The monster that eats cats
This story has a happy ending, I’ll let you know right now. I wouldn’t tell it to you otherwise.
A few weeks ago, our neighbor came flying over to tell us she’d spotted Charlotte, our dear old kitty, in the bottom of her garden in a very bad way.
Dear god, was she ever. So much blood and fur. Her head was so messed up and bloody I thought she’d lost part of it. I was pretty sure I saw an ear in the grass. She was alive, though — panting hard and shocky.
It was a Sunday (of course). I scooped her up in a towel and Uncle B called around until we found a vet on duty.
She’s fifteen. Learning that visibly changed the vet’s attitude but, do him credit, he gave her a thorough exam (including the usual few expensive tests) and hooked her up to an IV overnight. No broken bones, no internal bleeding, no apparent brain damage (still has both ears, thank goodness). But she wouldn’t stand or respond, except to scream when moved. She tore a bloody strip off a careless veterinary assistant.
The only injuries he could find were two deep, horrible holes with long gouges in the top of her skull, like something with big canines clamped her whole head in its mouth and tried to pull her down into the ditch we found her by. I believe now that our neighbor startled whatever it was – which was more than lucky. No-one goes down that end of the garden much.
She began to purr the moment she knew she was home, but that’s all I could get out of her. For almost a week, she wouldn’t move or eat or focus. I forced water on her with a pipette several times a day (she could swallow okay) but otherwise let her be. I was sure she was starving herself on purpose, the way animals will when they’ve had enough.
But after four or five days, she would lick food off my fingers if I offered it. A couple of days later, she used the litterbox (I was never so thrilled to see a cat turd in my life). A few days after that, she staggered out of the back room and refused to return to her sick bed. She’s unsteady and a little loopy, but she’s positively back and absolutely her old self.
The pic is old. I took some new ones this afternoon, but you have to get close to see the scars, and why would you want to? She looks just the same otherwise. A little skinnier.
We’re so very grateful to have our old girl back. And with that happy thought, we wish you all the best of weekends!
Posted: July 14th, 2017 under animals, badger house, cats, charlotte, personal.
Comments: 32
Comments
Comment from Uncle Badger
Time: July 14, 2017, 9:43 pm
And to round that off, she is asleep by my side on the sofa, as I type.
If I could purr, I would.
Comment from ExpressoBold
Time: July 14, 2017, 9:51 pm
I recommend you contact one Mr. Sherlock Holmes, 221B Baker Street, London, who can tell you not only what beast did this but why and when if you give him this information and answer, truthfully, any resulting questions he may have.
~
You’re welcome!
Comment from Ric Fan
Time: July 14, 2017, 9:54 pm
REVENGE, CHARLOTTE!!!!
Comment from Timbo
Time: July 14, 2017, 10:14 pm
I like a happy ending.
Comment from Here Kitty, Kitty!
Time: July 14, 2017, 11:44 pm
Dame Stoat typed:
>I was never so thrilled to see a cat turd in my life.
Toxoplasmosis gondii is strong in this one.
I wonder what this svelte wench has to say about cat turds.
Comment from Some Vegetable
Time: July 15, 2017, 12:45 am
I am so glad…..
Comment from Deborah HH
Time: July 15, 2017, 1:09 am
Poor Charlotte. I’m glad she decided to stick around.
Comment from QuasiModo
Time: July 15, 2017, 1:32 am
Glad to hear your kitty is okay!
Comment from Uncle Al
Time: July 15, 2017, 1:49 am
I’m so glad she survived what must have been a terrible thing and recovered her good old self.
Our Slinky is an indoor cat: we hear coyotes every few nights in the large field out back.
Comment from Mrs Compton
Time: July 15, 2017, 2:42 am
So glad to hear she is doing okay.
Comment from catnip
Time: July 15, 2017, 8:12 am
Cats instinctively hide their suffering, so poor Charlotte has probably felt even worse than she’s looked. I’m so glad she’s feeling better, thanks to your ace nursing skills.
Comment from durnedyankee
Time: July 15, 2017, 11:13 am
must be the week for sad animal tales. But (as I tell Delilah cat to get the hell out of the way so I can read about Charlotte…) it’s really nice to see one with a good ending!
Best hopes for Charlotte’s recovery!
(and now I’ll give our kitty a hug and let her sit on the keyboard without scooting her away…)
Comment from AliceH
Time: July 15, 2017, 1:14 pm
I wholeheartedly endorse introducing a scary story with an unambiguous statement that it ends well. So. Thanks for that.
Poor Charlotte. Glad she’s recovered from the trauma and that her injuries are on the mend.
Comment from Janna
Time: July 15, 2017, 3:20 pm
Any ideas what got her? Dogs?
Comment from Ric Fan
Time: July 15, 2017, 4:10 pm
You know what likes to bite heads? Bears! Grizzly bears. While you’re pretending to be dead or paralyzed in fear, they sniff around and bump into this round object, and CRUNCH!
What could have attacked Miss C? A dog? Perish the thought! A badger, a weasel, a boar, a bear (do they have bears in the UK?), a snake…..WHAT?!!!
I still say: REVENGE CHARLOTTE!!! If there ever was a time for pitchforks and torches, this is it.
Comment from AliceH
Time: July 15, 2017, 5:51 pm
Did we ever hear what happened to Jack’s tormentor? I recall reading the villain was identified, but not what became of it. Hope Jack is back to safe prowling of his territory and having to deal only with beta cats.
Comment from Ric Fan
Time: July 15, 2017, 8:16 pm
No. The East Sussex Ripper is still on the loose.
