Foster Cat

[libertysilk]

Am fostering a 6 year old lady cat. She is very affectionate, but with my 2yr old dd, she is very unpredicatable Charity says cat lived with family, and is used to children. To supervise young children around cats and don't shout, try to grab them etc. DD wasn't doing any of these things, but playing with her. We've had foster cat now for 2 weeks.
DD loves the cat, and wants to play, holding toys etc, and strokes very gently. Seems, when I'm not in the room, cat will scratch dd.
Yesterday cat was playing with dd, with toy on string thing. Next thing I heard dd scream. I was in the kitchen. Cat had scratched dd across the face, about an inch away from her eye. She has a cut about as long my small fingernail, and about 1-2mm width, plus scratches across her cheek to her ear.
My head says send the cat back. Happened yesterday, and I've not been able to leave dd alone with cat since.
Please can some experienced cat people advise?

Do you actually know what happened when you left the room? As a very little 'un, who's to say that she didn't try to grab her when you were out of sight or something?

How are they now when you're around?

You leave a very young child alone with a cat you don't know? Do the rescue know this?

I would be worried about a two year old around any cat. Surely a two year old does not understand the way to treat them?? I would keep them separate to be honest.

I would not leave a 2 year old alone with a cat, 2 year olds aren't going to understand that the cat is not a toy & they will not pick up the cues from an unhappy cat

I know not to leave my 2yr old. I was literally getting dd a drink. It wont happen again. I feel extremely guilty

I think most rescue cats need a long run in getting used to their new home before anyone handles them especially children. Best to let them have their own space and fully relax. Our new rescue is 10 and very sweet but I wouldn't leave her with children as she is unpredictable (but we love her).

I wouldn't beat yourself up, liberty, you just maybe need to be a bit more understanding. You need eyes in the back of your head with a two year old - if it wasn't the cat it would be something else - so best not to leave her alone with a cat until she's much older and has learned to behave appropriately with animals of any kind. The cat may have been used to children but there's still a heck of a difference between a two year old and, say, a four or five year old - or older.

Has the cat got somewhere safe/high to take herself off if she's had enough of everybody and wants some quiet time to herself? (I'm sure you would appreciate that sentiment! )

Lesson learnt. I wouldn't send the cat home. Its not its not his fault.

We have reccue cats and the conservatory is their room, they come in the living room when 2 year not here.

We have had our two kittens from 8 weeks and I still don't trust my 5 year old DD with them. She is very enthusiastic with her love of them. She is getting better but it will a while before she learns to read the cues the cats give out that she is winding them up

i would contact the rescue and let them know that the cat isnt as good with children as they think, people bringing cats into rescue sometimes bend the truth to make the cat more likely to be taken in by the rescue, would be a shame for your daughter to be put off cats forever
one of my cats decided when my grandaughter was about the same age as your daughter that she was a target so everytime she walked past the cat , jojo swiped her one shes fine now shes older but was a weird faze