Wow, you can go fishing any day with that wife in tow. All the tackle is ready to use in her face.
Maybe the folks were a little paranoid - wrong strand of weed? But John's video above is testimony that a cat can mess you up bad if it is on a mission.
I have caught feral cats before to bring to the pound and it was not fun to transfer them from trap to carrier. Welding gloves are minimum equipment.
G