# House cat traps family in bedroom



## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

*Let's anazlyze this and come up a solution for this family.....*

of course they probably are long past looking at Cat Forum for solutions but it will be fun to put in our 2 cents.

*House cat in Oregon attacks baby, traps family in bedroom*

(Reuters) - A rampaging, 22-pound Oregon house cat with a "history of violence" attacked a baby and trapped a family and their dog in a bedroom at their Portland home before being captured by police, authorities said on Monday. The Sunday evening incident began when the cat, a black-and-white Himalayan, scratched a 7-month-old baby in the face, according to Portland Police Bureau spokesman Sergeant Pete Simpson.

*The baby's father kicked the cat in the backside*, which sent it into a rage, and the parents and baby, along with their dog, retreated into a bedroom as the father called police, Simpson said.

Meanwhile, the cat blocked the bedroom doorway and could be heard on the 911 call screeching loudly, Simpson said. "He said that the cat has a history of violence," Simpson said, referring to the father speaking to the 911 operator. When officers arrived and entered the house, they saw the cat scurry into the kitchen. After it scrambled atop the refrigerator, officers snared it and put it in a travel-style kennel, Simpson said.

Safely behind bars, the cat was left in the custody of the family, Simpson said. It was not clear what they intend to do with the animal, he said.
The baby suffered some scratches to the face but was not seriously hurt, Simpson said.

While cases of out-of-control dogs are relatively common, Simpson said, he could not recall in his 20 years with the Portland police a similarly ferocious feline.

(Reporting by Jonathan Kaminsky in Olympia, Wash. Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Steve Orlofsky)

House cat in Oregon attacks baby, traps family in bedroom--


----------



## grrawritsjordi (Dec 29, 2012)

All I can say is... "Really?" First of all, a 22lbs Himalayan seems way too big. I know they can get big, but not Maine **** big. Second of all, I never see a reason to kick a cat. Maybe the man has been violent toward the cat in the past. Also, maybe the 7 month old grabbed the cat, which means the parents allowed the cat to be close to the baby without supervision or allowed the baby to grab the cat. Also, two grown adults afraid of a cat, that seems silly to me, as well. Idk, maybe I haven't had experience with mean cats, but maybe this family needs to give the cat up to someone who will give it a good, peaceful home. I hope they do not put him down because of this.


----------



## DaveMB (Jan 9, 2014)

A full grown man afraid of a cat to the point where he hides in the bedroom and calls the police? Really?

That guy need to check and make sure he still has a pair of testicles. :roll:


----------



## grrawritsjordi (Dec 29, 2012)

Heard my favorite morning radio show here in Indy making fun of this story.


----------



## vonPruescnek (Dec 18, 2012)

grrawritsjordi said:


> All I can say is... "Really?" First of all, a 22lbs Himalayan seems way too big. I know they can get big, but not Maine **** big. Second of all, I never see a reason to kick a cat. Maybe the man has been violent toward the cat in the past. Also, maybe the 7 month old grabbed the cat, which means the parents allowed the cat to be close to the baby without supervision or allowed the baby to grab the cat. Also, two grown adults afraid of a cat, that seems silly to me, as well. Idk, maybe I haven't had experience with mean cats, but maybe this family needs to give the cat up to someone who will give it a good, peaceful home. I hope they do not put him down because of this.


I agree, I think there is a lot more to the story.


----------



## Kneazles (Nov 18, 2013)

grrawritsjordi said:


> Heard my favorite morning radio show here in Indy making fun of this story.


I'm surprised ours hasn't! It is prime radio material.


----------



## Kneazles (Nov 18, 2013)

I was reading some of the comments to the article and one person stated they live in a vacation area were people will adopt cats just to have on vacation and then leave them behind when they go. WHAT? Some people are awful!

Sorry for the sidetrack, but that just irked me!


----------



## grrawritsjordi (Dec 29, 2012)

Kneazles said:


> I'm surprised ours hasn't! It is prime radio material.


