A Mail Carrier Was Caught on Camera Pepper-Spraying an Elderly Cat. When the Owner Confronted Him, He ‘Denied It’

A mail carrier was caught on camera spraying an elderly cat with what appeared to be pepper spray — but he denied it.

The carrier, a United States Postal Service (USPS) employee, was delivering mail in Rancho Cordova, Calif., on the evening of Monday, July 28, when Chris Commander’s cat Xena was sitting outside of his home, as she often does, according to The Sacramento Bee. What the carrier did next shocked Commander, 35, to his core.

Rather than pet the 15-year-old feline, as other postal carriers typically do, the man appeared to spray Xena with pepper spray — and the entire incident was caught on camera, with Commander watching live, according to the newspaper.

The mail carrier backed away from the tortoiseshell cat, who was standing next to the pathway that leads up to the front door, and said, “Get the f— out of here,” the footage, obtained by The Sacramento Bee, shows. Then, despite no reaction from Xena, who was completely motionless, the carrier grabbed a spray bottle from his bag and proceeded to spray liquid at the cat.

Xena then scurried across the pathway and away from the carrier, as he repeated, “Get the f— out of here,” and began to approach the door. He decided against it, however, instead leaving without dropping off the mail. (He left it on the hood of a car, Commander told The Sacramento Bee.)

As the incident unfolded around 7 p.m. local time, Commander — an owner of two dogs and four cats — was sitting in his living room when he heard one of his dogs barking near his front door, he recalled to The Sacramento Bee. Curious, he decided to look at his Ring doorbell camera livestream, and proceeded to witness the mail carrier spray his oldest cat, seemingly unprovoked.

The Rancho Cordova resident told the newspaper that he immediately got up to confront the USPS carrier, who was already in his vehicle. Despite evidence to the contrary, he denied spraying the cat.

“I asked him directly, ‘Did you spray my cat?’ He denied it. And then he said something about he’s a cat lover himself,” Commander told The Sacramento Bee.

Upon returning home, the proud pet owner found Xena covered in what he described to the newspaper as an oily, strong-smelling substance. He was worried that the spraying may have left the elderly cat with respiratory problems, particularly given her age, but she appeared unscathed and “in good spirits,” he said.

“I didn’t know I had to be worried about this,” Commander told The Sacramento Bee. “I just can’t understand how this even happened, to be honest.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

After his confrontation was met with denial, the concerned pet owner submitted a formal complaint to USPS. The institution is aware of the incident, which USPS spokesperson Meiko S. Patton said is currently under review in a statement obtained by The Sacramento Bee.

“The United States Postal Service holds its employees to high standards of conduct, and any actions that conflict with these values are taken seriously. We are currently reviewing this incident and will take appropriate action based on the results to ensure alignment with our commitment to integrity and professionalism,” Patton said.

While Xena is okay, her owner still wants answers. “I don’t see why you’d spray a cat that just wanted to be pet,” Commander told CBS News Sacramento.

“It was just frustrating,” the owner added, “and kind of sad to see that.”