toilet paper, and a bath full of hand sanitiser!

@MonkeyDishwasher and you are the type that means we will still have lockdown measures in place for the next six months!