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Hi all. I have not posted a question in a while but always read what's up on the forum. I cant think of any place else that may help me figure out what I should do , so thanks in advance!
last night while my family and I were driving and I seen something that just about broke my heart, a young cat walking down the dark sidewalk under a bridge overpass with a bag over her head. She was walking into a wall that ran along the sidewalk.The wall is to stop the big rocks and such from falling into the street. Well I stopped my car in the middle of the busy road ( I can't even remember putting it into park) and jumped out and ran back to the cat. I was not thinking about anything except saving this poor baby and if I could find who did this to her how much time I would spend in jail after I got a hold of them !!!!! Well I grabbed her and tried to pull the bag off but not thinking she was so scared and did not see me or know what was going on. She scratched me up really bad but I keep trying to get the bag off. At this point I could not hold on any longer and I could not bare to put her down and God forbid have her run into the street and be hit by a car. I managed to reach up and put her down on the other side of the wall . Again not thinking this wall was taller then me and I am 5 foot 8. Now I had to try and climb the wall to get her again. By now my husband and daughter are trying to figure out what in Gods name I am doing( they did not see the cat or know why I jumped out of the car) I yelled at them to stay back so as not to scare her anymore ( and to get my car out of the road!!!!). I ran down to the end of the wall and started to climb the big rocks to get behind the wall. I kept a eye out back to where the kitty was . I don't know how but the next thing I seen was the kitten climbing back up the wall With the bag still on her head! I now ran back to the front of the wall and this time very slowly reached for the bag . She was starting to suffocate,all the air in the bag was gone and it was now sucked tight to her face. I reached and fast as I could pulled the bag up !!! I got it!!!! She was the sweatiest faced baby I think I had ever seen ,her big yellow eyes were swollen but the way she stared at me for that one second I feel like she was thanking me. She seamed to be calm but just then a police officer pulled over to see what was going on. He put his lights on to stop the oncoming cars .Well that was all she needed to see, she ran so fast I could not even see where she went. I looked at the bag in my hand and found it to be a small lunch size fritto chip snack bag .I now realized no one put it on her head she was trying to get the cheese crumbs of it and got it so far on her head she could not get it off! Thank God for that cause I think I was more sick to my stomach to think someone did this to her intentionally. There is a high school right to the side of this street and I am guessing she got the bag there .A kid must have thrown it on the ground.
Now that I typed everyone's ear off,my problem..... I asked the officer to call someone from animal control to try and find her and get her off the road and to safety. He said he would but I knew he probably would not. I got back to my car and was trying to explain to my family what was going on and I looked at my hands and arms and I was covered with blood! My husband drove to the nearest wallgreens and we run in .I ran in the bathroom to wash the blood off .My husband brought some alcohol and peroxide and sent my daughter in the bathroom with the stuff. I cleaned up my wounds . My big concern is RABIES. All the searching on line is not helping me . I called animal control to see if the officer ever called someone to try and find the kitty, but as I guessed he did not. I also read online if they trap a stray animal that may have bit or scratched someone they automatically KILL it to test for rabies! Ok, now I did not try and save this kitty just for someone to KILL her! I guess my question is what should I do ? Do I try and find the cat myself? Do I contact my DR. ? Do I call the animal control and beg them to find her but I will pay a vet to test her so they don't kill her? And most of all what are the odds that she would have Rabies????
Just a little health Info on me. I am not in great health, I am a diabetic and believe it or not just yesterday morning my Dr. ran some test to check for cancer. Anyone with advice please!
Thanks ........ Antoinette |
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| Wow what a horrible story. I'm so glad you were able to save the cat. That was a very nice thing you did. I think it would probably be best if you make an appointment with your dr. to have the scratches checked out. I may be wrong but I don't think you can get rabies unless she actually bit you. I'm sorry to hear that you aren't in good health. Keep us updated on what's going on. |
I also think Rabies is only contracted through a bite.
Keep on eye on the cuts. You very well could get an infection from the scratches.
Thank you for helping the kitty!  |
I would also call your Dr. They would know what to do. I know there is a preventative rabies treatment that you can undergo.
There was a boy in town who was bitten by a bear last spring and his mother refused to give him the treatment to prevent rabies (apparently it is similar to taking a course of antibiotics) and therefore the 2 bears had to be killed so the bears could be tested for rabies (both were negative). (They were bears at a zoo and somehow the boy had gotten near enough to them to be bitten). |
Sorry, but I'm pretty sure that rabies can be contracted from a scratch, or any contact with an infected animal, not just a bite.
