# Thurston in trouble with the law.



## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

Thurston is living with my Mom now. (if you recall, he went to live with my brother for a bit, but then came back, in the meantime, I moved out with my lot so he's now an only pet in a one person house). Anyway, my Mom was in the hospital for ten days and he just had me coming over twice a day to feed and play with him where he was used to pretty much constantly having company. 

So my mom came home Monday night and has been having home health come out to administer IV meds and take care of some other things. One of the home health aids she has had for several months already and knows Thurston. This home health aid was petting Thurston on Tuesday and Thurston attacked her and mauled her arm! 8O She had multiple deep bite wounds and several deep scratches. 

I wasn't there, but Mom said she was scratching him on his head then moved down his back and started rubbing him over his hips and rubbing the hair the wrong way and thats when he did it. He has never ever ever ever done anything like this before, not even at the vet! 

SO, Wanda has been really nice about it but she had to go to the doctor to get antibiotics and by law, the doctor had to report the bite. 

So today we got a visit from Animal Control. I was expecting it, so had his current rabies papers in order. We explained that he was current on all vaccines and indoors only. They agreed to let us quarantine him at the house for the ten day period. But he has to stay in one room of the house away from anyone who might come in (there have to be two doors between him and outside.) 

I feel so sorry for poor Thurston. He's been through so much lately. I know he's not a vicious cat. He's just out of sorts. 

Only a matter of time before the law comes for Ninja though.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Poor Thurston. Talk about someone rubbing you the wrong way!


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

Poor baby


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Yikes. Poor THurston.


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## Saydee (Nov 9, 2010)

Sorry to hear about that. It's good that the nurse has been friendly about the situation, it could have been a lot worse.

The quarantine process seems a bit excessive. Yes, I know, it's the law and standard procedure, etc. However, discretion works well in cases like this where the kitty is indoors only.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

marie73 said:


> Poor Thurston. Talk about someone rubbing you the wrong way!


LOL! I hope Thurston doesn't get too upset about his jail time.


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

Sounds like grounds for a self-defense claim to me.

Free Thurston!!!


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## kittywitty (Jun 19, 2010)

I am sorry this happened to Thurston. Sometimes you never know what might tick off a cat. I had no idea that a cat would need to be quarantined in his own home. Well hopefully he will not suffer any emotional trauma after this. Keep us updated!


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## LLM (Dec 24, 2010)

Dave_ph said:


> Sounds like grounds for a self-defense claim to me.
> 
> Free Thurston!!!


I agree


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## Alpaca (Dec 21, 2009)

I agree, you never know what can tick off a cat. Their senses are so strong that something we don't think twice about could be really irritating to them, and they react in the only way they can since they can't speak human. 

Anyways, it seems like an isolated incident. Hope things turn out okay for Thurston, Kobster!


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

We are a bit lax on his "incarceration" We put him in the bedroom when we have home health in, but when its just us, he's out with us. He has never ever tried to get outside so I really don't think its an issue. The AC officer didn't seem really concerned. Its just the way they do things here. Silly, I know.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

That seems like a either a really serious mauling or a really serious over-reaction. My cat attacks people for no reason pretty often... though usually this just involves him biting us really hard...


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## lovetimesfour (Dec 1, 2010)

Thank goodness he is up to date on his vaccines, or it could have been a case of destroy now, ask questions later. I know of another instance where the cat who uncharacteristically bit, was _not_ up to date and bit the vet tech, in the vet's office. 

Just another reason to keep your cat rabies vaccination up to date.

Hope Thurston is settling down and feeling less stress now.


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

Isn't that upsetting. You're right, it's another case where it really pays to have the rabies vaccine up-to-date.


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

Absolutely! I always cringe when people say "well he's indoors only so I don't bother with his shots" because this could happen to anyone and they could lose their cat because of it. 

Thurston is doing well. I snuck him a nail fail in with his canned food this morning and I caught him making a shiv out of a bar of soap earlier......


