Man attacked by house kitty had injuries so severe he had to be airlifted

[cali]

Man airlifted after fight with cat



Posted: Sunday, May 8, 2011 4:06 pm | Updated: 1:21 pm, Mon May 9, 2011.

By VANESA BRASHIER | 19 comments

A Cleveland man was attacked by a housecat Friday afternoon and the man's injuries are so severe that he had to be taken by air ambulance to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston.

The altercation between the man and the animal occurred at a home on CR 3182 a few miles south of Cleveland in Liberty County.

At some point during the attack, the man and the cat reportedly were injured by a knife the man was holding. The man was taken to Cleveland Regional Medical Center before being transported to Houston.

Game wardens Danny Diaz and Adam Broll captured the cat. It was taken to Big Thicket Animal Hospital for examination.

<snip>

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/cleveland/news/article_3f8b7022-782a-11e0-b12d-001cc4c002e0.html

[Skidmore]

1. Nothing to cheer about. My mother was bitten by her big

tom cat which was trying to get to a bird just outside the window. I did not know a cat's mouth could open that wide. She had fang marks on both sides of her leg as well as claw marks. She ended up with a staff infection in her leg which nearly killed her.

[Cleita]

32. Something similar happened to me. Cat bites are

very infectious.

[Liquorice]

75. Years ago, I had a cat who bit the hell out of me on my hand.

The cat had jumped on my new puppy and was scratching and biting him for no reason. When I grabbed him to get him off of the puppy, he sunk his terrible teeth deep into my hand. It was incredibly painful and got badly infected within a day. The doctor told me that virtually all cat bites get infected. I never had another cat after that.

[Cleita]

77. Most cats aren't vicious. There are the few that are

though and usually the vets, if they can't find another reason other than an aggressive personality, will tell you to put them down. I would try again, but try for a gentler breed. Maybe you could try for an older cat that needs a home. Usually the shelter people can advise you as to what the animal's temperament is like. I once had a lovely and affectionate tabby who didn't even hunt, she was that gentle. She died of old age, but she was my very favorite of all my cats.

[Liquorice]

85. I'm happier with my dog:-). I did have a great cat one time, and I know they

are not all bad. I just have no desire whatsoever to get another kitty after that one.

[angstlessk]

68. When I was 10 I 'invited' Sugar Foot in to visit my cat 'Maveric'...you get the time frame

Sugar Foot was my friends cat..and I carried him into the house and showed him my bedroom, the bathroom and all the rooms in our house...the configuration of the apartment was a square hall with doors between the two bedrooms the bathroom and the living room.......somehow Maveric got into the hallway as I was trying to leave and they got into a kerfuffle, well, since they had claws and teeth and I had to protect my 'guest' Sugarfoot in order to get him the hell out of the apartment...I developed several cuts, and gashes over my body...since I was young....and knew one killed one self by cutting one's wrist and my wrist's were bleeding I was sure I was going to die.

So, once I got Sugarfoot safely outside....I ran crying to my neighbor that I was dying..but she assured me the injuries were only superficial and I would live. Which I did.

[a la izquierda]

102. I'm sorry, but I was literally LOLing at your story. nt

[applegrove]

97. My Monster bit me when he got caught in a window. Bit my thumb. It was so infected it

hurt like hell.

[Maine-ah]

103. years ago,

my mom was "sitting" my two cats, a male and a female, while I was in the process of moving. They had to be kept isolated, they had 3 kittens...and my mom had other cats in the house.

Mom went in to check on them, and mama cat attacked my mother. Badly. She had 6-8" scratches down the back of her legs, and one that should have had stitches. Good thing my brother was there and got her out of the room.

[darkstar3]

2. But it's the big dogs that are dangerous and should be banned...

[yawnmaster]

8. Yes, house cats are so very dangerous. I have to avoid a pack of house cats that prowls at night.

that is all

[LadyHawkAZ]

19. +1

All those fatal domestic cat attacks scare me...

[yawnmaster]

34. And all the illegal cat fighting rings that exist. People training their kittens to be viscious by

feeding them puppies at a young age.
I tell you when I see someone walking one of these cats...and you can tell which ones...on the street, I cross to the other side.

