A pet sitter says she had to spend four days in hospital and has been scarred for life after being attacked by a cat she was looking after. Janice Pinto says Haze pounced as she stroked his head and sank his teeth inf.
Janice, 25, needed 14 stitches and was admitted to hospital with a soaring temperature when the wound became infected. She needed three weeks off work to recover following surgery to clean the wound and kill the infection, reports The Mirror.
Janice said: “I petted him on the head, turned around and felt a sharp, deep scratch just above my elbow. “I looked at the cat and asked, ‘Are you OK?’ and went to pet his head again – and he just clung on to my arm and kept coming back and back.
Janice needed surgery for her infected wound
“I grabbed a duvet to wrap around the cat and put him in another room and shut the door as he charged at me. I looked down at the carpet and there was so much blood.
“I thought maybe I’d harmed the cat – but when I looked at my arm, I realised it was my blood.”
Janice was booked to look after Haze for £100. She said: “I can’t stretch my arm straight because of the scars that are running down it.
Janice got injuries as she petted Haze
“They’re a permanent reminder, but it’s also the mental scars. I’ve had a cat for three years and he’s my world. But now I’m terrified of him. I don’t let him sleep with me because I’m scared he’ll attack me in my sleep.”
Haze's owner Saksha said: “Every step, I’ve tried being there for her. I’ve been on her side throughout. It’s a nasty thing to happen and it shouldn’t happen to anyone – it’s put me in tears as well. I have sympathy for her and I still do. “
The student said she believed Haze reacted to the presence of Janice’s family cat. She added: “Since that day there’s not been one wrong behaviour from my cat. He’s a ragdoll, they’re known to be very affectionate and gentle.
“I don’t want to ruin anyone’s view of cats, it was a one-off. In the end, there was one human with two cats.”