Kitty was probably fine and ran along home after her good fright. |
Wow, what a story! I'm glad you stopped to try and help the poor kitty. I hope she is ok, and I hope you ar ok too. I would definitely see a doc about the scratches, cat scratches can get infected pretty badly.
She probably didn't have rabies, but I'd discuss that with your doc too...
Sorry you have to go through all this now, but I think you probably saved that cat's life, so thank you  |
Thank's everyone for the feedback . I thought it was only from a bite to, but Ron is right. I called my vet's office and they said you can get it from a cat scratch. They suggested I go to my Dr also. So I am on my way now!
Ron, I like the way your end to the story goes, I hope she has a nice warm home.
I will keep you up to date...
Thanks again.......
Antoinette |
| You're so sweet for helping this kitty. I hope everything goes well at the doctors! |
Try not to worry too much about the rabies. I don't know if you've ever seen a rabid animal in person but they are usually quite sick & disoriented. If the cat ran away like you said it did, it sounds like it was fairly healthy. I would be more concerned about developing some kind of bacterial infection from the cat scratches which can be quite nasty. I hope your doc put you on some antibiotics to be on the safe side...
Thanks for helping the kitty though. It's sad that animals so easily can die from human trash. I don't know if it was on the National news but I saw a deer on TV with its head stuck in a Halloween Trick or Treat plastic pumpkin. It was very sad. |
I am back from the Dr. and very relieved, They put me on antibiotics and some antibiotics ointment for the scratches. The Dr. said she was not too worried about rabies from cat scratches, and there has not been any cases in our area recently. Thank God !
I am still going to try and find the kitty, just because!!!! If I find her I will take her to the vet and then I will keep her. 
I will give her a warm inside home....
I also seen the dear on the news with the Halloween pail on her head. It is strange that you mentioned that because I thought of that when I seen the kitty. 
Thanks to everyone for the advice, and kind words........... |
You might be relieved to know - some estimates are that as
low as 15% of people bitten by a rabies carrying animal
will actually contract rabies.
Also - domesticated animals like dogs and cats are much
more likely to have a natural immunity than a wild animal-
like for instance skunks.
But - there are several phases animals can go through
before they die from rabies, and you may not be able to
tell by observing the animal. And some animals are simply
carriers that never contract symptoms of rabies.(mare rare)
My brother who is a WCO tells me if the cat was infected (and
past incubation) it would not likely have been looking for food.
I wouldn't be as worried about rabies as I would be about
infection from the scratches. They can get nasty - so GLAD
you are on an antibiotic!
Shellie |
Pepsi's Mommy wrote:
I also think Rabies is only contracted through a bite.
Keep on eye on the cuts. You very well could get an infection from the scratches.
Thank you for helping the kitty! |
Sorry Elissa but that is not correct. Rabies is contracted through CONTACT WSITH SALIVA in an open wound NO MATTER HOW SMALL. Although you chance of having contracted the disease is small rabies is almost ALWAYS deadly (people do not survive).
I do not agree with the advice given you by your physician. You should be receiving rabies prophylaxis. My Father had a homeless cat in his house for a long time, he did not get the cat it's shots. One day the cat was startled by him and scratched him badly. The Dr. insisted he have rabies shots and it was reported to animal control .
My daughter and I have both had rabies shots as a result of our cat getting in a fight with a raccoon. Neither of us touched the raccoon but we both touched the cat who was covered in racoon saliva.
I do live in an area where rabies is a serious problem so we are quite concerned about it. You may be in an area that does not have a high incident of rabies but I still believe your Dr. is incorrect. We were seen by an infectious disease Dr, my daughter was very yound at the time and I certainly did not want to put her through the shots without a good reason. The infectious disease Dr said anytime you come into contact with the saliva of an unknown animal you must have the shots.
A rabies series is not the "big" deal it used to be, It is a series of shots given weeks apart and no longer in the stomach. I don't know what the rabies incident is in your area, perhaps you could contact your local Health Department for more information. |
Thanks Shellie ,I felt better after reading your reply until I read Ginny's ....LOL 
I feel fine, as a matter of fact I have been doing the X-mass stuff all day today. I got to say though I have had that weird feeling that maybe I should be getting shots with the antibiotics!
I keep thinking "what if" ..... I would rather get some shots, than DIE ... Who would take care of my Sheepie 
But really, I think since tomorrow is Monday I may just call another Dr. and get another opinion. I will call a infectious disease Dr.( Great idea - I would have never thought of that! ) and the health department.......
It is better safe than sorry........