One of the ladies on the show is a huge cat lover, so she tends to talk about cats a lot.

I went through and read some of the comments as well. Seems most people are blaming the owners.


----------



## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

DaveMB said:


> A full grown man afraid of a cat to the point where he hides in the bedroom and calls the police? Really?


Seriously. Although a 22 lb enraged cat is nothing to take lightly, I think calling the police could have been a _bit_ over the top (sarcasm intended). Couldn't they just wait until the cat calmed down? Geesh.

Obviously, they have done nothing right with this cat. Why would you give a cat with a supposed 'history of violence' access to your 7 month old child?? I can see that a parent's reaction to their child getting scratched in the face might be a bit irrational, but the real question is why did they let it get to that point to begin with. Although it's quite common apparently - I have stumbled across supposedly 'cute' videos taken by parents or some adult presumably where a baby/toddler is interacting with a cat in ways that are not safe for either the baby or the cat. And is the parent intervening? No, they are shooting video. Idiots.


----------



## BigDaveyL (Jun 26, 2012)

The first thing that came to mind was that the cat was probably abused in some way, either unknowingly by the child (which the parents should have known enough to stop) or by the adults themselves.


----------



## Kneazles (Nov 18, 2013)

Heather72754 said:


> Why would you give a cat with a supposed 'history of violence' access to your 7 month old child??


And that is the big question right there. 

I seriously doubt they tried to keep the cat away from the baby, it got loose, and then ran straight for the baby's face. More likely they are the type who find it adorable that their baby does whoknowswhat to this poor cat and let Jr. keep doing it no matter what the cat's reaction was.

These are the same type of parents that you see at the zoo allowing their kids to climb enclosures to "get a better look."


----------



## tezster (Jun 4, 2013)

My totally subjective opinion, not knowing important details about the disposition of the cat, and how its family treated him, is that the owner(s) (i.e. the family) are probably well-meaning people, that were not fully informed about the finer points of feline behavior.

They may benefit from reading a couple of Pam Johnson Bennett's books.


----------



## Cat'sHouse (Apr 5, 2012)

DaveMB said:


> A full grown man afraid of a cat to the point where he hides in the bedroom and calls the police? Really?
> 
> That guy need to check and make sure he still has a pair of testicles. :roll:


 

 lol


----------



## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

TBH I have experience with being that scared of a cat. When I first moved into the house where Jitzu lived she used to regularly chase me up the stairs.

At the time she was essentially an indoor feral, except that she had no fear of lashing out (in her mind it was to protect herself!). She used to run up to guests, claw them, then run away. On a particularly memorable occasion she ran up to a sleeping guest, clawed his face, then ran away.

This makes Jitzu a 'cat with a history of violence', and yet I do plan to have kids one day. (although I have also been working with her to change her behavior and am fully willing to continue doing that and to manage any interactions...as this family seemingly is not.)

I can also understand why a parent who saw a cat attacking their child (for whatever reason) would react by lashing out at the animal in the heat of the moment...even if I don't agree I haven't been in that situation and can't say how I would react. And no one knows how serious the cat was (although it seems he was fairly serious given the yowling ect 911 heard).

Ok...that seems confusing.

I disagree with the man's actions, but having been intimidated by a very angry and aggressive cat myself I can understand why he chose to hide in the bedroom rather than risk the cat biting someone or going after the kid again. It's likely poor supervision and worse management led to this...but I don't find that surprising in the least. Unfortunately.

I regularly have people call me as a 'last straw' for a dog they want to get rid of. They wait until they can't handle the problem any more, until one more pee spot in the house will push them over, and then expect me to wave my magic trainer wand and fix things. When I can't (obviously) they can tell themselves 'we gave it a good try! We even hired a dog trainer' and then give the dog up. It's a bandaid for the owners.

In this case the issue was aggression and they probably knew it could happen, but decided it wasn't 'that big of a problem' or that it was 'just a cat' or never knew that you can change a cat's behavior...either way it's probably down to lack of education.

And it's sad, because my bet is the cat will be put down.


