An elderly Canadian man was said to be recovering on Thursday following a savage attack by his pet cat, which drew four carloads of police, two ambulances and an animal control officer.

The National Post newspaper, cited by Reuters, said Gerard Daigle, 80, lost a pint of blood and required stitches after his cat Touti, a diminutive roughly meaning Tiny, launched a frenzied attack after Daigle, who was apparently giving his pet parrot a shower, inadvertently sprayed the cat with water.

Daigle, who lives in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, halfway between Montreal and Quebec City, could not be reached for comment on Thursday. The newspaper said he was saved by his 81-year-old wife who wrestled the cat away, only to have it turn on her. ("The cat wanted to eat her, too,'' the paper quoted Daigle as saying.)

The couple managed to chase the cat into the bedroom and slam the door. Police responded in force because they thought they were dealing with a domestic emergency.

It is not known why Daigle was giving his parrot a shower.