[LadyHawkAZ]

46. And have you seen the prices on those

trained attack cats? I mean, I like my home to be safe, but dang...they want an arm and a leg for those guard cats....

[yawnmaster]

64. I heard those cats were originally bred to manage bulls...once the cat got a grip...

on the bull's neck, forget it, that bull does whatever the cat wants.

[iscooterliberally]

65. I had my dog train my cat, and she trained him back.

[uppityperson]

81. We have a similar setup...

"Dog" bed?

[Skidmore]

100. What kind of dog do you have?

[uppityperson]

106. A geriatric senile Pacific Northwest Bronze Retriever

He's a pound puppy, thinking golden retriever/rott mix if we were to pick only 2 types of dogs. Shelter dog who's been with us for 10 yrs and not a lot longer.

[iscooterliberally]

107. So cute!

'round here we got dogs a both kinds; the ones that bark and the ones that say meow. ;-)

[lumberjack_jeff]

91. I always thought they were trained by juggling them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qbc2J0zZr8

[Liberal_in_LA]

44. +2

[themadstork]

71. My big fatass cat Emerson used to bully my pit bull.

He terrified that poor thing. He'd corner him up into the space between the couch and the wall and then start in with the hissing and the claws. The poor pit would wind up curled up in a tiny little ball whimpering in fear.

The weird thing is that Emerson is the most congenial cat I've ever known. He gets these big loveyeyes for everyone! But he does not fuck around with dogs. I had to stop him from kicking the shit out of our neighbor's fat old weiner dog.

[Mrs. Ted Nancy]

72. May I borrow Emerson?

My neighbor's dogs are getting too obnoxious. I'm sure that Emerson could straighten them out.

:)

[SharonAnn]

3. Whoa! That's some serious "cat-fighting".

[Liberal_in_LA]

39. yeah. Best to back away from mad cat, shoo it with broom

[malaise]

67. Throw water on the cat - that will make it run away n/t

[Myrina]

4. The man and the cat were injured by the knife ... ??

Dumbass didn't know they fight back? Bet he'll never try to stab a cat ever again, huh?

[Vanje]

9. cAT PULLED A KNIFE ON THE DUDE!

Thats one bad-ass kitteh!

[smirkymonkey]

62. I mean, was he sure the "kitty" wasn't a "tiger"??

"Bit my leg clean off, he did."

[Vinnie From Indy]

5. "That's 'MISTER' Whiskers to you pal!"

Cheers!

[kestrel91316]

6. Two main possibilities:

1) Cat was rabid.
2) Guy did something to provoke the cat, then insisted on grabbing hold of it and not letting go as the cat raged. First thing we do when a cat goes ballistic is LET GO. It's why we always handle them in a room with all doors closed - they will bolt once released.

[LiberalFighter]

26. I wouldn't even attempt handling a cat that shows aggression without gloves

Even then, I would avoid it. You need Kevlar gloves and probably sleeve too.

[kestrel91316]

73. I'm a professional. We don't use gloves (heavy ones have zero dexterity).

We are skilled in maneuvering difficult cats into plexiglas anesthesia gas boxes, lol. And in a pinch, a rabies pole will do, but I don't even have one anymore.

[leftynyc]

40. I heard about something like

this happening after a kitty ingested some poison of some sort. Something commonly found in cleaning products.

[wickerwoman]

89. My friend had a cat that was super-territorial.

Whenever she had *ahem* male visitors, she had to lock the cat in another room because the cat would attack them. It completely ignored women, but any men she brought into her apartment it would tear out and attack.

[tammywammy]

7. I can't let my cat know about this

I know she's already plotting my destruction, I can't give her any more ideas.

[justiceischeap]

10. So true. Sometimes my cats look at me and the hair on the back of my neck stands up

Do. Not. Cross. the. Kittay!

[tammywammy]

14. Well, she's gotten to where when I lay down to sleep

She looks all sweet, laying on my chest, but I've noticed that she's getting closer and closer to my throat. I think her plan is to smother me in my sleep. I wake up with her toys in my bed with me...a warning sign like the horse head in The Godfather.

