Question From A Co-Worker....

[elizabethann]

My co-workers daughter has a 9 month old cat. The cat is not fixed. I'm not sure about the vaccinations its had - however, I don't think it's had any. Anyhow, this cat has attacked my co-workers daughter on several occasions. Not just scratches, but bites as well. My co-workers daughter went to the hosptial and she is now getting rabies shots. She is also too afraid to go near the cat and is calling Animal Control to see what she should do with it. I'm not sure if she's keeping it. I guess this girl is traumatized. And she found out that the cats from the same litter are all acting strange (however, she didn't elaborate as to whether they were attacking their owners too).

Would anybody know why the cat is acting this way? Is it because it may not be vaccinated as well as "fixed"?

Has anybody encountered something like this before?

Thanks for any answers you can give me.

[lvpets2002]

MMmm let me think about this one.. Cats are not like Dogs about being aggresive.. Usally if they dont know you they will run & hide.. What is the girl doing to the cat?? Maybe trying to pick it up or is she trying to pin this baby.. The only thing is the baby has neurological problems.. It is possible the baby has rabbies, but if this case should head & mouth movment & drewling..

[elizabethann]

MMmm let me think about this one.. Cats are not like Dogs about being aggresive.. Usally if they dont know you they will run & hide.. What is the girl doing to the cat?? Maybe trying to pick it up or is she trying to pin this baby.. The only thing is the baby has neurological problems.. It is possible the baby has rabbies, but if this case should head & mouth movment & drewling..

I think she was just walking by the cat when it attacked her. I don't think she was doing anything to it (like trying to pick it up).

That actually happened to me once. I was walking by my brothers cat - headed for the bathroom - and the damn thing attacked me. But that cat was just a bit$ch - nothing neurological with it.

Thanks for responding!

[Glacier]

How old is the daughter?

This is why Kasha was given away by her first owner. She truly and totally hates children. She particularly hates infants, but she is not fond of older kids too. Her first owner's children have scars from Kasha's attacks. With no kids around, she's a ball of purring sweetness. (unless you are a dog, she hates them too!)

[Karen]

If she's calling Animal Control, the cat will probably be put down if there's any chance of rabies.

[elizabethann]

How old is the daughter?

She just graduated from college so I'm thinking 22?

[moosmom]

The only way to test an animal for rabies is euthanization and study of the brain.

Poor kitty.

[Catty1]

I am thinking this cat might be like a few others - they like to "ambush" their owners! Though if this girl wound up at the hospital, it's a pretty severe case.

Hard to say if it is behavioural....I hope a vet visit is in order for that cat. If it's an unneutered male, neutering might fix the problem.

Any news from your co-worker on what happened?

[Jessika]

I had a cat once that would attack you for no reason. And I don't mean the playful attack, either -- my younger sister has scars on her legs from attacks from this cat. She did nothing to provoke it either, just walked across the family room nowhere near him and he would run and attack her legs. It happened to others, too, my sister just got the worse of it.

I came home from work one day, and he was gone. My mother says she dropped him off at the shelter.

So... I know this doesn't help you and my sister didn't go to the hospital because of her injuries but we went through a similar situation.