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Conference misery::feline

Title:Meower Power - Where Differing Opinions are Respected
Notice:purrrrr...
Moderator:JULIET::CORDES_JA
Created:Wed Nov 13 1991
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1079
Total number of notes:28858

726.0. "Help, attack cat loose in the neigborhood!" by LEDS::TRIPP () Fri Mar 25 1994 08:42

    I picked up a girlfriend and her 10 year old daughter last night, for
    an errand and coffee.  The little girl seemed quite upset, and upon
    conversation I'd say she had reason to be.  Seems there is a golden
    tabby in the neighborhood, who ATTACKS with no warning or provocation! 
    This little girl has been aware of the cat for a little while now, the
    cat seems to come up to people in the usual cute way, purring, rubbing
    and so on.  Then without warning, and no provocation it will scream and
    attach itself to a leg, arm or whatever it can get a hold of!  This
    little girl has had her leg torn up, and just doesn't understand why,
    and quite frankly I don't either.
    
    It appears it may be feral, it sometimes acts afraid of people, but
    other times is quite friendly.  My girlfriend, the little girl's
    mother, has contacted our town's animal control officer, but she has
    been unable to capture the critter, with several attempts.  It has a
    collar and a rabies tag attached (our town does an annual clinic, and
    even the cats get tags) the neighbors said the attack on her girl is
    not the first of its kind, and they have indicated that is does (did?)
    have a home.  But when the dog officer called that family they said it
    couldn't be, since they had had their cat put to sleep, a story not too
    many people want to believe, so it must be another cat.
    
    Any ideas on how to handle this?  It may be a leg or arm attacked by
    claws now, but what's to say it won't be teeth into a face soon!  I
    have serious concerns and am glad I don't live in that neighborhood.
    
    My friend has several cats of her own, in fact she has Bandit's
    brother, and I really believe these attacks are unprovoked, this little
    girl is afraid of the cat, yet wants very desperately to love it.   If
    the dog officer can't catch the cat, are there any alternatives, should
    we look into a tender trap, or other form of live catch type mechanism?
    
    Lyn
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726.1it a breaking and entering type!LEDS::TRIPPFri Mar 25 1994 08:456
    What I forgot to mention in my basenote is this cat has several times
    broken through this woman's cellar screen in desperate attempts to get
    in from the weather we've had here in MA.  My friend keeps repairing
    the screen, and the cat keeps "breaking in".  Go figure, I cant
    
    Lyn
726.2MAYES::MERRITTKitty CityFri Mar 25 1994 08:5023
    Lyn..
    
    My guess is the cat is not feral...a feral cat would never rub
    up against anyone's leg.   I believe the cat is sick or hurting
    and needs medical help or he is definitely hungry and is trying to
    get someone's attention.    
    
    You should try a have-a-heart trap...and try capturing him yourself
    if the Animal Officer is not having any luck.   If the cat is REAL
    hungry...he'll probably walk right in the trap looking for food.
    
    I've had a few strays that did this same thing to me....one calmed
    down completely after being fed on a regular basis...and the other
    one is still a bit mean...but he has a major nasal problem we are
    trying to take care of but the vets can't figure out what is wrong.
    My guess is...he does not feel well!!
    
    It's really sad this little girl will probably always remember this
    episode with the cat...and I hope she is not fearful of them for the
    rest of her life.
    
    Sandy
      
726.3STOWOA::FALLONFri Mar 25 1994 09:158
    They can't track the cat down by the id number on the rabies tag?
    Were the people called the ones that the number refers to?  That's 
    how I would start.  Offer a bowl of food and try to read where the
    tag was given (hospital etc.) then call them and give the number.
    
    I was mauled by a cat as a small child and it didn't bother me 
    any!
    Karen
726.4exitSTUDIO::BIGELOWPAINTS; color your corralFri Mar 25 1994 09:413
    
    
    	That cat could have RABIES!
726.5NETWKS::GASKELLFri Mar 25 1994 15:2913
    .4 HAS IT RIGHT.  THE CHILD SHOULD HAVE AN ANTI RABIES SHOT RIGHT
    NOW, AND THE ANIMAL CONTROL PEOPLE SHOULD CAPTURE THE CAT.  Unfortunately
    the cat will have to be killed to be sure if it has rabies, but after 
    seeing film of someone dying with Rabies, you don't want to even risk 
    getting it.  THERE IS NO CURE.
    