Sure she looks adorable, but she's a killer.



Now the kitty in my avatar, he's a sweet sweet boy, but not that bright. He's not the killer, the girl is.

[justiceischeap]

35. Did you ever see the movie "Cats Eye" based on Stephen King short stories?

There's one with Drew Barrymore (still a little girl) and the cat trying to steal her breath but really the cat was trying to kill a little evil leprechaun looking thing. Maybe that's all your cat is doing, protecting you from little evil Irish sprites. :)

Both of mine are girls and they're both smart. They've certainly trained me well. The grey kitty, Emma, she rolls onto her back and I automatically pet her belly. The black kitty, Sarah, she cries and I automatically turn on the bathroom sink tap so she can have fresh water. I'm so whipped.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

54. Tip # 8

http://www.catswhothrowupgrass.com/kill.php

[damntexdem]

11. Hello, Kitty.

I guess that would be a cat-ass-trophy.

[Swede]

12. I had a friend attacked by her cat.

There was blood splatters on the walls. The cat was put down.

[DearAbby]

13. That wasn't a normal house cat....It was a steely-eyed Ninja

Trained specifically by the CIA Manchurian attack Cat.

[DearAbby]

18. I was once biten by our pet cat

he had his hackles up yeowling at a neighbor's cat through the screen door, you know that EEEerrrrrowwwwl sound he made annoyed my so, I leaned over to shooosh him, and he turned and bit me.

My arm swelled up like a plump tomato, had to go to the Doctor for that.

[GreenPartyVoter]

23. Yep. My arm swelled up all huge after my guy bit me too.

[Rosie1223]

15. Never take a knife to a cat fight.

[FourScore]

78. lol

[cliffordu]

79. well.....

:rofl:

[City of Mills]

16. That's terrifying

Who hasn't messed around with a cat, only to get that sinking feeling when you suddenly realize the cat's not playing around anymore ...twitchy, thumpy tail...flat ears...cat edging closer to you...nothing to do in those situations other than to turn and run for your life!

[SoCalDem]

17. My husband & I spent a week going back & forth to the hospital for bites

Our visually impaired cat got out (for the first time in his 11 years & he was petrified.. When we caught him, he went berserk.,. We were too afraid to let him go, so we endured his bites..

[Vanje]

24. Antibiotics

You need em.

[SoCalDem]

36. We wnet every day to soak our forearms & hands in their "magic solution"

and got a shot every day too.. 6 days of the new year were spent that way.. and yes he's still "our cat"..He was scared to death and had never been outdoors..

I still have a 4 inch scar up my arm where a back claw ripped it open.. We knew we would heal, but if he got away he would end up dead..

[LiberalFighter]

27. I hope you have those photos displayed so anyone stopping by sees them.

Make sure you have signs saying you have an attack cat as a warning to anyone attempting to rob you.

[Liberal_in_LA]

43. My cat turned on my foot when I approached her while she was growling at outside cat

When a cat is scared, this happens. Hope you heal soon.

[SoCalDem]

45. We did.. this was a while back.. 2005

It was something else though..

[WolverineDG]

61. That index finger looks like mine did

when one of my cats got out & chased up a tree by a dog. I grabbed her & she bit me (she thought I was the dog). Long story short: I ended up having surgery because the doctor thought the bite had impacted the tendon in my finger. I still have the scar.

dg

[Hassin Bin Sober]

98. Jesus! I think I saw those pictures on Shark Week.

[nosmokes]

20. Hold on- dude had a knife and *he's* going to the hospital? And Kitty is still alive?

Not in my world. And I love animals, but there are boundaries.Injuries from a cat that would send me to a doctor, much less a hospital, is certainly one of them.

[NoGOPZone]

25. The link is somewhat contradictory on the cat's status

The text only says the animal was taken in for 'examination', while the photo caption claims the cat was euthanized because it suffered a mortal would from the knife attack.

