A north Lakeland, Florida, neighborhood faced a public health scare after Polk County Animal Control said a stray cat bit five people, attacked a puppy, and was later discovered dead beneath a home, as FOX 13 reported.
After residents in the Glen Road area began reporting what they described as unprovoked attacks in early June, Polk County Animal Control and the Polk County Sheriff's Office said the cat was confirmed to have rabies on June 12.
What happened?
In early June, residents started calling animal control about a stray cat that was repeatedly attacking people in the neighborhood, according to the news release.
Investigators revealed the animal was among several cats that 31-year-old Angelica Perez had been feeding and giving names to.
A 33-year-old woman said the cat jumped into her lap while she was in a neighbor's yard, bit one of her fingers, and then charged at her legs until she drove it away with a baseball bat. In another encounter at Perez's home, a 29-year-old man was bitten on both legs.
The cat also attacked a 4-month-old puppy outside Perez's home. Other victims included a 13-year-old boy who was taking out the trash, a 9-year-old girl bitten near her house, and a 16-year-old girl bitten on the knee after trying to play with the animal.
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Animal control officers initially trapped 10 other stray cats while trying to capture the cat.
On June 11, officers found the cat dead under a home after a resident complained of a bad smell. Perez was cited on allegations that she allowed cats to roam, failed to vaccinate the animals, and acted negligently in a way that led to injury.
"This unvaccinated roaming stray cat with rabies attacked and bit five people, and that speaks for itself," Sheriff Grady Judd declared in the release.
Why does it matter?
Health officials told everyone who was bitten to get medical care right away, though authorities have not said whether any victim has developed symptoms or completed the recommended treatment. Perez's dog was also quarantined over potential rabies exposure.
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The sheriff's office warned that putting out food for roaming animals can pose a major public safety risk. Officials also said feral house cats are treated as an invasive species and may carry illnesses that can pass to people, such as ringworm, cat scratch disease, hookworms, and rabies.
They added that the troubling string of incidents appears to have been exacerbated by human behavior, including feeding roaming cats and allowing them to remain at large in the neighborhood.
What can I do?
The sheriff's office said people should avoid feeding or handling animals outdoors unless they are sure the pet has been spayed or neutered and has current vaccinations.
If someone wants to help a stray, the agencies said the safer approach is to trap it humanely, get it vaccinated and sterilized, address parasites, and register it with animal control. That approach can protect the animal while also reducing the risk to nearby residents, children, and pets.
Keep household animals vaccinated and supervised while outdoors. If an unfamiliar cat or dog behaves strangely, avoid contact and report it to local animal control rather than trying to intervene.
If a bite or scratch does occur, seek medical attention immediately and notify local officials so the animal can be located and evaluated.
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