[phowon]

My roommate has a cat who mostly hangs out in the living room. I never had pets growing up, so I never interact with it. Every so often, when I'm walking past it to get around the apartment, it swipes at/scratches me, even drawing blood at times.

Did I also have it coming?

[apotatopot]

This is my situation. Cats have different personalities and some don't like to be touched, some like to hunt more than others. Those aren't factors that need to be fixed or are the result of us as owners. My cat doesn't like to be touched, but likes to sit near people when they come over. When I say "messing with my cat" I meant they were just trying to pet him all night, but that appears to have been interpreted as "tormenting" him by judgy assholes on this site.

You can buy all the toys, trees, and catnip you want, but sometimes cats just behave in a way we don't prefer as pet owners. Doesn't mean you or your roommate are at fault like others are saying.

[carapace]

The first time, no. The following times, yes.

The cat is making it clear that you are not respecting its personal space. (It can't talk, yeah?) If you never interact with it, it has no idea whether or not you're cool.

[chipperyman573]

What's GP supposed to do, never walk around the apartment? Avoid the living room entirely?

[jbarberu]

You might want to try to interact more with the cat, ask your room-mate what the favorite toy is. That's the best way to form a bond with any cat. It may be trying to assert dominance over you.

[08-15]

Might be your roommate plays rough with the cat and it thinks all humans like being swiped at. Some cat owners are surprisingly incompetent...

[lovehashbrowns]

No, you don't. That's on your roommate.

[vict00ms]

I personally wouldn't say you "had it coming" or "deserved it", but there is an extremely high likelihood that a person attuned to cat behavior observing your interactions with this particular cat would not being surprised by the reaction.