[Marr]

21. Sounds like he cut himself while trying to use a knife on the cat.

I wouldn't assume the man was the aggressor, either. There are some ridiculously aggressive house cats. I knew someone who had a cat that would literally run at anyone who approached the house, leap on them, and claw them/bite them. The owner had the cat fixed and that... fixed the problem, but before that was done, that cat was insanely aggressive.

[GreenPartyVoter]

22. I was attacked by my own tom kitteh when I was a teen. He did a real number on my arm and

I was damn lucky he never got to my eyes! (Actually, I had been beaten on by him a couple of other times, but in each instance the fault was mine. DO NOT pick up a tom cat on the prowl. Just don't. He's just not the same kitty as when he's indoors.)

[rl6214]

28. I've got a neighbor that had 13 cats and 17 kittens in her back yard

I got some traps from animal control and those cats were down right vicious. I managed to rescue three of the kittens, most of them had terrible eye infections and other illnesses. The first kitten I rescued was too far gone and died. I nursed the other two back to health and one of them is running around my feet right now. The other I gave to a family friend.

Here is my rescue:

[chowder66]

50. Cute! nt

[PlanetBev]

29. Cats are weird

They can purr one minute and turn into Ted Bundy the next.

I prefer dogs and birds.

[lame54]

30. I never did trust that ceiling cat

[asjr]

31. I was given a sweet little kitten once

that had been declawed. For a while it was a dear, but once it grew some it would stalk me. I had to close my bedroom door at night and on emerging the next morning the cat would be ready for me, jump on my back and sink its teeth into me. Then would start on my arms and legs. I had never had a cat like that and changed its name from Buster to Count Catula. I finally had to have it put down which is something I didn't want to do. In fact I cried all the way to the vet because I had to do something. The vet told me he saw one or two like that every year and I should not feel bad about having it put down. Someone else had it declawed and it took out its revenge on me.

[Ohio Joe]

33. On two seperate occasion...

My late cat Animal sent maintenence guys that entered my apartment without notice to the hospital for stitches. She did not like strangers coming in and I slept good at night :D

[Rex]

37. What is the difference between a mountain lion and a domesticated cat?

About 80 to 120 pounds...but that is it. Cats that get aggressive move faster then the human eye and can rip a person apart. Just in smaller chunks.

[silverweb]

38. Attack cat no joke.

Years ago, I had a very possessive calico. One evening, my then boyfriend let himself in the front door while I was making dinner.

The cat flashed from the kitchen to the back of the sofa to his chest, attaching herself spread-eagled with her claws. It all happened in a blink, just so incredibly fast. I had to go coax her off of him because she wouldn't let go.

Needless to say, he never let himself in unannounced again, but waited until I answered his knock. The cat got a fancy new bowl that said "Attack Cat" and I slept very well at night.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

41. Cats can fuck you up.

I once made the very serious mistake of trying to break up a cat fight. A neighbor's cat got into our apartment and our cat went after him. It was getting pretty violent so I decided to break up the fight before one of them got hurt. Instead of using a blanket or a broom (or a whip and a chair), I picked up one of the cats - who promptly sank all of his fangs into my wrist.

It hurt a lot and swelled up quite a bit, but I soaked it in hot water and dumped a lot of hydrogen peroxide on the bites, so fortunately I didn't get an infection. But those little guys are fierce. Stay away from them when they're pissed off.

[Liberal_in_LA]

48. yep. just stick a broom between them. Actually, cats are good at protecting themselves during

fights with each other.

[Ikonoklast]

42. I have tried telling people that a man is no match for a full-grown domestic house cat.

Some of them have scoffed at that, until they see our one kitty, Thomas, an all-black tom that weighs twenty-two pounds and stand ten inches high at the front shoulder.

He can put you on the ground if he feels like it.

Lucky for me, he has the disposition of a sweetie pie.

Mostly.

[guruoo]

47. Reads more like dude fucks with cat, cat defends itself, dude tries to stab cat...

If the cat were mine, they wouldn't have had to waste an airlift on the POS with the knife.



