There are a lot of heartfelt stories on the internet about people feeding stray cats and eventually welcoming them into their homes as family companions. For one elderly couple in New Jersey, however, their kindness toward a stray cat literally came back to bite them. So, what happened with this unfortunate situation?
Many People Pick Up Stray Animals On The Street
All over the internet, people make videos showing off picking up stray cats and dogs off the street and giving them a home. Most of the time, these acts of kindness work out well for both parties. The human in the equation gets a companion to keep them company or to take their minds off of some crisis or tragedy in their lives, and the animal gets a loving home.
Unfortunately, there are some outlier stories as well, where these acts of kindness go awry, and things have a far worse outcome by the end than they did going into it. Unfortunately, the latter was the case for an elderly couple in New Jersey who started feeding a stray cat. So, what happened here?
Stray Cat With Rabies Turns On Couple In Violent Attack
Authorities in New Jersey recently issued a “rabies alert” after a feral cat attacked an elderly couple who had been feeding it. An animal control officer described the horrific situation, saying that there was an “absolutely shocking” amount of blood.
According to PEOPLE, “On Tuesday, Oct. 21, a police officer responded to a report of ‘a cat attacking an elderly couple,’ police said. Upon arrival, the officer attended to the couple’s wounds and requested the help of animal control officer ‘Robbie,’ who later identified himself as Robert Lagonera. Lagonera captured the feral cat, who ‘the couple had been feeding outside for the past several years,’ police said. The feline, who had ‘signs of injury to its face from a wild animal,’ tested positive for rabies. The cat was euthanized.”
It is suspected that a raccoon gave the feral cat rabies over a fight for food, as the cat had injuries to its face and nose, suggesting that it had been attacked before eventually attacking the elderly couple. The rabies virus is often transmitted through raccoons, and residents have been urged not to leave cat food out overnight, so as to prevent a situation like this from happening again.
According to the CDC, rabies “can be spread to people and pets through the bites and scratches of an infected animal. Rabies primarily affects the central nervous system, leading to severe brain disease and death if medical care is not received before symptoms start.”
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Evan Morgan has been a full-time freelancer for over a decade. When he’s not writing about the latest TLC gossip, he enjoys listening to music and catching up on the latest scripted drama or true crime documentary.