Thanks ,
Antoinette |
| Good Luck and keep us posted!!!! As a nurse I suppose I am overly cautious, but I think you should call your local health department for advice. |
Thanks for saving that kitten and sorry you're having a problem because of it.
I've heard of a dog suffocating from getting their nose stuck in a cereal box, very sad.
I hope everything goes ok for you. And I hope that kitten scurried off to a nice warm home. |
| I would be more worried about infection than rabies especially if there have not been any reported cases in your area. That said it is your health and not mine. I think before I went through rabies shots I would look for the kitten. It probably did not go far. |
Oh Antionette! What a good soul you are for what you did for that cat. I like you already!! 
I really hope everything is okay and that by some miracle you do find that kitty and give it a forever home if it needs one. Please keep us updated as to what happens.
Marianne and the boys |
OESnewbies wrote:
I would be more worried about infection than rabies especially if there have not been any reported cases in your area. That said it is your health and not mine. I think before I went through rabies shots I would look for the kitten. It probably did not go far. |
Infection can be cured, rabies cannot.
I am may be overly cautious but I live in an area where rabies is common and EVERY strange animal is presumed to be rabid til proven otherwise. I would feel a whole lot better if she finds the kitten. |
Hi everyone.
I finally have a second to update all you kind caring people. I did go back to another Dr. and they also said they were not so worried about rabies ,they felt my scratches are healing very well and again checked to find there have been no rabies in this part for a good long time. I told them I would rather be safe than sorry but they keep saying not to worry. So, I guess that's it. I was a little upset but all the DR. are saying the same thing.
I feel great and as I said the scratches are almost gone.Best of all some test the Dr. had done to check for Cancer, just hours before this happened came back negative!!!!! .. sounds silly but I feel it is like a "Pay it forward" thing. I did a good thing and a good thing came in return!!!
I just wish I could find the kitty. I have gone and looked everyday and every night. My husband seems to think she does have a home and just strayed off a little due to the bag on her head and not seeing where she was going. I will probably always look when I drive by there wishing to find her. I would still keep her, and make her a inside only kitty, safe and warm!
Well, thank you all for your advice and your kind words .I will see ya's at other post.
P. S..... And if I ever find the kitty you will be the first to know ..... |
Hey Bandaa....first off...good for you! pay it forward does work...its an amazing thing...2nd i just noticed that you live in franklin, my twin just moved away from there to savannah...and wants to move back soooo badly...she misses that area so much..not to mention the schools, the downtown..etc..
I love visiting there too...your antique stores rock! and there is a cute little resturant that we went to in downtown franklin, i dont remember the name, but it was yummy!!
also, have you gone into the Iron Gate...shabby chic store? I tripped over my sister and Faith Hill gave us a weird look! |
| Good to hear the good news. |
| Good news!! I've been worried about you (I'm a professional worrier). |
Tasker's Mom wrote:
Good news!! I've been worried about you (I'm a professional worrier). |
that she is |
Ginny thank you for worrying you are sweet. I do feel great.
Darcy, yes ,yes and yes ! Franklin is the bomb!! I just moved here a little over a year ago and I love it sooo much. Down town Franklin is great and The Iron Gate my favorite store. I can see the Faith Hill thing , too funny. LOL.. 
Have you gone to mellow mushroom pizza ?OMG great food and great atmosphere.
The new face in town is Nichol Kidman and it is so funny that people are at a lost of words around her but Keith is like one of us ordinary folks. My daughter works at Target after school and she told me everyone goes googoo over her and Keith is like 'what about me?' 
Why did your sister move? I hope for her sake she gets to move back . I got to say it is a great life here! I would not trade it for the world. She probably knows the community I live in ,ask her if she knows Mckay mills? Down on Liberty pike.
Antoinette |
Lisa Loves mellow mushroom, ive yet to eat there...I cant remember the name of the subdivision that lisa lived in...but it was super close to downtown...you must shop at the same target that lisa did....she always saw ashley judd with her husband there......
Her husband is a GM for a hotel, and he was transfered to Savannah.....he has at least 3 yrs left there...she is trying with all of her might to get back though... |
Yep, same Target. My daughter said Ashley Judd is always in there .
I hope your sister will eventually get to move back.
Harley had his first taste of snow the other day, we were 15 degrees.... BERRRR. 
It was so funny to watch him try and catch the snow flakes.
If you ever get to come to Franklin with panda we should set a play date! People around here go NUTS over sheepies (It is so funny). We can't get through the front doors at pets mart without a crowd.
Antoinette |
