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?

There used to be a ferocious ginger entire male cat on our street when I was a child.
He sat on out front wall...I tried to stroke him, and he lashed out and caught a vein in my hand-Jeez that bled and bled. I went shrieking in to mum who said not to touch cats we didn't own.

I still have the scar, albeit tiny now.

Team cat.

Wouldn’t give it a second thought
just tell her it territorial and to keep her grandchild out of your garden

hope you didn’t apologise

When my DH went to uni they used to have a security guard at the library entrance. His name was Larry the goose and he was vicious. They used to have to open the back doors when he was there.

We had some dodgy characters nick a couple of things from work this evening and I’m thinking our workplace is missing a trick security-wise…

If they say anything, tell them to keep the child out of your garden, it's the cats home, not the child's. X

When I was little my gran’s neighbour had a cat called Bambi that I was desperate to be best friends with. Bambi was very tolerant of my attention, until she wasn’t. My grandpa taught me about swishy tails, which was a life lesson I have been grateful for to this day.

Our cat is the gentlest wee girl, but if her tail’s going we know she’s fed up.

Your cat is lovely, OP.

OP you have to get a beware of the cat sign 😂😂😂

Well Granny should taken her little darling to the park and not use other people’s don’t gardens to run around.

Child will hopefully have learnt to to approach random cats in peoples private gardens

The child shouldn’t have been in your garden, let alone disturbing your cat (or any animal) enough to provoke a defensive response. The adult should have been supervising the infant. Who the hell lets toddlers run around in other people’s property?

Your kitty is gorgeous!

What kind of an idiot let's a young child run in and out of peoples gardens?

Never mind any of our pets, I would put a toe up the arse of any child running amok in the grounds of my property.

The woman is a twit.

A learning experience. For the child and the grandma.

When I was little we had a lovely, independent minded cat who took no shit from anyone. If I handled her in a way she didn't like she scratched me and I knew it was my fault. I got no sympathy from parents or older siblings. I quickly learned to respect her and learnt a lot about handling cats.

Frankly amazed this woman thinks it is OK to let her toddler GDC trample about in other people's gardens

I keep my toddler away from my sisters cats, my mums cat and my MILs cats. They are very wary of her and if they were to scratch her for getting too close that would be on me and absolutely not the fault of the cat!

Geese are famous guardians of property; the Romans used to have a festival where they celebrated the role geese played in repelling a barbarian invasion of the citadel.

Guinea fowl although smaller can be very ferocious in a flock, too. I’m just imagining some Guinea fowl disciplining some unruly toddlers….

Cute cat OP. The pose is a bit 'Only Fans' though

Yes, because the law is different for dogs - and rightly so.
They’re not comparable animals.

It’s a well known fact that sometimes cats can be arseholes and scratch. It’s also a well known fact that dogs can bite, bulls can charge and it’s definitely not a good idea to stand behind a horse! So I’d say whoever’s in charge of the child is responsible for their safety. I wouldn’t let my kids or grandchild ‘play’ with an unknown animal of any size and I respect any animals right to defend itself if it feels threatened. You’re not in the wrong at all. I’ve lived in the country among farm dogs and wild ponies and also in the city among the dogs that ‘protect’ people and my kids have never been harmed by any animal because they’ve been taught to respect them and keep out of their way. They also don’t get run over because I don’t let them play with traffic until they’re old enough to judge the situation correctly. Not all pets are friendly , not all ponies like being petted and not all cars stop for kids. Not all cats want to be fucked with either. To me, it’s the most basic of parenting to avoid risk however small. Hopefully a lesson has been learned here .

Thanks for paying the cat tax OP, she's a beaut!!!

Obv you're not unreasonable, who lets their child into other peoples gardens?!

Also, a minor point your cat didn't "attack the child". First of all it scratched. An attack is something bigger- a pounce, biting, sustained scratching, your cat didn't do this.

You don't know whether the cat just scratched because afraid/grumpy/whatever or whether the toddler approached and tired to hug/ make friends/pull tail.

Why on earth would the cat need put down for defending itself. I have 5 lovely cats all very friendly - I also have 4 kids and I think my youngest was scratched by accident once when playing with one. They are very gentle with the cats and know not to approach if they are sleeping or look a bit cross - usually the dog has pissed someone off.

High school girls were trying to lure my old girl out of a bush yesterday and I told them to leave her alone. She can be quite cranky. I’d be speaking to this grandmother and saying to keep her kid out of your garden and away from your cat.

Gve your lovely cat a treat <3

Sounds like you have a very effective guard cat there, OP. Good kitty! 😸

I‘ve had cats most of my life and often stop to pet random cats in our neighborhood. If a cat wants to be left alone, you leave it alone or bear the painful consequences! Kids should be taught not pester animals.

I hope you shouted back that she should keep the ferocious kid out of your garden..,,.that the kid attacked your poor cat.

I vividly recall the often-repeated ‘No, we don’t go in other people’s front gardens’, when out and about with toddler Gdcs.

The granny has only herself to blame.

I think you should pop by and speak to Mum about how Grandma isn’t endearing herself to the residents of the homes she is invading with her kid, and that grandma should be told to stick to the footpath like a normal person.

Btw, Team Kitty all the way!

🤣🤣🤣

This sounds like one of our cats. The neighbours dogs are terrified of her. Ours have learned not to piss her off. She’s tiny but doesn’t suffer fools (not even cute doggy ones).