Comment from S. Weasel
Time: July 15, 2017, 10:00 pm
The options are limited, Janna. Vet thought a dog, but that’s not likely here — we’re in sheep country. Local dogs are tightly controlled and well-behaved. Could be a dog-walker or an escapee from a car (it was a desperately hot day and there were terrible long traffic jams headed to the beach), but we didn’t hear…anything at all. No owner calling, no barking.
No cat yowling, either. Whatever it was, seems it snuck up and caught her unawares.
Teeth marks too big for weasel, stoat or mink (all of which we have in the area). The injuries might indicate badger, but it was broad daylight, which would be highly unusual.
Best bet is fox. The local farmer who is our main stalwart fox shooter lost his last three chickens to a daring daylight fox attack. They do get desperate enough to hunt in the sun, and when the ditches get low, they act like superhighways.
AliceH, it had been so long since we saw Jack’s tormentor (whose name is Ginge, in case we haven’t mentioned it before), that Uncle B actually called the farm he belongs with and warned them that something in the area was eating cats. They swore they’d seen him recently.
Then our neighbor saw him (at church!) and finally he turned up on our surveillance camera. It had been well more than a month since we’d seen him. So…avoiding our corner of the parish? We yelled at him way back when, but I don’t think that had much impact.
Comment from S. Weasel
Time: July 15, 2017, 10:18 pm
p.s. obviously, grizzly bears were my first thought.
Comment from Durnedyankee
Time: July 15, 2017, 10:38 pm
the Killer rabbit of Caer Bannog?
http://villains.wikia.com/wiki/Rabbit_of_Caerbannog?file=The_Rabbit_of_Caerbannog.jpg
Comment from Janna
Time: July 15, 2017, 11:46 pm
For some reason, I thought foxes were the same size as cats. Glad the old girl is tough.
Comment from Ric Fan
Time: July 15, 2017, 11:58 pm
OT but when am I on topic? I found a good copy of one of my favorite films online: Night of the Generals. I saw it when I was a kid and it sparked my interest in history. It has a great cast, including the wonderful Peter O’Toole, who has one of the best line deliveries: ‘Nobody rots with me.’ You have to see it to appreciate it. He’s great in it.
Comment from Ric Fan
Time: July 16, 2017, 12:40 am
Okay, stoaty, you and Uncle B definitely need to get dashcams:
Comment from J.S.Bridges
Time: July 16, 2017, 5:27 am
SFAIK, y’all don’t have coyotes, there in Merrye Olde, so…my best guess was – Fox!…A large and rather-seriously-hungry one, likely, as well. Was probably upon poor Charlotte near-instantly, and likely only sheered-off by your neighbor’s timely appearance, plus whatever resistance Charlotte was able to muster…A close-run thing, that –
Fortunate, indeed, you were able to get her back, and (mostly-)repaired and recovered. Feline “seniors” such as her really deserve a bit more “peaceful” existence!…
Based on your accounts, you folks certainly DO get plenty of wildlife ’round there…
Comment from AliceH
Time: July 16, 2017, 1:36 pm
Is it certain the head wounds were teeth marks and not, say, from talons? Because I just remembered eagles and hawks are known to snatch up cats.
Comment from Ric Fan
Time: July 16, 2017, 2:34 pm
Read that they sentenced a man in San Jose, CA, to 16 years prison for torturing, killing, and sexually abusing cats. Unfortunately, I suspect he will do half the time or a lot less. 21 cats — probably a lot more. Only 26 so he will have a lot more years to practice his sadism. Hopefully, a pet owner will catch him in the act of kidnapping their pet and shoot him. I for one would never convict the guy.
Comment from Niña
Time: July 16, 2017, 7:03 pm
Scary stuff! I’m glad she escaped and hope she has some good years ahead of her still.
Comment from AltBBrown
Time: July 16, 2017, 7:16 pm
Coyote almost et the outdoor cat. Thankfully the vet’s only a mile away. The tech thought I was joking about the coyote part. I described the sucker and the vet had seen him also. Tried to tear her head off, but somehow she got loose. Vet was terrific – even gave me his personal cell # as it was a Friday, in case any probs over the weekend.
Comment from S. Weasel
Time: July 16, 2017, 8:31 pm
Interesting point, AliceH. We do have plenty of raptors here, though we’ve only seen the little ‘uns. I don’t think a bird of cat-snatching size would go unremarked in the parish.
Comment from BJM
Time: July 17, 2017, 2:01 am
OMG! Charlotte is a ringer for my 16 yr old Molly, right down to the “Orca” nose markings.
I’m so glad she is okay…what a fright!
When we moved to the country Molly became an indoor cat. She wasn’t happy about it for a while but now she’s content to sit on sunny and/or moonlit window sills.
I think you’re right about a fox. The red foxes in our area are the size of a small Border Collie (30-35 lbs) and I’ve seen a pair with 3 kits this summer.
I find fox scat and tracks on the animal track outside our fence lines and occasionally bones.
Comment from Wolfus Aurelius
Time: July 17, 2017, 2:20 pm
Glad to hear about Charlotte’s recovery! Please do keep her indoors from now on. We have occasional reports of coyotes ranging the Noo Awlins area, and while I’ve never seen one (that I know of), I can believe it. I’ve seen raccoons and opossums, and I live in the metro area, not out in the suburbs.
Comment from SCOTTtheBADGER
Time: July 18, 2017, 7:15 am
I am pleased that she is going to be OK. Cats are important.
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