    If you are scratched, wash the area very well with an antiseptic.  If
    the scratches/bites puncture the skin go to the doctor for an
    antirabies shot.  Although rabies is carried in the saliva, when the
    animal drools they step in the saliva and it gets on the paws and 
    claws.  It can take 3 to 6 months before symptoms show up.
    
    Sorry for shouting, but the danger can't be emphasized enough.
726.6I'd assume rabiesUSCTR1::WOOLNERYour dinner is in the supermarketFri Mar 25 1994 15:3725
    .0> our town's animal control officer... has been unable to capture 
      > the critter, with several attempts.  It has a collar and a rabies 
      > tag attached (our town does an annual clinic, and even the cats get 
      > tags) the neighbors said the attack on her girl is not the first of 
      > its kind, and they have indicated that is does (did?) have a home.  
      >But when the dog officer called that family 
    
    The animal control officer got close enough to read the tag and
    couldn't capture the cat?  Or do you mean the dog officer called the
    family named by the neighbors?
    
      > they said it couldn't be, since they had had their cat put to sleep, 
      > a story not too many people want to believe, so it must be another cat.
          
    If the tag number hasn't been verified, then it probably is a different
    cat.  Do the tags look different, year to year?  Could it be a very OLD
    tag?  (How long are rabies vaccinations *really* good for; in humans don't 
    they work for life?)  
    
    Why hasn't the animal officer thought of a hav-a-hart?
    
    And why doesn't your friend leave the screen alone until the cat is
    gone (I'm assuming there's also a glass pane there :-))?!
    
    Leslie
726.7it's the cat from H*LL!LEDS::TRIPPFri Mar 25 1994 17:2437
    To answer a few concerns, the mother is taking the little girl today
    for a Tetnus shot.  The pedi has been notified, and her reaction is
    that the one shot is all that's necessary.  I too questioned that the
    rabies shots might be in order (or was that the EMT in me speaking?)
    
    I don't believe that ANYONE has had a hand on this cat, last year was
    the first year our town's annual rabies clinic actually handed out tags
    for CAT as well as the dogs.  The clinic is done in MAY, so the
    assumption is that if it has the tag from last year (I think they were
    blue metal, I shoved mine in a drawer, since at the time it was Bandit
    and Holly, both indoor only cats) that the cat has been vaccinated
    within a 12 month period.
    
    I don't think the town has a Have A Heart trap available.  I called the
    dog officer a few years ago, when I had some other critter eating my
    garden, and was told they didn't have one available.  This woman is in
    no financial position to rent or buy a H.A.H.  The reason I picked her
    up last night was to take her to our church's food pantry, so I think
    that says she can't afford one.
    
    The little girl is so forgiving, there was some conversation in the car
    about how she hated the cat hurting her, but in the same breath she was
    warning me to look out for the cat (from H*LL!) since it was walking on
    the side of the road, near where I was driving.  soooo forgiving.
    
    I will talk with her tonite, probably after she gets home from her
    pedi.
    
    She keeps repairing the window, but I think the material is purposely
    thin and flexible, to accomodate her dryer vent in a cellar window. 
    She may also, just not have the money to do much else with it.
    
    I have a secret fear that it may come in her house, when she isn't home
    and attack her other two cats, or even while they are asleep in their
    beds!
    
    Lyn
726.8MAYES::MERRITTKitty CitySat Mar 26 1994 08:3625
    Lyn...I'm glad to see the little girl is forgiving and truly
    understands that not all cats are like this.  My feeling is she
    will grow up to be a true animal lover and rescuer of stray 
    animals.
    
    I still believe the cat is not all that dangerous and is just looking
    for warmth, food, and love...but his problem is he has probably been
    kicked, chased, had rocks thrown at him, and abused by just about
    every human he has contacted since he has become a stray!  He has
    lost faith in mankind...and his only defense is to become a bully!!
    I have done many many rescues of cats...and have met up with some
    very tough cookies....but normally their bad behavior is caused by
    other things such as hunger, sickness, or abuse from humans!  The
    cat may come in the house...but I truly don't think his purpose
    woule be to harm anyone...unless of course he is in the house and
    gets cornered!!  And normally other stray will not *bother* other
    cats...especailly if the other cats are fixed.,,so I wouldn't
    be too concerned with that.  If she doesn't want him in the house..
    try putting cardboard or styrofoam in the window to cover it. 
    
    Try calling vets in your area and see if they have a have-a-heart 
    you can borrow.....or try some local shelters to see if they can
    help out!  
    
