Can a cat hold a grudge?
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
United States
June 27, 2007 9:03pm CST
The other day my three year old threw our little female cat into a tub of water and got her all wet. The little cat got out of the tub and went right into her room for the rest of the day. And, we didn't think any more of it. But, the next day when my daughter was holding the cat, she nipped her on the arm. And, at the time there seemed to be no apparent reason for the cat hostility. Of course we were all upset by the incident. But, later it occured to me that the cat was simply paying her back for the drenching she'd received the day before. Do you think it's possible for a cat to hold a grudge? Do you think that they can have a vendetta?
Would the vendetta pass from one generation to the next within a cat family?
What do you think?
2 people like this
4 responses
@priti45 (372)
• India
28 Jun 07
Poor little cat. I don't think your cats holding a grudge against your daughter. Cats hate water and when your daughter picked her up again the next day the cat thought the she is going to put her into the water again and just so that it doesn't happen again she probably nipped her to get out of the situation. I've had many cats since i was a kind and I've always observed that they are very careful about things that give them a bad experience. They don't like to get into a situation that had earlier ended up badly.
@DJ9020 (1596)
• United States
28 Jun 07
Oh, they absolutely carry a grudge! My brother has a cat that gets mad at them everytime they leave overnight. When they come back, the cat poops on their bed. It is so regular that now, when they come back, the first thing they do is put a towel over the bedspread!
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
28 Jun 07
If nothing like this had ever happen to me personally, I would swear you were nuts, for even suggesting such a thing. But I believe that you are very right.
When I was a little girl, about six years old, I was sweeping some water down off of the porch. Our cat was either watching me or walking by, I don't remember. But, for some reason, I purposely swept some water on the cat.
Later on that day, I had fogotten all about what I had done. When I went and picked up the cat, he scratched me and jumped out of my arms. He had never treated me like that, so I immediately knew why.
It's the water thing. Cats totally hate water. I am assuming that they remember our scent being associated with the water and they do what it takes to get away. I don't actually think that they are saying to themselves, she got me and now I got her back.
@gmakesmoney (2923)
• United States
28 Jun 07
I have a cat and yes she is pretty vengefull! Cats are strange and emotional creatures. Chances are she remembered the tub thing and now associates your daughter with being thrown in water. I'd watch the cat around your daughter for a while until she forgets about it or gets over it, cat scratches and bites are the most likely to get infected and do so very quickly.
