BIL hit their cat on the head, should I do anything (and what?)

[Bananaketchup]

My nephew is 7 and a pfb, he can be aggressive to the cat and has been known to grab the cat by the neck, pull his tail etc. Last week (according to the pfb) he accidentally sat on the cat's tail, and the cat turned on him and scratched his face with both front paws. BIL then hit the cat on the head as punishment.

Now to be honest I don't really believe the story as the cat has put up with worse without attacking, but BIL and SIL seem to think this was an acceptable 'punishment' for the cat, SIL said 'he'll get worse if he's scarred my son's face'.

The cat's a sweet little thing quite small and skinny, he came from Wood Green, do you think they would take the cat back if I reported it? Or am I being a big softy, do people hit their pets to punish or teach them things(?)

"do people hit their pets to punish or teach them things" they do undoubtedly, but no animal should be hit on the head. And cat's don't tend to 'learn' that well. Suspect cat will bugger off with too much treatment of that nature

Child needs to learn to be respectful of animals. Yes, report them.

Generally, no, I don't think people hit pets to teach them things.
I can understand someone hitting or kicking a dog if it was mauling a child or what not, but never a cat for retaliating to pain. The cat has no concept of it being an accident.

no people dont hit theyre pets!(not at you).

did you ask them what theyre playing at?do they think its normal?

I know people do hit animals btw, but I mean it is not normal practice.

Yes I'd report them, I don't know any decent pet owner who would ever consider hitting their pets, and on the head is even worse
It sounds like they can neither look after pet nor teach the child how to respect animals.

Poor moggy.

Okay thanks, I was appalled at it but as they seemed to think it was justified I started thinking I was being too soft as I am a well-known doormat to my cat. I'm in talks with a friend who might take the cat which would be ideal, the cat will be safe and the spoilt brat little angel will not risk having his pretty face scratched again.

Sounds like the little boy shouldn't have a cat, and for all concerned, the cat should be rehomed.

BuzzingNoise you're right he shouldn't. Around my or my parents cats he knows if he complains a cat scratched him, the first question will be 'and why did he do that?' and the answer will be cos he did something he knows he shouldn't have, and will get no sympathy. Which just shows he knows how to treat a cat and can do it when he wants to, it's just around his parents he knows he can behave how he likes and not be in the wrong. Grr.

Do you think they would consider rehoming the cat? YOu could phrase it as 'before your son is badly scratched', meaning 'before your son REALLY hurts the poor animal'

Update: my friend is willing to have the cat while the family are on holiday next week, then as long as his flatmate is not allergic, to keep him for good. I think they will be happy to have the cat looked after while they're away, then I'll be doing the hard sell of 'oh it would be a shame to take him back, what if he hurt the pfb again?' etc. As long as the flatmate can cope there is no way they're getting the cat back. They're always complaining about the cost of having him anyway so I don't think they'll put up much opposition. Poor little thing

Good plan.

What? "He'll get worse if he scratches his face"??? That is foul

Better still, take cat back to the shelter while they're away, then there's no chance of getting it back. Say it escaped or something. People say they'll do this and that but the friend might not keep cat long term and it'll be abused again. I'm staggered at the threat more than the hit TBH. The whole family are animal abusers

so your sil will beat the cat if it scars her precious child but it is fine for them to damage the cat?

Report
report
report

I feel really mean when I refuse to let mine sit and paw me with their claws!

I'd do as Jungalist suggests. Untruthful maybe, but the better moral action than to leave the poor animal to be hit or "get worse".

Otherwise at least report the matter to Wood Green, who SHOULD do a follow-up.

Btw, how the feck does a cat go from under a child's bottom, being sat upon, to face level in order to scratch the child? I don't believe a word of the story either. Disgusting, wicked behaviour.

OP, if your friend can't keep the cat for whatever reason, give me a shout. Am in North London.

Things like this make me want to cry, poor poor cat, even if it was an 'accident' that's no way to treat an animal of any kind, i would have hit them on the head!

Thank you all, I was doubting myself as I'm such a softy about animals and now I know I should have trusted myself. They are not getting the cat back when they come back from holiday no matter what. I don't like to think of him going back to Wood Green but you're right, it's better that than stay where he is. I'm really hoping my friend's flatmate will not be allergic and they can keep him as I know he'll be well looked after there. If not I'll have to find him somewhere else, thanks jungalist that's really kind, he's a sweet little cat and just tries to keep out of the trainee sociopath's way I think

Why do people treat animals like this? They aren't toys. I'd have reported them immediately.

I think the cat was perfectly justified in the way it reacted.

Okay I've now got a possible plan B, my neighbour has agreed to think about taking him if my friend can't keep him. This neighbour previously rehomed a cat I confiscated a few years ago (I have a bit of a history of this, which is why I'm struggling to rehome this cat as I've already persuaded cats onto most of my friends!) and lives in the same block of flats as me so the cat could share my cats outside catflap and the garden.

The pfb and his over indulging parents are not having him back whatever, they can't be trusted to keep him safe.

Thank you all for making me feel like the sane person in this, I shouldn't have doubted myself but you know what it's like when you're the only person who thinks something's wrong.

Good for you.

Can they be reported anyway so that they don't get another animal to abuse?

I can't abide any cruelty to animals. You are doing the right thing by rehoming it

Does anyone know do different charities share info about people not to give animals to? So if I report them to Wood Green would that flag up if they try to get another pet from Cats Protection or RSPCA or whatever? I was going to report them to Wood Green once the cat is safely rehomed, maybe I should ring the other local animal charities too.

IME in rescue the big ones such as Wood Green, RSPCA, Dogs Trust and Cat's Protection don't have a cruel asshole unacceptable individual info-sharing system (not officially and openly at any rate). I'd imagine that this is down to Data Protection and confidentiality laws.

However, the smaller ones are always grateful for such information and they, or people who like me work alongside rescue but are independent of any one organisation will happily pass it on to other independent rescues and rescuers. ;)

If you really are concerned that these people will try to get another cat, I would suggest that you try to tip the local rescues off. If you feel the need to let smaller rescues know and/or are concerned that the couple might attempt to adopt from further afield than their immediate home area (which I presume is either N London, N Herts or Cambs, as you mentioned Wood Green), please give me a yell on here. I'll then provide my email address (no good doing it now as I always forget to check the address I use on public forums!), and will let you know more about me, give you my background and references etc to reassure you of my experience and background in rescue. Then if you want independent rescue to be warned about the couple I will let as many as possible know - I have contacts nationwide and they have their own contacts in rescue and so on, so we cover a lot of ground.

HTH.

Val