    Sandy  
726.9SUBURB::ODONNELLJJulie O'DonnellMon Mar 28 1994 03:474
    Did the little girl stroke the cat at all? I ask because Jimmy once
    went for me and I found that he had an injury on his shoulder which I
    had just touched and which was obviously extremely sore. He reacted in
    pain. I wonder if this might be the case with the stray?
726.10Please have the cat tested for RABIES!STUDIO::BIGELOWPAINTS; color your corralMon Mar 28 1994 09:419
    Either the girl did something to provke this cat, or the cat has
    rabies!
    
    In my experience....
    Cats do not attack people unless provoked or sick.  Please capture this
    animal quickly and have it tested!  Tag or no tag, rabies is a painful
    way to DIE!
    
    Michele (WHo's dealt w/ many strays, feral, and house cats)
726.11DSSDEV::RUSTMon Mar 28 1994 14:5114
    Re .10: I'd add "or psychotic" to the list; the neighbors have a cat
    who will come up to me while I'm gardening, purring and acting
    friendly, but if I pet him and then don't continue petting him, or
    sometimes even if I do, he'll hiss and swipe at me. (So far I've
    managed to avoid anything but mild scratches.) I doubt he's sick, as
    this has been going on for over a year; my suspicions are that he's
    just badly socialized, perhaps from living in a house with several very
    young children, where stroking might be combined with random acts of
    tail-pulling, and could make a cat very confused as to how to behave...
    
    In any case, if a cat's state of health isn't known, bites should be
    taken very seriously - even if you think you know why the cat bit.
    
    -b
726.12????LEDS::TRIPPMon Mar 28 1994 16:3420
    As an update, I haven't had a chance to talk to the youngster's mother
    today, but do know that both the little girl and her 14 year old
    brother left Friday evening for the weekend with dad (an unfortunate
    divorce situation), so have probably not had any encounters with the
    cat from ____!  
    
    I only caught a quick glance at it, while driving out the other night,
    it appears to be a not very old cat, beautifully marked gold/white,
    rather small, not tabby kind of a marble design.  It was near another
    fluffy grey white cat, but not really looked like either was angry.
    
    Since, so far it has only been claws vs legs, I guess the tetnus
    booster is the only preventative measures the pedi has recommended.  If
    it comes to biting, well that's a different story.  BUT... if it is
    within a year on a rabies shot, and I do believe at the clinic last
    year they told me TWO years before doing shots again, would that not
    prevent a human from contracting the disease from a bite?
    
    Dumb questions deserve dumb answers!
    Lyn
726.13I feel very strongly about this!STUDIO::BIGELOWPAINTS; color your corralMon Mar 28 1994 18:1330
    I can't answer that question as I don't think the vets or doctors
    know for sure either.
    
    I am quite concerned that you stated that a cat attacked a little girl
    and all she got was a tetnus shot.  
    
    In .0 you stated...
    	...tabby in the neighborhood, who ATTACKS with no warning or provocation!
        This little girl has been aware of the cat for a little while now,
    	the cat seems to come up to people in the usual cute way, purring,
    	rubbing and so on.  Then without warning, and no provocation it will scream
    	and attach itself to a leg, arm or whatever it can get a hold of!  This
        little girl has had her leg torn up,
    
    The words that get me are attack and torn up leg.  A healthy animal
    will not act in this manner...a sick animal yes, perhaps even one that
    was provoked.
    
    
    In any case this animal should be captured and quarantined.  If a rabies
    vaccination was given to the cat, it should be verified through the
    vet.   The cat can be returned after quarantine peroid is over unharmed
    or if it need to be tested, then so be it.
    
    Maybe I'm overreacting, but I've seen to many rabid animals over the
    past 6 months, and it's something that should not be taken lightly.
    I can only hope and pray that this girl will not catch the disease
    due to ......
    
    never mind....I feel I've said enough
726.14not necessarily sickGRANMA::JBOBBJanet Bobb dtn:339-5755Wed Apr 06 1994 16:4516
    just a quick comment about the cat's behavior... the first cat we owned
    (owned us?) was a Maine Coone that had not been treated well by
    previous owners. He was perfectly heathly and well-adjusted most of the
    time. However, he had a habit of coming up to females (human females)
    rubbing the legs, ask to be petted and then would wrap himself around
    the leg and go at it with claws and teeth. It took us about 6 months to
    un-train him of this habit. As someone who lost skin and blood several
    times being suckered in by him - an attack cat isn't necessarily a sick
    one.
    
    However, in this day and age, I would be very careful rabies. Though,
    IMHO, I would tend to believe the theory that he's injured and is
    friendly until you touch a sore spot. Or has flashbacks to abuse, when
    he is touched....
    
    poor thing - any updates?