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Woman fined 100 after passenger complains her cat 'miaows too loudly' on train

Monet the white cat was travelling alongside their owner Camille and her partner Pierre on August 21 when a disgruntled passenger lodged a complaint, leading to a conductor dishing out a fine

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The woman's cat must have been making a hell of racket (stock)(Image: Getty Images)

A woman has been slapped with a 100 fine after a fellow train passenger moaned that her cat "miaowed too loudly".

Monet the white cat was journeying with owner Camille and her partner Pierre on August 21 when a grumpy passenger made a complaint, prompting a conductor to issue the penalty. Despite the moggy travelling in a carrier, as regulations demand, with its own 7 (6) ticket, they were hit with a 110 (100) fine.

The penalty was imposed as the couple and their feline companion travelled on a high-speed service between Vannes, Brittany, and Paris, despite Camille's insistence that Monet had only "miaowed a bit" at the beginning of their journey.

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The incident occurred on a French train (stock)(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

She told local news outlet BFM: "After a passenger complained, the conductor came and fined us 110. It's a shame that the SNCF allows itself to fine people who are simply travelling with their animals and who are respecting all the rules."

Camille was given a document explaining the reason for the penalty, stating that "several customers" had complained about the racket. It also alleged that she was being prosecuted for "troubling public order", reports the Mirror.

The fine has triggered a furious debate online, with some passengers slamming rules on the French rail network as excessively strict. It read: "The customer is travelling with a cat that won't stop miaowing. After complaints from several customers, we have asked her to move.

"She has refused. Because the cat is noisy, we are starting legal procedures for troubling public order due to noise."

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Some people are sticking up for the vocal feline, others have less sympathy... (stock)(Image: Getty Images)

Supporters of the state railway company (SNCF) have applauded the move, which maintains tranquillity within the carriages. Yet the feline's owner, Camille, has insisted that Monet merely "miaowed a bit at the start" of their rail journey across France, according to BFM news channel.

SNCF has subsequently stated that Camille declined to relocate to a less crowded carriage, which the company describes as a "simple and common-sense solution" that would have ensured "peace" for everyone concerned. The rail firm maintains the penalty resulted from disruption she created, rather than just the mewing noises, claiming the cat generated only "acute tensions".

This isn't a one-off occurrence, as French railway workers are renowned for their particularly rigid approach. Back in February, another traveller was slapped with a hefty 200 (172) penalty for conducting a phone conversation on loudspeaker within Nantes station.

Moreover, pilgrims faced police intervention in June at Paris for 'causing public disturbance' after a religious pilgrimage to Chartres Cathedral, simply for singing a hymn at Montparnasse station. Contributing to the stringent regulations surrounding public transport, Transport for London (TFL) has now issued a declaration targeting the 'disruptive behaviour' of commuters who blast music and those utilising loudspeakers.

They went on to clarify that these behaviours are viewed by the majority of passengers as a 'nuisance', with some finding the extra noise to be stressful.

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