Friend said my cat attacked her

[Panther40]

Friend is a full time pet sitter and I have 2 male cats, I sometimes book her to look after them when I'm away.
Both males are older and very affectionate, they like just sitting with you all day but still a little playful sometimes.

Got them together a year ago and neither have ever scratched or bitten or anything like that. One will occasionally bat you playfully, anyway friend has sat for them several times.

She was talking about another cat she sits for who's bitten and scratched her. She then dropped into the conversation 'Oh your cat scratched me 3 times but I just accept it for what it is."

I was surprised because she'd never mentioned it, i asked her what had happened, she said she'd tried to stroke him and he did that. I felt bad because as I say he's never done it to me or my partner before, I felt embarrassed really.

Not sure what I could do? I mean there's no way of knowing with these things or if I could prevent it but I do feel bad.

Did you react shocked when she was talking about the other cat scratching and biting her? She might have then said about your cat to illustrate that it’s common and there’s no need to be shocked. I don’t think it was a dig at you anyway, sounds more like it came up naturally as you were cheating about the pet sitting.

Interesting. I wonder if ex wore an aftershave worn by/looked like someone who’d abused cat before? Cats are so intelligent and I imagine accordingly that such an extreme reaction wouldn’t be as arbitrary as it might first look and likely based on some kind of (albeit mistaken in this case) logic.

I bet she didnt ask permission.

I see so many people just put their hand out and try to stroke a cat, often on the top of the head!
Of course, most cats respond to that with a what the fuck reaction.

If you want to stroke someone's cat you have to put your hand out and let them sniff it. If they head bump it, scent marking it or otherwise give a positive sign, then you can stroke them. Preferably on the chin or side of face.

Some cats are happy to skip the good manners 😁 but it's always better to be polite.

I've had people come round and try to stroke my cat without asking her if its OK and the look on her face is hilarious!

I had a neighbour say my cat hissed and swiped at her and I was shocked as she’d never done anything like that.
Turns out neighbour was trying to pick her up and cat didn’t want to be picked up. So I blame the neighbour fully as there was no need to pick her up!

Animals aren’t playthings. They communicate if they feel scared, your cat was communicating.

My own cat decided to chomp down on my thigh last week for absolutely no reason. Broke skin and everything. All I did was move my leg slightly whilst she was sat on my lap. Cats are just arseholes sometimes!

I’ve never known my cat to hiss, but she’s hissed twice at my friends coming to look after her while I’ve been away!

They are funny creatures and I don’t think humans will ever fully understand what’s going on in those wee heads.

This is just a cat thing. You can be stroking them and they’ll be purring happily one minute, the next they’ve grabbed your hand and dig their teeth and claws in. It usually just means, right had enough of that now slave, off you fuck.

Cats generally will do this if they are trying to stop someone stroking them.
mine occasionally does it it’s basically telling me to leave him alone.
I certainly wouldn’t feel embarrassed if he did it to a pet sitter as surely it comes with the territory of being a pet sitter-an occupational hazard if you like!

She didn't say your cat attacked her though did she? Trust me a scratch and an attack are two very different things.

Are you sure their wasn't a sore spot on the cat that she touched. I remember getting scratched very unusually by one of my cats and looking closely there was a sore under the fur, not sure if it was from her scratching herself or another cat bite or scratch that had got a bit inflamed she really didn't like you getting anywhere near it, and let you know!

A friend cat sat for me and said my cat had been aggressive to her daughter. I never experience my cat’s aggression but also, I never rub her tummy - she wouldn’t like it. I’m careful just to do top of her head and under her chin which she loves.
A cat sitter should know that a lot of cats have preferences for how they’re petted and can get over stimulated even when you’re petting them the way they like.

Cats do this sometimes. I always gave cat sitters strict instructions not to even try and pet my last cat, she was a she devil and only tolerated one human, me.
No matter how often I warned them I'd always come back to a badly bitten cat sitter.
Sure she looks very cute but don't go there. Don't pass too close to her if she's sitting on the table, she will have you. They still did it.
She lived to 21 and bit the vet as he was putting her to sleep. Fond memories indeed of an intolerant cat.

She lived to 21 and bit the vet as he was putting her to sleep. Fond memories indeed of an intolerant cat.

I love that she was so feisty till the end!

Why not mention it to you? It happened. It wasn't a big deal. It would be weird if she felt the need to hide it.

Because you were chatting about a cat who scratched her, and she mentioned that tours had too as a related bit of info.

My guess is your cat could smell another cat/animal when your friend stroked him.
My mother has 2 cats, a brother and sister from the same litter, and they’ve never had a day apart. However, even now after 13 years if you’ve been stroking one and then stroke the other, the second cat will sometimes start sniffing your hand and pull that face, which today I’ve learned is called the flehman response.

Well she was literally at death's door when I finally took her to the vet crying my eyes out but she found the strength to kiss my face one last time and sink her fangs into the vet's hand 😂 bless her.

Neither.

A cat will tell you if it would prefer you to not pick it up, or to stop stroking it or whatever, and they do that by body language. The cat's regular staff will be able to read that body language. A human interloper such as a pet sitter in the cat's house may not. The cat may decide that it needs to explain to the interloper that they are invading the cat's personal space. Since body language hasn't worked, they move on to mild physical chastisement.

If you push your luck with a cat and get scratched, well, that's life innit?

Ah, how lovely that she was able to say goodbye to you. I’m sorry she was so ill at the end and I wasn’t meaning to make light of her passing, it’s always an awful wrench, but the way you described her parting shot just tickled me!

My cats have never bitten or scratched up in the 7 years we’ve had them, as kittens, but one of them hates my mum and will bite her and swipe at her. She doesn’t see them often we can’t work out why he does it

Sounds like a hazard of being a cat sitter

He could've done it just because he was playing. Or if he didn't want to be stroked, or just by accident if his claws are out. If you're worried he'll hurt someone you can have the vet nurse clip his nails, or do it yourself with cat clippers if he really is quite docile. But don't worry about it either way.

I'm a cat sitter. The cat owner's impression of what their cat is like isn't necessarily true for the cat sitter 😂 They're like human children who know what they want - they don't behave exactly the same in all situations.

If she was actually bothered about the odd scratch, she wouldn't be looking after cats. Misunderstandings happen. We move on and crack open the Dreamies.

Par of the course with pet sitters.

But could have been play agreession (she messed with him). Or smelt other cats on her and was defensive.

She doesn't sound bothered. Don't overthink it.

Cats can be unpredictable assholes, everyone knows this especially pet sitters.

This has probably happened to her countless times. It wasn’t exactly a pitbull mauling her. It was a cat doing what cats occasionally do.

You’re thinking too much into this.