My own cat jumped on me like that once. I was standing up talking to my mother on the phone, cat was sitting at my feet. All of a sudden, she was like, YOU'RE GONNA HOLD ME, and she was hanging from my chest by her claws. She just jumped straight up about five feet and grabbed me. It hurt, A LOT. I can imagine that that would scare the living daylights out of a child.
@geordie I'm a cat person primarily, but I surely don't blame you for feeling the way you do, after an experience like that. I'm sure it was extremely upsetting and traumatic. So very sorry to hear that happened to your puppy and you. I know I'd have cried my eyes out.
I had "rescued" a little kitten from getting run over in the road once, brought him home to live with us. When he was about six months old, he dashed out the front door and disappeared. When he reappeared about two days later, he had a bite on his back leg, and that bite would not heal. Pretty soon it was infected, so here we go to the vet to get antibiotics. Bite got better, antibiotics ran out, then bite started up with the infection again. Back to the vet. After about the third time doing this, vet tested the kitten and found out he had Feline Leukemia. I had to have him put down, and I cried for a month after that. Vet said that lots of feral cats are born with Feline Leukemia, and there's nothing that can be done about it. If I'd have kept him, it would only have continued to put our two other (senior) cats at risk.
Having animals that you love is sometimes heartbreaking.