----------



## tezster (Jun 4, 2013)

I heard on the radio that the cat is still living with the family.


----------



## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I'm so embarrassed this happened in Oregon.

I just expect.....more of Oregonians...


----------



## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

MowMow one out of millions of Oregonians does not put a bad light on Oregon! Tis a beautiful place to live with some wonderful cat people there!


----------



## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

The baby pulled the cat's tail is what our station reported. The whole thing sounded so dysfunctional. I will say that I would have respect for a cat on the attack. They are so quick with very sharp claws and teeth. They called 911. Hope they didn't tie up the line for someone who really needed 911. I can remember my cat scratching my daughter once and it was a good lesson for her to learn about treating animals.


----------



## gizmothecat (Jun 26, 2013)

AUGH!!!!!! Ridiculous.....I saw this article on yahoo...I don't understand people. Why would you kick a cat....and I GUARANTEE it was a HARD kick....no wonder the cat wailed...he mught have REALLY hurt the cat...maybe broke or fractured something. So sad for the cat.I think there is a lot more to this story and this poor cat


----------



## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

Let's hope if the cat has been abused or inured that this story turns around and the family is charged. 
This is the terrifying cat and no wonder the dog hid in the room. 







[/IMG]








[/IMG]


----------



## gizmothecat (Jun 26, 2013)

I think the cat should be taken and put up for adoption or foster care. And I hate to say that...but to me the cat would be better off  I fell really sorry for this cat


----------



## dt8thd (Jan 7, 2013)

I agree. I have seen some pretty angry feral tom cats, and I can certainly understand why you might be forced to retreat to a bedroom to get away from a cat that was in that sort of berserker attack mode, but calling the police?! That seems _just a bit_ extreme. 

I myself have a 20lb cat who does, very rarely, go into psycho attack mode. He's extremely sensitive to smell and seems to loose all ability to reason once he goes into his psycho kitty fugue state. The last time it happened because I, thinking that he was in the basement behind a closed door, brought a dirty cat trap into the house in order to transfer the cat inside into a dog crate in my isolation room. The trap had previously been at our recovery centre for the better part of a week with the cat in it and it smelled pretty much like you would expect a cat trap that had come into contact with unneutered male cat urine and feces to smell. (We do, of course, clean out the traps a couple of times a day when they're occupied, switching out the newspaper and whatnot, but you can't wash a trap with the cat in it.) I carried the trap upstairs, thinking the coast was clear, turned the corner in the upstairs hallway, and ran straight into Dante, who came flying out of my parents' bedroom, already growling and spitting, hackles raised. 

Luckily my mother was helping me bring the cat in and was able to run interference. It was, in fact, necessary for my mother to kick Dante away from us and back into her room, so that she could get the door shut. Even then, he literally _threw_ himself at the closed door the second she got it closed and thrust both of his flailing front legs under the door up to the shoulders in an attempt to gore anyone he could reach with his claws. Honestly, it made me laugh because his fuzzy grey legs waving around under the door looked pretty Muppet-ish, but for someone with no feral cat experience it probably wouldn't be all that funny. Dante could and would seriously injure someone when he's in his psycho mode--he basically looses his mind to the instinctive reaction to attack the source of whatever smell sets him off. I would never condone kicking an animal under normal circumstances, and, of course, my mom didn't kick Dante with any more force than was necessary to fend him off, and she certainly didn't kick him hard enough to hurt or injure him, but in this case it was the only way to prevent him from causing potentially serious injury to either us or the cat in the trap. As soon as the cat was transferred and the trap was taken back outside Dante snapped out of it, like he had no recollection of any of it. He's our Jekyll & Hyde cat. :roll: 

I make Dante sound awful when I recount incidents like this, but he's actually a sweet, insecure boy. We've had him since he was a 4 week old kitten, and he's now about 11, and he's flipped out like this maybe 3 times in all the years that we've had him. I can't imagine ever being afraid of my own cat though, even on the occasions when he has flipped out. I also know enough about my own cats, and cats in general, that I _understand_ Dante's behaviour, even though it can be out of the ordinary and quite extreme. Dante has his issues, but I don't _blame_ him for reacting the way he does--he's a cat. 

