By Olivia Scheck
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Historic watering hole McSorley’s Old Ale House is being sued by a woman who claims she was attacked by the bar’s pet cat, the New York Post reported Sunday.
Cheryl Sibley, 53, of New Jersey, said she suffered “serious injuries” after being attacked by the bar cat, dubbed “Minnie the Second,” in October 2009, according to the Post.
Sibley did not specify exactly what happened during the incident or the extent of her injuries in the complaint, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court last week, the Post said. The documents were not available through the court database at the time of publication.
McSorley’s owner Matthew Maher told the Post he didn’t know anything about the alleged attack, adding that he would stand by the bar’s beloved felines.
"There have always been cats at McSorley's, and there always will," Maher said, according to the paper.
Indeed, a painting dating back to 1928 shows a swath of house cats enjoying an evening with McSorley’s patrons.
More recent admirers have posted photographs of the McSorley’s litter – which once included Minnie, the original, and a “reddish cat” called Stinky – on Flickr. There is even a YouTube video that claims to show a cat writhing on a McSorley’s table after hours.
During McSorley’s most recent inspection, the health department deducted points for the presence of live animals in food and/or non-food areas.
