Confirmation cat is a threat to an average person

[Nareau]

I don't mean to make light of the actual real life incident, but when I saw this article on CNN, I thought of the various threads here in ENWorld about how the stats for a cat and a commoner mean that a cat can kill or seriously threaten a commoner:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/11/cat.bites.ap/index.html

Actually, this article seems to confirm cats aren't a lethal threat to people. The cat bit the elderly* woman 60 times and even then couldn't reduce her to unconsciousness.

Of course, it's always possible grandma is a 15th level barbarian...

Nareau

*(that's a -3 to her Con, for those keeping track)

 

[kenobi65]

Actually, this article seems to confirm cats aren't a lethal threat to people. The cat bit the elderly* woman 60 times and even then couldn't reduce her to unconsciousness.

Of course, it's always possible grandma is a 15th level barbarian...

Nareau

*(that's a -3 to her Con, for those keeping track)

Nah, maybe she's just a high-level commoner, and started with an above-average Con as a young woman.

 

[trancejeremy]

Cats definitely can be deadly. It's just they are naturally not particularly vicious towards humans (plus they are incredibly lazy). Yeah, 99% of them have an evil streak, but they almost never go on an all out attack on something. An unarmed, unarmored person would have trouble with a cat. Cat don't weigh much, but their claws are razor sharp and their jaws are surprisngly strong, too. A cat is also much much quicker than a human, and could probably do hit and run attacks

OTOH, the minute you have thick clothing and gloves (and a helmet) on, you're pretty safe. (That's how I have to give some of my cats a bath)

There was en episode of the Avengers that dealt with a plot to kill the entire population of England by making housecats really really vicious.

 

[Darkness]

The cat bit the elderly* woman 60 times and even then couldn't reduce her to unconsciousness.

The article seems to say 20 times; the woman is in her 60s. That's still a lot of bite wounds, of course.

Nevertheless, some cats do manage to kill a human - e.g., a few years ago an Austrian man was killed by his cat. Well, after a fashion; he walked backwards, tripped over the cat, and broke his neck. Sad story...

 

[Hypersmurf]

To me, it seems obvious that 'Confirmation Cat' has the Power Critical feat. Where else would he get a nickname like that?

-Hyp.

 

[LightPhoenix]

Remember, HP are abstract, so some of those cuts and scratches aren't actually damage!

On a serious note, the problem with the scenario of a cat versus a human (in 3E) that I always see is that people start to make the cat more intelligent than it really is. Domestic cats don't use advanced tactics, they pounce and latch on, and if they're hit even a glancing blow that would with abstract HP be no damage, they'll run away. If the cat were as intelligent as a human, sure, then they could probably mess someone up... but they aren't that intelligent.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

Wow, rage and whirling frenzy... messy.

This cat is more of a danger to those who lift him up.
http://www.theconservativevoice.com/ap/img/704208b0-f726-4140-8d73-725b406ff985.jpg

Wow, talk about cruelty to animals. to much love can be dangerous.

... poor cat.

 

[Thotas]

I'm reminded of the old "What's New" strip in which Phil and Dixie recommend various ways to simulate (and thereby better appreciate) the experiences our PCs go thru. To understand melee combats after effects, they offered the idea of duct taping a dozen cats to your naked self ... and then taking a shower.

 

[+5 Keyboard!]

...duct taping a dozen cats to your naked self ... and then taking a shower.

Holy crap, that makes me wince!
::Shudder::

 

[frankthedm]

Wow, talk about cruelty to animals. too much love can be dangerous.

... poor cat.

Actually, he got that fat after running away. He found a house with a doggie door, snuck in, ate another pet's food and then snuck out. He repeated this process until he got stuck in the doggie door.