The things about this story that make me wonder about the cluelessness of the owners (besides calling 9-1-1) are the fact that they would allow a 7 month old child to interact with a cat who has reacted aggressively in the past, and the fact that the father's reaction to the cat scratching the baby was to physically "discipline" a cat that was already in an aggressively agitated state. Lots of cats and dogs feel threatened by young children. Kids are unpredictable, even if they're gentle in their actual interactions with a pet, they still scream and cry and run around in a way that a lot of animals feel very unsure about.


----------



## tezster (Jun 4, 2013)

Couple attacked by 22-pound cat say they'll get it help



> Two days after police arrived to subdue the 4-year-old Himalayan cat, owner Lee Palmer of Portland said he's taking the feline to a veterinarian. A pet psychologist also is due at the house to see the cat, named Lux.
> 
> “We're not getting rid of him right now,” Palmer said. “He's been part of our family for a long time.”


Good news!


----------



## AutumnRose74 (Oct 10, 2013)

> The things about this story that make me wonder about the cluelessness of the owners (besides calling 9-1-1) are the fact that they would allow a 7 month old child to interact with a cat who has reacted aggressively in the past, and the fact that the father's reaction to the cat scratching the baby was to physically "discipline" a cat that was already in an aggressively agitated state. Lots of cats and dogs feel threatened by young children. Kids are unpredictable, even if they're gentle in their actual interactions with a pet, they still scream and cry and run around in a way that a lot of animals feel very unsure about.


My thoughts about the owners are that they are in that group that has a cat (or a dog) just so that they can say that they have a cat or a dog, but they don't put any serious effort into providing the proper care, training, nutrition, or understanding the animal's behavior, either specific to their pet, or in general to the type of animal they have. That would include properly supervising the animal when it's around extremely young children (babies), and educating children once they are old enough to understand that you can't, say, pull a cat's tail and not expect to get scratched.


----------



## maggie23 (Mar 10, 2012)

first reaction is that yeah, these people are NOT animal people and probably shouldn't have a cat, dog, and probably not even a human child. man oh man.


----------



## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

I saw the film of the cat walking around. He's a perfectly good cat.

The people. That's the problem.

Someone call Jackson Galaxy


----------



## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Dave_ph said:


> Someone call Jackson Galaxy


He already knows about it, he's posted about it on FB. He didn't say anything other than asking if people had heard about the story.

The majority of the people agreed with the comments here (of course, if they are following Jackson, that is understandable.

I'm on a few other forums not related to animals the people are split pretty evenly between, "Parent's should have been watching their kid." and "If an animal attacks any child under any circumstances, it should be put down immediately."


----------



## koshechka (Jul 14, 2013)

I just read a little more about this story. Here it says that the baby pulled the cat's tail which is why cat scratched the baby:
Cops Rescue Family From Irate 22-lb. Cat - Himalayan attacked, family locked themselves in bedroom

So the cat's attack on the baby wasn't at all unprovoked, it was just a normal response to the baby pulling the cat's tail. Then the man kicked the cat. So first the cat gets it's tailed pulled then it gets kicked... No wonder it went crazy.

The family should've watched the baby and didn't allow the baby interact with the cat. 

I am glad the family is working on the problem (if there is one).


----------



## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

IDK, but in my experience babies and cats just don't mix well. Babies do what babies do and cats react. We had a 5 month old cute as a button kitten surrendered because it was - get this - vicious! A 5 mo old kitten is NOT vicious - its playing "you are prey and I am fearless lion cub!!".


----------



## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

I had a little dog like that before I rescued these cats and I wonder if it occurred to them that they shouldn't leave the dog alone with the cat unless they were really sure of them getting along. My dog was old and no match for the cats and any paw aimed at him was discouraged by my stern voice. They learned quickly and he wouldn't get near them anyway until later when I would find them sleeping near each other.

