In continuation from Wednesday…
Feral cats are susceptible to a variety of different diseases that are transmitted from cat to cat, and ones that are transmitted from animal species to humans. Feline AIDS, FIP, Feline Leukemia, and the most notable and worrisome disease is rabies. Rabies is contracted from cat to human via the bite of a cat.
This week my teen daughters and I made a run to the grocery store. One of the workers that we know happened to mention that there were two kittens outside under the grocery carts that were abandoned by the mother cat. Being cat lovers, my daughters asked if they could go see them. It did not occur to me that they were in any sort of danger so I said they could go. Oddly, a wildlife rescue person and her son also arrived who wanted to capture the two kittens. While I finished shopping they all scurried around trying to wrangle the two balls of fluff. As I walked outside, my I heard my daughter say “I got it” as she was pulling a kitten out from under the carts. Within a second the docile kitten turned on her and repeatedly dug its teeth deep into the flesh of her hand with claws tearing up her other hand and arm. Wanting to free my daughter, I ran to help and tried to grab the feral cat by the scruff. It was then that I was horribly bitten as well on the thumb.
The wildlife rescue lady rushed over, took possession of the kitten and put it in her car. As she continued to look for the second cat, we proceeded to gush blood profusely. A trip in the store yielded some help at the pharmacy where we were told that we must go to the hospital immediately because feral cats could have rabies.
Please check back on Monday for the conclusion.