Dogs are called a man’s best friend and cats are allegedly not your pals at all after scientists claim that they are actually plotting against their owners, according to a study

Ferocious red cat bites its owner in the arm with all its power.
Your cat may not even like you, according to boffins (stock) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Boffins reckon cats hate us and are regularly plotting against their owners.

Owners have reported being mauled, gaslit or spied on and their property wrecked.

A third say they have woken to discover their cat staring at them, a Burns Pet Nutrition study found.

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Four in 10 say they are aware of their feline’s watchful eyes at the window when they are outside. And nearly a fifth admit they’ve been terrified by their cat leaping onto them “out of nowhere”.

Caucasian man playing with cat. Angry furious cat attacking scratching owner master. Guy lying on bed at home with oriental cat. Pet owner with aggressive domestic animal.
Your pet cat may also be plotting against you (stock) (Image: Getty Images/EyeEm)

More than a third say they can stroke their cat for no more than five minutes before it runs away or attacks them. One in 10 said an ­attack has drawn blood.

A quarter say their so-called furry friend has wrecked furniture or a treasured item of clothing.

Laura Crotch-Harvey, a nutritionist at Burns, said: “Cats are wonderful and curious creatures – and that’s why we love them.

“I’d bet every owner who’s ever complained their furry friend has damaged property or given them a scratch, forgave them soon after.”