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Very cute image! :grin:


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

That's 6 days. Can't he get time off for good behavior? He sounds rehabilitated to me.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Whenever I see his name, I think of Gilligan's Island.

Thurston Howl the First! :grin:


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

Is he Thurston Kitty The Third?


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## tigressbythetail (Dec 1, 2010)

We had this happen with a cat who bit a Vet tech during a spay procedure. What I don't understand is why must they be quarantined if they have up to date rabies vaccine?


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## tghsmith (Dec 9, 2010)

because all that getting the shot means they were given a shot, it does not address any of the quality issues, was the vaccine in the shot good, expired? did an immune response occur... lots of things can go wrong.. on the other hand a cat bite can be a very nasty event, xmas eve 2009 my rehabbed feral smokey got spooked and sunk his large upper fangs into my arm, xmas day night was spent in the ER getting IV antibiotics(things had been washed out asap, several disinfecants+ hydrogen peroxide) everthing swelled up scarey fast.. I hope thruston gets his release on time, and has been using his freetime well,(not learning anything bad from the other inmates)


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

I think Thurston has learned his lesson!!!


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

Texas has a high incidence of rabies every year, so our laws are perhaps a bit stricter than others. But any animal bite resulting in medical intervention must be reported and the pet quarantined. If the pet isn't current on vaccines, then the penalties are more stringent. 
The one that we get the most often is that if a pet bites someone, is not current on vaccines and then dies or is euthanaized prior to the end of a quarantine period, we (vets) are required by texas law to remove the deceased pets head and send it to Austin for rabies testing. 
You know how distressing that is to people? They have an elderly cat they haven't vaccinated in years because it never leaves the house, it bites someone just prior to death or during the euthanazia (it happens) then the grieving family must be told we have to cut off your cats head! Granted, its a moot point to the cat, but its very traumatic for the owners and I feel sorry for them.


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## squeekers (Jun 17, 2009)

Im shocked they made you quarantine him if the bite happened on private property. Here, animal control cannot do anything if the bite happened on your property. 

I hope that lady is ok..


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

squeekers said:


> Im shocked they made you quarantine him if the bite happened on private property. Here, animal control cannot do anything if the bite happened on your property.
> 
> I hope that lady is ok..


"*What happens if my pet bites someone?*

Ontario law requires dogs and cats to be quarantined (isolated) for 10 days after biting a person. During the quarantine, authorities from local health units observe the animal for abnormal behaviour of signs of rabies. If the animal is well at the end of the 10 days, it may be released."

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.


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## CatnipCats (Feb 15, 2010)

How's the nurse's arm doing? I hope she's healing without any complications.


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## Mom of 4 (Jul 29, 2006)

A friend was staying in a hotel for a week, as they moved from one house to another. His cat didn't like housekeeping, got upset and bit his owner. Unfortunately, the bite was severe and required a long hospital stay. The bite was reported, as is required, proof of rabies provided. Because they were temporarily without a permanent residence, they had to board their cat at the vet for 10 days. And they felt lucky that they didn't have to have their cat go to Animal Control.


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## Heather102180 (Nov 19, 2003)

I feel your pain. I had a visit from Animal Control twice with my Oliver. He, too, had to be quarantined for 10 days in my home (no big deal, he was an indoor cat anyways). At first they wanted to take him to the vet to be quarantined but I said no way. He was too aggressive to be in anyone's care. Animal Control tried to tell me that possibly a bat flew into my house, with rabies, without me knowing. Haha! I guess they have to take every precaution!

The third time I went to the hospital for a bite from him, is also when I had to put him to sleep. That still wasn't good enough for animal control. By law, I either had to wait 10 days to put him to sleep or they had to do an autopsy on him. That's what I chose but the process of what they had to do was VERY unsettling to me. Ugh. Sometimes I think Animal Control laws are a bit excessive....


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