Kitty News

62 Cats removed from Man's home

A man had 62 cats removed from his home in Chicago this week, though only 47 of them were alive.  The house was in such a state of disrepair courtesy of cat feces, dead cats and food that the Cook County (the very same as in the Blues Brothers) will have to raze the home.

The South Suburban Humane Society donned protective chemical suits and spent Tuesday and most of Wednesday pulling cats -- alive, dead and nearly dead -- from every feces-covered corner of the home.

Authorities said the 57-year-old owner had been hoarding cats for at least 20 years.

Cat food, litter and waste covered every square inch of the home, and the animals had burrowed into the walls and ceiling. A boneyard of decayed cats covered the lawn behind the property. [Chicago Sun Times]

technorati tags:cat, chicago, cook_county

Lewis Lives

Lewis the cat remains free, but has to stay home.  Not sure how easily this will be managed as some cats like to escape, but hopefully Lewis will be able to stay cool.

A Connecticut judge on Tuesday spared the life of alleged serial-scratcher Lewis the cat, whom even Prozac could not tame, but ordered that the felonious feline remain inside his owner's home at all times. [CNN.com]

technorati tags:cat, judge, connecticut

Imagine this as your neighbor's pet, Kitty

Kitty, a pet owned by Barry and Melissa Collins rests against the fence of his cage Thursday May 4, 2006. County officials may try to force the Collins family to find a new home for Kitty soon, though the family says it will fight the effort. Barry Collins purchased Kitty three years ago, when he was a 5-pound cub at a flea market. Collins said he obtained a state permit to bring the lion into Kentucky and a license to keep it in Floyd County. The lion now weighs over 400 pounds. (AP Photo/Zachary Cantrell)

Newsvine - Appalachian Family Fights to Keep Pet Lion

And you probably thought you had a big cat!

technorati tags:Cat, Kitty, Lion

Dying cat finds an unlikely friend

Here's a heartwarming story about Sammy, a cat who recently passed. While it's difficult to even think of losing a pet, stories like these let us appreciate how special our relationships with our cats can be.

 

Because Sammy was declawed, he was strictly an indoor cat. But he always wanted to go outside. So, in his dying days, Scott decided to let Sammy spend some time outside each day. Sammy enjoyed his time outside the apartment, which is surrounded by woods and wetlands.

A family of deer regularly visits the complex, and one day, Sammy was sitting outside in the grass when two young deer happened by.

Scott watched in astonishment at what occurred next. 

“One walked up to Sammy and they touched noses,” she said. “The deer jumped back and made a sort of a snorting noise, like he was sneezing. It seemed like he was taken by surprise,” she said. 

What she saw next was even more surprising.”The deer started licking him all around the head and neck, and Sammy just sat there allowing the deer to do this,” said Scott. 

For several minutes, the young deer licked the small cat. Scott grabbed her camera and got a picture of the tender scene. 

“It was amazing,” she said. “I truly believe the deer was able to sense that there was something wrong with Sammy and that was why he started licking him, like he was trying to nurture him.”  [KING5 Seattle News]

King5 Seattle News has a slide show featuring Sammy if you'd like to see more of this special kitty.

Technorati Tags: Cat, Personal

Woman Seeks Probation for Her Cat

Poor Lewis...  He's apparently a true attack cat and will have his time in court soon. We'll be watching the trial reports closely!

BRIDGEPORT, CONN. — Lewis the cat, whose alleged attacks have landed his owner in legal trouble, will learn his fate in court next month. Ruth Cisero, the cat's owner, was in court Tuesday on a charge of second-degree reckless endangerment. A hearing was set for June 20 to determine whether she could get special probation and have her cat's life spared.

Cisero recently withdrew her bid for special probation and opted for trial because she would have had to allow Lewis to be euthanized.

"She's on pins and needles," said Eugene Riccio, attorney for Cisero and Lewis. "The animal is important to her. It's a member of her family."

Neighbors say they have been terrorized by Lewis, saying the cat's long claws and stealth have allowed the cat to attack at least a half-dozen people and ambush the Avon lady as she was getting out of her car. One woman that Lewis attacked on Feb. 20 has said in a letter to prosecutors she would only agree to probation for Cisero if the cat were put to death.  [via Newsvine]

Technorati Tags: Cat

Cat's trapper denies blame

I actually heard this story on the news on my way to the train this morning... Seems like the "killer" is justified unfortunately, but should probably still be prosecuted as the method seems to have been more than a bit harsh. It's unclear whether actual discussion took place on prior events or whether he was just a vigilante.

DeSantis, an animal rehabilitator, trapped Regina and Jesse Fagone's Russian blue cat, Coal, in the backyard of his Hyman Avenue home and took him to the Town of Islip Animal Shelter, where it was euthanized. He was formally charged yesterday with cruelty to animals, third-degree criminal mischief and first-degree falsifying business records, among other charges.

DeSantis was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled back in court July 31. He faces up to 4 years in prison.

Eric Naiburg, DeSantis' attorney, described his client as an animal lover who until recently had a host of animals - such as birds and deer - in his backyard that he was treating.

"For 18 years this man has dedicated his life to helping and saving animals," Naiburg said. [Newsday.com]

Technorati Tags: Cat, News

Death by cat bite?

There's no real word on actual cause of death (like infection or perhaps rabies), but apparently a Malasia's first kidney transplant patient died this past March from a stray cat bite while resting in his home:

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA — Malaysia's first and longest-surviving kidney transplant recipient has died after being bitten by a stray cat, a news report said Monday.

Martin Rinyeb, who made history when he received his brother's kidney on Dec. 15, 1975, died on March 25 after being bitten by a cat two days earlier, the New Straits Times reported.

"And we thought he would die of kidney failure," Rinyeb's wife, Diken Dolem, was quoted as saying.

The Times did not say why the news was reported more than two months late. Dolem or other family members could not be immediately contacted.

Rinyeb, 61, was watching television on March 23 when a stray cat entered his house, Dolem was quoted as saying.

"The cat suddenly went up to Rinyeb and bit him on the right ankle," she said. The ankle swelled up the next day and he felt feverish and nauseous. The following day he went to hospital where he died in the evening. [AP Newswire via Newsvine]

Safety First! I've been bitten by my cats many time, and while no inflammation, illness or death has occurred, your mileage may vary.

Technorati Tags: Cat, News

Greenpoint Fire: Survivor Cat

Gothamist (again) notes that:

the Daily News has a feature on - and photograph of - a tabby cat who survived last month's Greenpoint warehouse fire. Smokey, a male cat who suffered "burns and lost the tips of his ears and whiskers," is currently at BARC Shelter in Williamsburg. He was found by a volunteer in her Noble Street backyard in mid-May, and BARC's vet Dr. Elaine Felton says, "He looked worse than he really was. He looked terrible." Smokey looks so sweet - we hope he finds a loving owner to take him home. More: You can see how far Smokey has progressed, as BARC's blog had photos of the kitty on May 22 and May 25 (warning - it's heartbreaking because he looks bad, but it's great to see him looking good now).

technorati tags:Fire, NewYork, Cat

Hero cat predicts epileptic fits!

This is an amazing story from BBC NEWS about a cat who's able to predict when his owner is about to suffer from an epileptic seizure... Man's best friend has nothing on Tee Cee.

technorati tags:Cat, News, health