Cat causes complaint after attacking postman

A family have been warned they face being blacklisted by postal staff unless they keep their cat under control, the Royal Mail have confirmed.

Carl White, of Chichester Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, received a warning letter from the postal service after family pet Lana scratched a postman's hand as he pushed letters through the letterbox.

Mr White, 36, his wife Carol, 26, and their two children Jack, ten, and Connor, seven, are now taking extra measures to keep the cat and postman apart.

He said since the incident the delivery man now knocks on the door with the post to prevent a repeat.

Mr White told the Portsmouth News: "The postman had put the letter through the door and for some reason our cat scratched his hand.

"She wasn't being vicious, I think she saw the hand and was being playful.

"I think it's a bit much to say they might take us off the mailing list if it were to happen again."

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "We can confirm an employee suffered an injury to a finger after being scratched by a cat while on deliveries.

"We have contacted the owner to make them aware of the matter and ensure we can continue to safely deliver to the address in future.

"Royal Mail takes very seriously the safety of its employees, particularly our frontline staff who deliver the mail.

"Unfortunately, animal attacks are a hazard faced by our employees.

"We record around 5,000 animal attacks a year on our postmen and women.

"Our main aim is to prevent attacks supported by an ongoing campaign to raise awareness of the issue among our customers."