I will tell you that parents drove me nuts when I took him to the park. Not only was I watching for people who had aggressive dogs, loose dogs, but I had to watch for kids without parental supervision running up to me and my dog. Some were young. They weren't always taught to ask if they could pet first and I found myself educating kids on what is proper etiquette in asking to pet a dog and how to pet a dog. My dog was not vicious but he was old and fragile. I would never say "never" about trying to protect himself if he was getting hurt.


----------



## tgwillard (Oct 18, 2012)

I also feel the cat had been abused. Hopefully the cat can be relocated to a better environment.


----------



## BrianRunsPhilly (Feb 26, 2014)

DaveMB said:


> A full grown man afraid of a cat to the point where he hides in the bedroom and calls the police? Really?
> 
> That guy need to check and make sure he still has a pair of testicles. :roll:


Part mountain lion, part Himalayan? Man card revoked. 

And it sounds like he (they) have no clue how to properly care for a pet, and quite possibly a child. 

That being said, the 911 tape is hilarious.


----------



## BrianRunsPhilly (Feb 26, 2014)

Marcia said:


> IDK, but in my experience babies and cats just don't mix well. Babies do what babies do and cats react. We had a 5 month old cute as a button kitten surrendered because it was - get this - vicious! A 5 mo old kitten is NOT vicious - its playing "you are prey and I am fearless lion cub!!".


My kitty from childhood died when my wife was pregnant. The cat lived to be 23, so it was pretty traumatic after having him so long. We got a kitten, Max, when she was in her last trimester, and Max used to tap on her stomach to make the baby kick. My son and Max bonded from day one. We were careful when my son was really young, but Max always wanted to sleep with him, and for years would run up to him, tap him, then crab walk away, and my son would just burst out laughing. Sweetest little cat, he lived to be 16.


----------



## bobbycos (Aug 5, 2013)

my wife commented about the cat being good for security


----------



## vonPruescnek (Dec 18, 2012)

BrianRunsPhilly said:


> My kitty from childhood died when my wife was pregnant. The cat lived to be 23, so it was pretty traumatic after having him so long. We got a kitten, Max, when she was in her last trimester, and Max used to tap on her stomach to make the baby kick. My son and Max bonded from day one. We were careful when my son was really young, but Max always wanted to sleep with him, and for years would run up to him, tap him, then crab walk away, and my son would just burst out laughing. Sweetest little cat, he lived to be 16.


"We got a kitten, Max, when she was in her last trimester, and Max used to tap on her stomach to make the baby kick."

lol I could see my Regina doing that all day long!


----------



## Wannabe Catlady (Aug 6, 2012)

I don't understand how someone can admit that their child hurt the cat, and then they kicked the cat, and yet they still get to keep the cat???? And nobody blinks an eye?!

They should be fined, have the cat removed, and be banned from having pets. There is no reason to ever hurt an animal, or leave a cat unsupervised with a small child. Ridiculous.


----------



## AutumnRose74 (Oct 10, 2013)

^^^I would also be worried about the child in the future. Seeing as how a lot of abusers start with animals first and then move on to people... it's not too far of a stretch to go from kicking a cat (or a dog) that has misbehaved to beating on a child for misbehaving. 

Also, the fact that the father is taking it out on the cat, when it was actually his (and Mom's) fault that the child got scratched in the first place because they failed to keep the two separated or supervised properly, since a 7-month-old doesn't know any better at that age to not pull a cat's tail.


----------



## DaveMB (Jan 9, 2014)

just found this, I assume it's from the same incident.

Somebody did a great job typing it up lol :lol:


----------



## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

tezster said:


> Couple attacked by 22-pound cat say they'll get it help
> 
> 
> 
> Good news!


Sorry, I don't really think that's good news - I think THEY need the help, not the cat. I'd be much happier if the cat was going to a family who knew how to treat it.


----------



## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Jackson's on the case!!

