"AITA for yelling 'DON'T TOUCH MY CAT' at a kid?"
My cat Patches just turned 14 recently and was diagnosed with asthma earlier this year. I take her to the vet every few months for an antibiotic shot that seems to help her breathe better and avoid making her have to go through being on an inhaler.
Anyway, the last time I took her to the vet I had her out of the carrier in my arms. The staff was fine with this since there was no one else in the room. If a dog came in, I would put her back in and zip her up.
So, I’m waiting for the vet to come out to get us when all of a sudden the door swings open. It’s a mom and kid who is about 5. They don’t have a pet with them so I’m guessing they’re there to pick something up. Patches is startled but doesn’t go back to the carrier so I just continue holding and petting her.
While the mom is at the counter talking to the receptionist, the kid looks my way and immediately shouts “KITTY” and starts to run over to me. That makes Patches jump back in her carrier because she doesn’t like small children because of some bad experiences when she was younger.
I’m starting to zip up the carrier when the kid tries to pet her. Without thinking, I yell out: “DON’T TOUCH HER!” The kid backs up and starts crying cause I yelled, but I’m more focused on zipping my cat in. At this point, the mom turns around and STOMPS over to me fuming. How could I yell at her kid and make her cry, it’s just a cat, she’s only a child, I should just let her pet the cat.
I tell the mom that her kid has no right to touch my cat, shouldn’t be running over to people’s pets and expecting to pet them without permission because that’s just asking to get a scratch or a bite mark, and she needs to teach her kid how to approach animals the right way, etc.
The mom doesn’t say anything back and just takes her crying kid and picks up her stuff and gives me a major stink face when leaving. I got through my appointment without any other interruptions and no one in reception really have any comments on it.
I later told a friend about it and was told I was too harsh on the kid and shouldn’t have made them cry. That I could’ve approached it more delicately. I don’t think I did anything wrong because I was protecting my cat because a lot of kids don’t know how to handle and treat animals in my experience. I don’t know, am I the ahole here?
Here's what people had to say to OP:
nickgreatpwrful said:
ESH. Mainly because yelling was over the top, and I generally agree with a few others that you should have had your cat in her carrier. You should have calmly stepped back from the kid and said "Hi! I'm sorry but my cat is very weak and she doesn't like to be pet." That would've been enough. But also, the child's mom should have stepped in before her kid got too close to you. So, ESH.
West_Being_1197 said:
NTA. Yes the yelling was excessive and the reason why the kid cried but why isn’t the mom teaching her child to not touch others pets without permission. She should have corrected her kid right there and then.
Kate2205 said:
NTA. The mother should have made sure the child stays with her.
bumsaplenty said:
NTA but this is exactly the reason why it's not recommended you take pets out of their carrier/off their leash until they are in the closed off examination room.
Queermagedd0n said:
Nta. I hope the mother used this as a teaching moment to "ask permission first."
CollectionOk7810 said:
NTA. Sure maybe you might have been a bit harsher than was absolutely necessary. Kids cry all the damn time over stuff like this and quickly move on, the mom is the true asshole in this situation.