'Game Warden Danny Diaz expected to find an animal a little more fierce than the tabby cat he encountered when he was called to a home on CR 3182 in Cleveland on Friday. The cat, like the one pictured, was mortally wounded by a man who attacked the cat with a knife after the cat reportedly attacked the man. During the struggle with the cat, the man sustained cuts and injuries so serious that he had to be taken by air ambulance to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston. The cat was later euthanized by a Cleveland veterinarian.'

[RZM]

49. Not a good year so far for Cleveland, Texas

First that terrible incident with the 11-year old girl and now killer cats.

[distantearlywarning]

51. Used to live with a woman who rehabilitated feral cats

You ain't seen scary until you're trying to get a completely wild, terrified, pissed-off feral cat out from underneath a dresser so he can go to the vet for shots. Ever seen The Exorcist? It's like that, except with somewhere between 12-20 lbs of claws and fangs. :scared:

We used to wear elbow length heavy leather gloves to handle them, like welding gloves. And even so it was dangerous. People probably laugh at the OP's article, but I can totally believe that an angry housecat could put a man in the hospital if it went for the vulnerable bits.

[Liberal_in_LA]

57. I use a big thick towel ... throw it over the cat, wrap it quickly.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

52. Which is why this site can save your life.

http://www.catswhothrowupgrass.com/kill.php











More at link.

[TNLib]

86. LOL

nt

[Deep13]

53. Just to be clear, this is Cleveland, TX, not Cleveland, OH.

I'm close to Cleveland, OH and was wondering where the hell Liberty County is.

[SlicerDicer-]

58. This town is full of winners.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/11/residents-of-town-where-awful-gang-rape-occurred_n_834535.html

[provis99]

82. sounds about average for a Texas town.

[ScreamingMeemie]

84. Nice.

:eyes:

Yep, we're all just freaking nut cases here.

[provis99]

93. You just called the people of Cleveland "freaking nut cases"

All I said was that it was an average Texas town.

[ScreamingMeemie]

94. Yep...Freaks. Every last "average" town.

Sorry, but my "average Texas town" voted blue last year. My "average Texas town" has an openly lesbian mayor in a committed relationship. Sorry. Put down the broad brush.

[madinmaryland]

55. "Alcohol may have been involved" YA THINK!!!!

:rofl:

[Recovered Repug]

101. Yeah, cat's are mean as hell when they're drunk. /nt

[LynneSin]

56. Must be a relative of my cat Evita

I look like I'm a cutter with the serious scratches I have on my arms and legs

[REP]

59. I've needed stitches and tetanus shots after giving medicine to a non-feral kitten

I'm really good at dosing cats, too - she was just really spooked and strong.

My husband, who is not good at giving cats meds, had his finger bitten through by one of the sweetest cats on the planet - who was also recovering from major surgery and was very scared. He's a big, strong cat and was just trying to get away, not attack which is good; he could do damage if he wanted to.

In neither case did we attack the cats with a knife - even though one is an exceptionally large, strong cat we're bigger and stronger. I hope the cat is okay.

[Cali_Democrat]

60. What the hell?

A house cat? You've gotta be shitting me.

[smirkymonkey]

70. I'm not a cat person, but my rooomate has a gigantic Maine Coon

and now I will never feel safe again in that place. Luckily I spend most of my time in my room w/ the door shut, but that cat gives me the evil eye constantly. I was less afraid of my Sister's Rottweiler.

[Skidmore]

74. My mom's cat was that way.

He had taken the place of 8 kids and he was spoiled silly. He would climb up on her lap when we were visiting and pat her face with his paw to get her attention when she was talking to us or playing with the babies. You could not leave a small child on the floor to crawl. He would hiss and spit at them and at the adults, for that matter. I would sleep with the lights on when we stayed there. He was affectionately known as "Murphy, cat from Hell" by us all. After she died, my brother and his wife took him and he just couldn't make the move. Mom had owned him from the time he was a small kitten up until she died 16 years later. He was pretty vigorous still but became meaner than a pit bull. My brother held on to him until ole Murph backed my sister in law in the bathroom. He came home from work and found her on the stool lid with the cat growling at her.

[ScreamingMeemie]

83. Maine Coon's have amazing skill at hitting you where they want to as well.

My little sweetie Licorice did not like going in the cat carrier. She let me know with close to deadly accuracy. She was a good girl...until it was time to go to the vet.

