Nora In The City

Nora is a very pretty, affectionate, and independent city cat. A close friend of mine looks after Nora to a certain extent, but there is said to be another, "primary human" in the picture. She is never dirty, never misses a meal, and is never left out in bad weather.
The Nora story that never leaves me is a dark one. Whenever I have met this pretty beast over the years, she has been friendly and often rubs against me, looking for a pet. I sometimes scratch her head or pet her tail but I know better than to pick Nora up or rub her belly. 
About eight or ten years ago, my aforementioned friend handled Nora with ordinary respect and friendship but the cat suddenly turned violent, tearing into the human arm with claws and teeth, causing serious damage and swelling. I remember the bruising and the scars. 
The purported "primary human" did not materialize during the crisis, and to this day I'm not convinced that such a person exists --the beast probably collects favors and care from several households and tells all that they're special.
There was talk of what to do with this fierce feline, with several voices favoring trapping and killing the fuzzy terror. I was not in the discussion, but the sole voice in Nora's defense was her victim. My friend said that it would be wrong to put Nora down just for being Nora; that her only crimes were a) not being human and b) telling a human, DON'T DO THAT TO ME in her own language. 
This is what it means to love cats. For Nora, this is life.