A former Australian soldier is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to holding a rescue pet center worker hostage at gunpoint in a failed attempt to pick up his cat a day early. Tony Wittman admitted to tying up Bailey Scarlett on Jan. 12, the day before he was to retrieve a rescue cat from the Melbourne shelter, but he blamed post traumatic stress disorder for his actions. Wittman demanded his cat and, when Scarlett said she didn’t have keys to the cat cage, he told her to get on her knees. “If you do as I say and listen to me, I won’t shoot you,” Wittman is alleged to have told her. Witman had claimed to be an active duty soldier for 16 years, serving in East Timor and Afghanistan, but The Guardian reports that records show he served just two years and was discharged for failure to provide efficient service. Wittman eventually gave up his siege and went home, but returned the following day to pick up the cat where he was arrested.