[Liberal_in_LA]

88. The lightening fast slap and withdrawal of the paw, claws out for maximum damage

[Aerows]

104. My late Maine Coon Gaston

was deadly accurate. He weighed at least 21 lbs. He and my other cat were play fighting, and I bent down into the fray. Quick as lightning, he bit me right at the base of my skull! Thankfully, he was just playing, and missed my neck - instead just getting muscle. It was infected for a week (I didn't bother going to the doctor - it hurt, but once it swelled enough to be drained it healed just fine).

I shudder to think what would have happened had he been serious. I had seen him catch a bird that got into the house in mid-flight with nothing but his mouth.

The moral of the story - if two cats are getting into it, playing or not, don't get involved, or get a broom. Their instincts and hunting skills take over, especially when frightened, and you can easily get an infection so bad that it requires a hospital visit.

If the man stabbed the cat, I'm not sure what he expected to happen. All animals will defend themselves, so he got what he deserved. Never hold on to a cat that has gone ballistic, or in the presence of another, unfamiliar animal.

[TheMightyFavog]

63. Wow. Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 come to life.

Housecat sends Level One commoner into negative hit points.

[distantearlywarning]

66. That was my first thought also upon reading this article. n/t

[Aerows]

105. LOL!

And you just thought rats were dangerous.

[FLPanhandle]

69. Cats have 4 sets of claws and nine lives.

The guy was outgunned.

[madokie]

76. A few years back I had a cat that I allowed to live in my shop

she would have one kitten per litter so that was easy enough to find a owner for. With her last kitten after work one day I was sitting on the deck out back reading the paper having a beer and she brought it and laid it by my foot. When I went to pet the kitten it looked up at me and bared its teeth and claws but didn't make any noise so I pulled my hand back and went back to my paper and beer. A short time later the kitten climbed up on top of my foot and laid down so I though maybe it would let me pet it now so I reached down to pet it but this time when it bared its teeth it make a noise, before I knew it the mother cat was climbing up my other arm and when I got hold of her she was at the back of my neck. I pulled her off me and threw her to the ground and blood was dripping off the tips of my fingers. I had 27 puncture wounds on my arm and neck. claws sunk as deep as they could go, my arm and neck turned black. Needless to say I no longer am a cat person. All my life I'd been told by family and friends that you just can't trust a cat and I found out that day that was true. 27 puncture wounds that left me bleeding like I'd been in a knife fight with a crazy person.

[uppityperson]

80. Read this part under the picture. puts a different slant on it...

Game Warden Danny Diaz expected to find an animal a little more fierce than the tabby cat he encountered when he was called to a home on CR 3182 in Cleveland on Friday. The cat, like the one pictured, was mortally wounded by a man who attacked the cat with a knife after the cat reportedly attacked the man. During the struggle with the cat, the man sustained cuts and injuries so serious that he had to be taken by air ambulance to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston. The cat was later euthanized by a Cleveland veterinarian.
contributed

[Doremus]

87. My family always owned cats when I was growing up. Only 1 was insane.

This cat would watch my mother and when she was cooking dinner at the stove, would leap from the floor to the middle of my mother's back and sink in her claws. Mom had to back up into the wall or refrigerator to get it off. Needless to say we didn't have that cat very long.

[bvar22]

90. Hey!!! We got a cat like that.

His nickname is Monkey Butt,
and he will Fuck You Up if you get on his wrong side.
He is the head Mouser, and runs this whole place.

[gkhouston]

92. This sounds like a Darwin Award in progress.

Anyone wanna bet that alcohol was involved? (And no, I'm not talking about the cat.)

[Puregonzo1188]

95. Wait--was the man injured by the cat or the knife?

At some point during the attack, the man and the cat reportedly were injured by a knife the man was holding.

:wtf:

[Brigid]

96. Could the man have been an intruder?

They apparently don't know who he is, which seems odd; and I've heard more than one story about housecats attacking intruders. This story is very poorly written if you ask me.

[LisaL]

99. They know who he is.

This was a feral cat.