Animal Planet’s Jackson Galaxy speaks out on behalf of attack cat | OregonLive.com


----------



## Astarael (Feb 20, 2013)

DaveMB said:


> just found this, I assume it's from the same incident.
> 
> Somebody did a great job typing it up lol :lol:


Admittedly I laughed at that captioning!!!


Anyways, I was appalled that he kicked the cat after the cat reacted to its tail being yanked!!!!! Thankfully they are doing reparation to the situation. I wonder if the cat is neutered, or its just traumatized from kids pulling and poking at it...


----------



## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

It would be great for him to help this cat and family. Let's hope the family wants to make the changes necessary.


----------



## Kneazles (Nov 18, 2013)

The "cat captioning" is hilarious!


----------



## Kytkattin (Oct 18, 2013)

I always look at my cat as if he was simply a mini tiger/lion/*insert big cat here*, and treat him as such. Just because he is a fraction of the size, doesn't make him less of a dangerous animal. I mean, obviously he _is_ less dangerous in that he couldn't outright kill me, but I guess the point I am trying to make is that he inherently does not seem like a domesticated animal to me. Unlike my dogs, who I expect to adapt to any situation I throw at them, my cat has certain needs that must be met in order to live in harmony with me. In order to be fulfilled I make sure he has things to climb, scratch, and have all to himself. Making sure he has a place he can go to to get up and away from the dogs has made for a peaceful household. In the future, when children become a part of my life, he will continue to have these places that are his, and where he can put himself when the hustle and bustle of the household becomes overwhelming for him.

So I think that is what this cat needs and probably does not have. Maybe also some exercise, but I would guess that giving him his own spaces that are easy to access and free from other animals/children would go a long way towards curbing his aggression.


----------



## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

I agree the cat most likely does not have these spaces and should, but also I'm wondering why it did not move away from the baby if it didn't want to be around him. A 7 month old baby can't walk, so it doesn't seem like he could really have pursued the cat.


----------



## Kneazles (Nov 18, 2013)

Heather72754 said:


> I agree the cat most likely does not have these spaces and should, but also I'm wondering why it did not move away from the baby if it didn't want to be around him. A 7 month old baby can't walk, so it doesn't seem like he could really have pursued the cat.


By 7 months my kids were crawling like speed demons, so it is possible this child could have gotten to a cat. However, babies aren't usually stealthy and the cat should have heard it coming. 

Perhaps this was the first time the child had pulled the cat's tail and the cat had to reason to avoid the baby before. However, I doubt it. But who knows?


----------



## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

I'm actually betting on the parents _putting_ the baby and cat together to see the 'adorable' interactions - NOT. After all, if the father was right there to kick the cat when it scratched the baby then he must have been in close proximity. Again I'll say it - idiots. :cussing


----------



## AutumnRose74 (Oct 10, 2013)

The thought crossed my mind that I HOPE that whoever is working with this family talks them out of declawing, if that possibility becomes part of the discussion. That could just make that entire scenario even worse next time the cat feels like he's being threatened, cornered or hurt, if he starts turning into a biter.


----------



## cat face (Apr 4, 2013)

Heather72754 said:


> I'm actually betting on the parents _putting_ the baby and cat together to see the 'adorable' interactions - NOT. *After all, if the father was right there to kick the cat when it scratched the baby then he must have been in close proximity. * Again I'll say it - idiots. :cussing


Yea, that's because they just moved to a "new, tiny apartment". So it sounds like everybody is in close proximity.

tiny apartment
2 adults
a baby
a dog
& a cat

Doesn't sound like anybody has anyplace to themselves. Between the baby, the dog and the BOYfriend (emphasis on purpose), I don't really blame the cat for flipping out. 
Of course that's not what the cat did. Judging by the teeny tiny scratch that's less then an inch and only one scratch line, I think this kitty showed remarkable restraint in NOT hurting the baby!
Everytime the camera took a shot of the cat, hiding under the bed, the poor cat kept giving the camera blinky eyes letting them know "I'm NOT a threat to you". I don't know.. just didn't seem like ole Lux is all that viscous.

