Most people see their pets as a source of comfort and companionship.

That's not the case however for a mother and daughter who were held hostage in their San Diego home by their cat and had to be rescued by police.

The pair called the emergency services after they were caught in their bedroom when Cuppy the cat went into a rage and wouldn't let them leave.

Neighbours described the pet as "a ball of fury".

Chula Vista police told KGTV-TV that normally animal control would deal with these kinds of problems, but it was a "quiet night".

Footage taken by the channel shows police using a broom as a weapon and trying to coax the cat from the house by calling "here kitty, kitty, kitty".

Local resident Karen Yarger says the cat has been a family pet for years but is unpredictable.

Another family in Portland, Oregon, faced a similar ordeal, when their cat Lux attacked a baby and trapped his owners in a bedroom.

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