LONDON - A man died after being scratched by his playful pet cat, an inquest in Britain heard on Tuesday.
The graze on Martin Maas's left hand turned septic.
The 61-year-old, from Swindon in southwest England, died days later in hospital from a subcutaneous infection.
Wiltshire Coroner David Masters recorded a verdict of death by natural causes at the hearing in Swindon, and said it would be unduly harsh to lay all the blame on the cat.
He said it was impossible to prove that the cat scratch itself had caused Maas's death but it had been "the portal through which the infection had got in".
A source close to the family told Britain's domestic Press Association news agency after the inquest: "The family cat is still going strong and the family do not hold any grudges.
"It's just one of those things."
The cat's name was not disclosed.
05/16/2006 16:12 GMT