So, yea, I agree with you, Heather... idiots!


----------



## Wannabe Catlady (Aug 6, 2012)

It's just crazy that some people are portraying this cat as vicious. I know with mine, if I yanked Fink's tail, there would be blood, and it would be deserved. And he wouldn't run away if something he knew was coming to bother him. My mom's dog learned that quickly!


----------



## Kneazles (Nov 18, 2013)

Heather72754 said:


> I'm actually betting on the parents _putting_ the baby and cat together to see the 'adorable' interactions - NOT.


That would be my guess as well.


----------



## AutumnRose74 (Oct 10, 2013)

Wannabe Catlady said:


> It's just crazy that some people are portraying this cat as vicious.


Because he dared to break out of the "cute and cuddly" role that people who don't know better tend to pigeon-hole cats into. They have claws and fangs/teeth, and they will use them to defend themselves when they feel the need to. 

I've watched YouTube vids of cats fighting, mating, or acting out at the vet to the point where the tech needs the oven mitts and/or a queen-sized bed's worth of bedding to restrain the cat from causing injury during an exam. They aren't "cute" in those instances, but that side is the reality of the cat, just as the funny antics, the cuddling and face/cheek rubs are. *We* here on CF know that, but there are a lot of people (even some who have cats) who seem to be blind to that fact.


----------



## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

We have people ALL THE TIME that will put their infants and toddlers right smack dab in the middle of the colonies at the shelters to "see" how the cats will react to their bundles of no joy. I cringe each time I see this!! Foolish, foolish, foolish.


----------



## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

Marcia said:


> to "see" how the cats will react to their bundles of *no joy*. I cringe each time I see this!!


Haha, how true - you gave me a good laugh this morning Marcia. Truly though, I don't know what people are thinking (or IF they are thinking lol). Their child could get seriously hurt and the cats don't need the aggravation.

I love my grandson with all my heart, but I wouldn't leave him alone with my cats for an instant, nor give him any _kind_ of unsupervised access to them. And he's a lot older than this baby.


----------



## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

I have had people put infant carriers with the babies - 4-5 months old, in them on the floor for the cats to come up and sniff. One day I scooped up the baby when it went to reach for Fat Louie's crooked tail (which he is VERY sensitive about) and put it on a chair. Why is it MY responsibility to care about THEIR kid? 
I'll answer that, because I don't want to hear their kid wail when it gets the snot smacked out it by the cat's claws!!


----------



## Kytkattin (Oct 18, 2013)

My biggest fear is that they will have the cat declawed. If they did that I can easily see its behavior escalating to biting even if by some miracle the cat isn't in permanent and severe pain. It has already shown a tendency to react violently, removing claws will only result in more bloodshed. I really hope that Jackson Galaxy can turn this into a learning experience for not only the family, but anyone who might be able to avoid a similar situation by watching what his solution is.

I do have to say though, it _is_ nice to hear that they want to keep their cat. Too many people get rid of pets because of things much more minor than this. No, they might not be the perfect home, and a more easy going feline might be a better fit for what sounds like a hectic household, but they do want to try, and that is more than most people seem willing to do. I wish they took more responsibility for what happened instead of blaming the cat, but to expand on what I said above, I'm sure that Jackson could help them see things from a different point of view. In this case, a little bit of education will go a long way. At the end of it, I hope they have a happy cat and a great conversation starter to share their story with other people so that even more cats can be helped!


----------



## cat face (Apr 4, 2013)

Heather72754 said:


> Haha, how true - you gave me a good laugh this morning Marcia. Truly though, I don't know what people are thinking (or IF they are thinking lol). Their child could get seriously hurt, and the cats don't need the aggravation.
> 
> I love my grandson with all my heart, but I wouldn't leave him alone with my cats for an instant, nor give him any _kind_ of unsupervised access to them. And he's a lot older than this baby.


