My cat hurt a child today

[BeautifulJames]

Little back story - a few weeks back a 2/3 year old was seen running around the cul de sac and in to front gardens of others. I was at my path when I said "can I help you?" To a woman I'm assuming was grandparent and the toddler standing by my door. She then replied "oh no we are OK. Tiring him out before mum comes home".

Thought ok... no problem... bit weird but I've just come back from a 13 hour shift and I just wanted to relax.

Fast forward today... my anxious cat (her territory is only the small patch of front garden and our home) was sitting on the grass when I heard toddler crying. It was the toddler back again in my front garden but this time my cat had attacked little one.... scratch on leg.

Grandparent shouting at me for having such a ferocious feral cat in MY own front garden.

Now I'm getting glares occasionally when I check outside.

I just need a bit of validation thar my cat acted well in her own rights (if you know what I mean) and surely I'm not responsible for a trespassing toddler?

Similarly I've always taught my children how to act around dogs. Drives me mad when kids run up to dogs to pet... and I'm not a dog person lol

@CupEmpty I was thinking the same. The MN massive would be calling for the dog to be pts.

I'm team Cat though!

@BeautifulJames

God she looks proper vicious!!

Do you not recognise the Grandmother or the child as living in your cul-de-sac??

if the child lives there, I'd pop to the house & speak to the parent ostensibly to check out how the child & scratch are, but really to mention that grandmother is allowing the child to run into all the gardens and thought they should know as there could be far worse risks than a cat defending itself.

Smart cat. My cat wouldn't hurt a fly but scratched DDs classmate when she was at my house for DDs party. I repeatedly told her not to go into our room where he was napping. But she did. Many times. Then prodded him until he scratched. I made a point of telling her mum when she was collected that she harassed my cat and that's the first time he's ever scratched. She didn't say very much tbh but there was no way I was going to take an earful about it.

No, granny should have kept a better eye on the toddler running around and should know better than to let them approach am animal they don't know. My own cat is now scared of kids as parents where i used to live actually encouraged them to play with his tail because it's all big and bushy. Idiots

Because by law dogs need to be under the owners control in public

slightly off topic but there was a cat that lived in one of the roads on my walk to school when I was a kit and it used to follow you, mewing and rubbing against your legs wanting you to pet it. The minute you did it went schizo and scratched you. Cats are crazy but it’s their prerogative. Yours was definitely not being unreasonable though

No you wouldn't and by law you couldn't.

No child should be allowed to annoy animals or run onto private property

Shocked that anyone would think that was ok on a parenting forum*

*unless of course they're one of those entitled parents who think their precious DC can do no wrong !

I’ve never seen a cat approach a toddler- in my experience they’re extremely wary of them. I’ve seen plenty of children get very excited and chase down and corner the cute terrified kitty. I always tell children they are not to touch mine because if they do she might scratch them, and if she runs away or hides they must leave her alone. Cats are unpredictable, it’s very normal for them to be loving the attention one minute and overwhelmed and hissing the next.

I know of mum and child - she's a single mum who works ungodly hours and little one can be a bit of a handful as they are at that age. Grandparents, I've seen 3 odd times when I assume mum does overtime.

I despise cats, but even I am team cat on this one !

What a gorgeous moggy!
Well done cat! Teach the kid to have a bit more respect for animals and teach the adult to supervise better.
FWIW I had a beautiful ginger Tom growing up. Softest thing in the world. Yet mum's friend had a horrible child who used to come round, pretend to torture my soft toys, and then she would be mean to the cat, putting blankets over his head, pulling his tail etc. She was the only person who the cat ever scratched and hissed at - and I don't blame him. If someone tried to cover my face or pull me about I'd have something to say about it.

Ahh, the calico explains everything😉
Our cat is a calico, though has more of the patches on her, and she is a feisty so and so. Not known her attack anyone unknown, she usually resorts to be overly affectionate to people she doesn't know, ie the vet. She has finally started to calm down now she is about 12 (we got her as a rescue and think she as just under one when we got her. She pretended to us she was a friendly lap cat)
That woman was very unreasonable to go into other peoples gardens. If she says anything about it in the future just tell to stay out of the gardens and supervise her granddaughter more. Her granddaughters need to run off steam before bed does not trump you or your cats rights to enjoy your garden in peace.

Well she shouldn't be letting her run into people's gardens , what a twat of a grandparent.

🤣🤣

She's gorgeous.

Cat 1 - 0 Child. Children must learn 😂

I can't believe the granny thought it absolutely fine for the grandchild to enter someone else's garden.
Hopefully this will be a lesson learnt.

Cats are sent to teach toddlers that you don't go grabbing and picking up animals you don't know and probably, ones you do know. (THey shouldn't be, it should be a parents job of course!)

Sensible adult says 'told you to leave that cat alone, now you know why'

Ridiculous adult finds owner of cat and berates them.

Cats are territorial- its the cat’s garden not the kid’s - also kids can be rough with cats pulling their tails etc I have seen this behaviour and it annoys me - maybe the kid was rough with the cat - anyway kid should not have been in the cat’s garden end of

Not too very long ago I saw a video of a cat chasing a bear out of its yard.
A granny should be keeping her grandchild out of other peoples’ yards, cats or no cats.
Period.
This is 100% on the grandmother.

how about this stupid woman teaches her grandson pets are not toys !! Justapor a sign saying please stay away from the garden . It’s private property she shouldn’t be entering your garden

@BeautifulJames
You wouldn't have laughed if it was you they took a dislike to 😂
Honestly, they loved her but were mean to most other people
She lived in a large ish village at the time and they were notorious
Stole my sandwich once too, with absolute menace, never quite forgave them.

Don't mess with a Calico Cat!
That's a Guarding breed.

As a young child I was annoying playing with a relative's cat and got scratched. My parents were very unsympathetic - quite rightly. It was an important lesson on being much more respectful of cats (and any animal).

I'm definitely on TeamCat.

When I was 4 I was enthusiastically petting a random cat when she bit me (she mouthed me, didn't break the skin but it was bruised) - guess what, I learned to be more careful in approaching cats. Never happened to me again.