Kitty Goes Postal? Needs an Impartial Trial?

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| Print | By Jo Singer | June 23, 2009 2:31 PM

Ok . . . it is true that dogs can attack postal workers and can present a risk to carriers and I absolutely understand some of their concern toward "threatening canines", but I just about fell off my chair with this story that I ran across online, yesterday.

It seems that Illy, a very active and rambunctious kitten may have thought that a mail-carrier's hand was a new and fascinating toy. I mean can't you just imagine how fascinating and appealing those magnetic dangling moving fingers which appeared through the mail slot in the front door might entice a curious kitty?

Illy a six month old mixed breed kitten has "allegedly" attacked a mail carrier whose hand while delivering mail through a mail slot in the door. And to boot, this postal worker has become so fearful of delivering mail to Mr. Kenneth Ridge's home that a strong warning letter was sent to Mr. Ridge warning them "to discipline the kitten or to face a delivery ban."

Photo credit: Roland Hoskins Dailymail.co.uk/
23-elly cat letterbox.jpg

Kenneth Ridge, 65 and his son Bradley, 30, were stunned at the tone of the letter which called Illy's playful behavior an "attack". Oh my gosh . . . a fierce and dangerous kitty resides in a South-West London household. My knees are shaking in terror.

Upon reading the warning letter, Mr. Ridge said, "Reading this letter you'd think I had a Rottweiler at home, it really was ridiculous. Illy is a kitten, she's very small and friendly and was just playing." He continued by adding, "We weren't here, but it seems some mail was put through the letterbox and the post woman's hand was scratched." The post office officials claim that this carrier suffered a bad cut to her hand while putting mail through the letter box in question.

Here is what the letter sent to Mr. Ridge by an office manager at Royal Mail said:
"I am writing to let you know that, on the 6th of June, our postman was attacked by your animal in your premises while delivering mail to your address.

Animal attacks are a major cause of injury to Royal Mail staff and so I am writing to seek your co-operation in preventing a repeat of this unfortunate incident. I must advise you that, if any further incidents of this nature are allowed to take place, I shall have no alternative other than to consider suspending the delivery of mail to your home."

Now think about it for a moment . . . suppose this injury was caused by a sharp edge in the mail-slot and not caused by Illy at all? Don't you think that Illy deserves a fair trial? Blaming Illy is a serious allegation and without any proof that she is the guilty party, this seems like a rather unfair assumption on the part of Royal Mail. I cannot imagine how a small kitten could cause this kind of severe injury. So my bet is on Mr. Ridge's purrfectly logical explanation.

Do you think that Illy is being judged unfairly? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

RELATED TOPICS: Blogs (225) , Cats (79)

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Vicki June 23, 2009 3:20 PM

Well, since we can't see the injury done to the postal workers hand, it would not be fair to make any kind of judgement. It seems to me that if the cat's owner was worried about liability, even if it is small, he needs to get another kind of mail box, perhaps one that can be nailed to the house. Problem solved!

Andy June 23, 2009 3:51 PM

LOL...that is just too funny. I am a mail carrier and have never had this happen with a cat and or kitten. However, most people say, oh, my dog doesn't bite. Well...hell no he doesn't bite you, but he might just like a taste of me protecting you lol. I never reach out for a dog, but let them come to me and sniff me out first...then if allowed, I will give a head scratch. So far, I've never been bitten. But OMG...an attack kitty. What a concept lol. Beware of ATTACK CAT. Now there's a first.

As for that mail carrier...sure, maybe she got a scratch pulling her hand away from being scared of the kitten reaching out for her...maybe not...who knows, I wasn't there to witness it. But stopping their delivery...lets be real people...give the cat a bone and a break..she just wants to play.

Andy ;)

Amy June 23, 2009 4:03 PM

Ok this sounds like a kitty having fun with a moving object and thats all it might have been. But on a serious note cat scratches and cat bites are very dangerous. My daughter was bitten giving a cat she was cat sitting for my niece and was bit in the thumb. She thourughly washed the bite and put salve on it. No big deal you might say but and infection set in and she spent two days in the hospital. receiving triple antibiotic through an IV. She has ended up with permenent nerve damage in that thumb and loss of sesnsation.
So folks please be extra careful with animal wounds of any kind.

jmuhj June 23, 2009 4:11 PM

"Discipline the kitten or face a delivery ban"? RIDICULOUS and expletive deleted.

Diana June 23, 2009 5:43 PM

When I was a kid, we had a cat named Pepper that lay in wait for the postman and attack anything he pushed through the slot. He never complained, though. Of course, she was declawed and wasn't biting so she didn't do any real damage. I can imagine that it would startle a postal worker, though.

Ruth June 24, 2009 6:23 AM

How ridiculous is that !! She's a 6 month old kitten playing, not a blooming great tiger. My heart bleeds(not) for that poor postwoman who is so small minded she reported this baby animal! sigh, whatever is the world coming to ?It's a wonder the stupid person didn't demand that kitten was punished by being declawed,maybe it would have made her happy to see that kitten crippled for life. It's clots like her that get cats a bad name and encourage people to abuse them that way.
I'd tell them to shove my mail where the sun don't shine !!

Barbara June 24, 2009 11:27 AM

What is this world coming to? There is always someone wanting to blame someone else for little things that most people would just laugh off, I mean be reasonable, who would expect to have to discipline a tiny kitten for playing, it's crazy. The postwoman should learn to put stuff through the door without sticking her fingers through as well.
And to the person who wrote "Of course she was declawed" I'd like to ask why you say "of course" as though it's some sort of foregone conclusion instead of a cruel and mutilating act of selfishness on the part of the owner.

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