THis is the thing, it doesn't sound like they could have left the baby and cat alone. I mean if the dad was there to kick the cat in the butt when it scratched the kid? They live in a tiny apartment which basically leaves a living room with a small kitchen and a bar separating the two. (At least what I could tell from the camera shots)
Just watching the kid pull the cat's tail THEN flipping out because the cat did something is even worse, IMHO :cussing


----------



## koshechka (Jul 14, 2013)

Marcia said:


> We have people ALL THE TIME that will put their infants and toddlers right smack dab in the middle of the colonies at the shelters to "see" how the cats will react to their bundles of no joy. I cringe each time I see this!! Foolish, foolish, foolish.


People seem so stupid sometimes. It's enough to watch a video of two kittens or cats playing to see that they can be rough. My two kittens are constantly play fighting and while they aren't hurting each other they do use their teeth and claws. The only education experience the kids would get from this interaction would be "be careful with cats or you might get hurt", as in old Russian nursery rhyme that went something like "a kitty has soft little paws but the soft little paws have little 'scratchers'". 

The baby brought to the shelter could also catch ringworm if any of the cats had it, so it was stupid on many levels.

The tiny scratch on that baby's head doesn't look like the cat was even seriously attacking.


----------



## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

Just heard an update on this story. The cat had to spend some time in a shelter who said the cat was "stressed." The family took the cat back but struck a deal with animal planet for "Cat from ****" show. The cat seems so sweet so how do they recreate that?


----------



## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Lol! 
Maybe they'll use the actual 911 tape and what ever pictures/video were taken at the time! 
Will be interesting...
I can't wait to see Jackson Galaxy's show on this one!


----------



## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

Well please post when it will be on if anyone finds out on since I don't watch the show regularly.


----------



## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Cat Owner, Same here! With the crazy hours I work, I'll probably miss it!


----------



## meggie (Mar 13, 2014)

It would't surprise me one bit to learn that these people made up some if not all of this story. Doesn't sound right that a grown man has to make a 911 call over a cat. People will do anything for their 15 minutes on TV. Remember "Balloon Boy"?


----------



## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Well, they released the 911 tape so that part was real.....


----------



## gizmothecat (Jun 26, 2013)

cat owner again said:


> Just heard an update on this story. The cat had to spend some time in a shelter who said the cat was "stressed." The family took the cat back but struck a deal with animal planet for "Cat from ****" show. The cat seems so sweet so how do they recreate that?


 
YUP...heres the link. i definately want to see this!!!

http://news.yahoo.com/cat-whisperer-heading-oregon-attack-182125454.html


----------



## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Thanks Gizmo!!


----------



## dseag2 (Nov 28, 2013)

DaveMB said:


> A full grown man afraid of a cat to the point where he hides in the bedroom and calls the police? Really?
> 
> That guy need to check and make sure he still has a pair of testicles. :roll:


Maybe they neutered the wrong male?


----------



## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

Gorgeous kitty.

PWT people

Video

Family copes with aftermath of Portland cat attack - Video | OregonLive.com


----------



## gizmothecat (Jun 26, 2013)

RIDICULOUS. she said they are overwhelmed....so they kick the cat??? the baby pulled the cats tail....and it attacked. really?? well where were the parents? why werent they watching this...if i had kids...i would NEVER let a baby that young play with a cat....because neither understands. so instead of just saying NO to the cat and moving the cat to another room he gives it a kick. even older KIDS can play rough with an animal and yes...they might turn around and do something.....if someone hit or pinched me...id do the same.

i feel sorry for the cat. i know jackson will do wonders for this cat...and HOPEFULLY re-home the cat...please.


----------



## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Trashy people.


----------



## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Yup, that's all that woman needs, MORE face piercings.....another hole in her head. 

Poor cat.


----------



## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

The best thing Jackson can for for the cat is new people.

And someone should be charged with animal cruelty. He admitted it. 

Mr B once bit me while having his anal glands "expressed". I didn't blame him at all


----------



## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Yep gotta agree with Dave_ph: PWT. Idiots.


----------

