New Canaan Animal Control officials are trying to find the owner of a free-roaming cat that bit and scratched a town woman this week, forcing her to undergo a series of rabies shots.
The dark brown tabby on Tuesday morning attacked a Douglas Road woman in her own fenced backyard as she approached to greet the animal, according to Officer Allyson Halm, head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section.
The woman was treated by EMTs due to injuries on the back of her calf, Halm said.
The same cat crossed Route 106 and ended up Wednesday on a High View Terrace property, where it was photographed, Halm said.
There, it nipped at a woman’s shoe.
“The victim [of the earlier bite] has confirmed that this is the same cat,” Halm said.
If located and secured, the animal will undergo a state-required 14-day quarantine for when cats or dogs bite (or scratch) humans while off-property.
“The most important thing is to confirm that the cat is rabies-vaccinated,” Halm said.
The animal itself also faces perils in roaming around areas where coyotes are prevalent, such as the northwestern patch of Waveny property between Lapham and Old Stamford Roads, and crossing the busy Route 106, Halm said.
Cat owners should keep their pets indoors. Hunting is instinctual for cats whether they are domesticated or feral. One cat in my neighborhood has been raiding bird nests. I own cats myself and love them as pets, but they are kept indoors for their safety as well as the preservation of our wildlife.
Linda is a responsible and caring cat owner who understands their natural instincts. She also cares for the welfare of birds and probably all creatures. I thank her for her thoughtful comment and hope it reminds us all of how to be the best protectors of our pets and wildllife. Some cats will react to the touch of strangers, so please keep a respectful distance…unless invited to touch.
It is headlines such as this one that proves the importance of the humble hyphen.