Current Events > Mailman allegedly pepper-stray cat

(+) Yeah! (+)

A mail carrier was caught on camera spraying an elderly cat with what appeared to be pepper spray but he denied it.

The carrier, a United States Postal Service (USPS) employee, was delivering mail in Rancho Cordova, Calif., on the evening of Monday, July 28, when Chris Commanders cat Xena was sitting outside of his home, as she often does, according to The Sacramento Bee. What the carrier did next shocked Commander, 35, to his core.

Rather than pet the 15-year-old feline, as other postal carriers typically do, the man appeared to spray Xena with pepper spray and the entire incident was caught on camera, with Commander watching live, according to the newspaper.

The mail carrier backed away from the tortoiseshell cat, who was standing next to the pathway that leads up to the front door, and said, Get the f--- out of here, the footage, obtained by The Sacramento Bee, shows. Then, despite no reaction from Xena, who was completely motionless, the carrier grabbed a spray bottle from his bag and proceeded to spray liquid at the cat.

Xena then scurried across the pathway and away from the carrier, as he repeated, Get the f--- out of here, and began to approach the door. He decided against it, however, instead leaving without dropping off the mail. (He left it on the hood of a car, Commander told The Sacramento Bee.)

As the incident unfolded around 7 p.m. local time, Commander an owner of two dogs and four cats was sitting in his living room when he heard one of his dogs barking near his front door, he recalled to The Sacramento Bee. Curious, he decided to look at his Ring doorbell camera livestream, and proceeded to witness the mail carrier spray his oldest cat, seemingly unprovoked.

The Rancho Cordova resident told the newspaper that he immediately got up to confront the USPS carrier, who was already in his vehicle. Despite evidence to the contrary, he denied spraying the cat.

I asked him directly, Did you spray my cat? He denied it. And then he said something about hes a cat lover himself, Commander told The Sacramento Bee.

Upon returning home, the proud pet owner found Xena covered in what he described to the newspaper as an oily, strong-smelling substance. He was worried that the spraying may have left the elderly cat with respiratory problems, particularly given her age, but she appeared unscathed and in good spirits, he said.

I didnt know I had to be worried about this, Commander told The Sacramento Bee. I just cant understand how this even happened, to be honest.

After his confrontation was met with denial, the concerned pet owner submitted a formal complaint to USPS. The institution is aware of the incident, which USPS spokesperson Meiko S. Patton said is currently under review in a statement obtained by The Sacramento Bee.

The United States Postal Service holds its employees to high standards of conduct, and any actions that conflict with these values are taken seriously. We are currently reviewing this incident and will take appropriate action based on the results to ensure alignment with our commitment to integrity and professionalism," Patton said.

While Xena is okay, her owner still wants answers. "I don't see why you'd spray a cat that just wanted to be pet," Commander told CBS News Sacramento.

"It was just frustrating, the owner added, and kind of sad to see that."

Neither rain nor sleet or snow.

Cat should be indoors.

Some kind of phobia? I would think in that case, you wouldn't be a mail carrier in the first place, though. Or if, somehow, you were (maybe he got scratched like literally yesterday), you'd just nope out altogether.

Doesnt even deliver the mail so he assaulted an animal for his own amusement

Cat's body language didn't even look aggressive. Kitty just looked mostly curious and a bit cautious because dude was a total stranger.

What is it with the posts where their takeaway is outdoor cats shouldnt be a thing?

What is it with the posts where their takeaway is outdoor cats shouldnt be a thing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaaPlMJBfTo

but honestly mailmen dont deliver when it snows in my area. do they in other states?

What is it with the posts where their takeaway is outdoor cats shouldnt be a thing?

but honestly mailmen dont deliver when it snows in my area. do they in other states?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaaPlMJBfTo

but honestly mailmen dont deliver when it snows in my area. do they in other states?

Are they sure it's pepper spray? I mean, spraying a cat with anything unprovoked is kind of a dick move anyways, but I imagine the cat's reaction would have been much stronger if it were actual pepper spray.

nah that doesn't happen. hell my mailman got caught dumping bags of mail in the river instead of delivering it years back and the worst she got was a smack on the wrist.

He's definitely getting fired

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaaPlMJBfTo

but honestly mailmen dont deliver when it snows in my area. do they in other states?