Cat scratch

[Just Blue]

My cute little baby is all cute and sweet, will roll over to have her tummy rubbed, but if we try and pick her up? She is a tiger!! Hates being picked up! Last time I picked her up she took a chunk of my forearm off. Still have the scar. I get the welding gloves on when I have to put her in the carrier for a visit to the vet.

Of course, she is perfectly behaved at the vet. Purrfect.

 

[Taxing Matters]

lol...cats are smart and can ferret out a sucker to take them in.

Don't mock the cat distribution system! It's always at work finding places for cats that want one. The cats use a lot of emotional manipulation to carry out their mission.

 

[Just Blue]

Don't mock the cat distribution system! It's always at work finding places for cats that want one. The cats use a lot of emotional manipulation to carry out their mission.

ROTFLMAO! I do not mock cats ...ever! They are crazy smart and incredibly good at winding us around their little paws.

 

[Taxing Matters]

ROTFLMAO! I do not mock cats ...ever! They are crazy smart and incredibly good at winding us around their little paws.

It's not the cat, it the cat distribution system. People don't understand the vast underground cat conspiracy to get the little fur balls in everyone's home. Oh sure, it's easy to laugh it off now, but when every home is ruled by cats we're the ones who will be eating kibble and dashing off to the litter box.

 

[Just Blue]

It's not the cat, it the cat distribution system. People don't understand the vast underground cat conspiracy to get the little fur balls in everyone's home. Oh sure, it's easy to laugh it off now, but when every home is ruled by cats we're the ones who will be eating kibble and dashing off to the litter box.

lol...Stop watching Tucker Carlson, Tax.

 

[zddoodah]

I'm not sure on what others are basing their conclusions. California imposes strict liability for dog bites, but the law is expressly limited to dogs. The only law that imposes liability for injuries by animals other than dogs is Civil Code section 3341, but that statute is limited to injury to "any bovine animal, swine, horse, mule, burro, sheep, angora goat, or cashmere goat, or poultry."

 

[quincy]

The injured neighbor potentially could sue atlaswv for negligence - made more likely perhaps if an illness results from the cat scratch that requires medical attention - but the facts as presented here would make liability difficult to establish.

 

[not2cleverRed]

The injured neighbor potentially could sue atlaswv for negligence - made more likely perhaps if an illness results from the cat scratch that requires medical attention - but the facts as presented here would make liability difficult to establish.

Cat scratch fever is a possibility...

The thing I've been trying to hint at is whether the cat was on OP's property or under OP's control, and whether the other party's actions were reasonable. Apparently OP was holding the cat, and the other party asked for permission to pet the cat. But I can't figure out if OP agreed or not. It would be odd to grant permission to someone who makes you uncomfortable to enter your personal space and try to pet a skittish cat. And there's nothing wrong with saying, "No. My cat is a little skittish."

 

[quincy]

Cat scratch fever is a possibility...

The thing I've been trying to hint at is whether the cat was on OP's property or under OP's control, and whether the other party's actions were reasonable. Apparently OP was holding the cat, and the other party asked for permission to pet the cat. But I can't figure out if OP agreed or not. It would be odd to grant permission to someone who makes you uncomfortable to enter your personal space and try to pet a skittish cat. And there's nothing wrong with saying, "No. My cat is a little skittish."

We had an elderly partially-blind and partially-deaf basset hound that was very docile when approached in the right way - but if someone reached down suddenly or came up from behind without warning, she was likely to snap.

A 4th of July parade clown once asked if he could pet our dog and we said “No, please don’t. She sometimes snaps” and the clown backed away and circled around behind us to pet the basset’s backend and … well … that clown got what he deserved.

Suffice to say, even saying “no” does not necessarily mean a person won’t anyway.

Generally when there is an injury caused by an animal that draws blood - especially when the animal is wild - the injured person might be smart to have the wound checked by a doctor, and the local health department might want to quarantine the animal for a few days, just to be sure the animal does not have any diseases.

 

[not2cleverRed]

Suffice to say, even saying “no” does not necessarily mean a person won’t anyway.

Unfortunately true. But if you tell someone to stay away, and then they don't, the responsibility for the consequences should be on them.

 

[quincy]

Unfortunately true. But if you tell someone to stay away, and then they don't, the responsibility for the consequences should be on them.

I agree. That is how it should be.

It doesn’t always work out that way for the animal owner, though.

 

[BensonBingham]

This isn’t a silly question at all. Liability for injuries caused by animals can sometimes be complicated. Typically, pet owners may bear responsibility if their animals cause harm, but in this case, your situation has some unique factors. Since the cat is a rescue and your neighbor approached it voluntarily, this could reduce any potential liability on your part. It’s a good idea to keep a record of the cat’s vaccinations and jot down the details of what happened, including that your neighbor didn’t seem upset at the time. It’s unlikely anything will come of it, but having these notes can provide peace of mind.

 

[quincy]

… Since the cat is a rescue and your neighbor approached it voluntarily, this could reduce any potential liability on your part. …

Although atlaswv has taken the feral cat to a vet for vaccinations, the cat is not a “rescue” cat as the term is typically applied. The cat remains a free range cat.