2008.12.10
Big kitty makes it to Santa's naughty list
Earlier this week when I suggested that more pet parents needed to take their kitties to see Santa, I swear this is NOT what I had in mind.
Apparently the owner of a pet bobcat (um, yeah, a BOBCAT, not a cat named Bob) brought him to PetSmart in New Jersey to have his hoiday picture taken. During the photo shoot, the big kitty chomped down on Santa Claus.
Ouch. Way to make it to the naughty list, kitty.
According to a story on the pressofatlanticcity.com Web site, the PetSmart store was hosting the photo event Sunday to benefit a beagle rescue group when a woman walked through the store with an "odd-looking cat." Joan Kerr, president of the rescue group, said she was busy with the dogs up for adoption and did not approach the strange feline, but someone told her it was a bobcat.
"It had absolutely huge paws, like 3 inches around," Kerr is quoted in the report.
Jonathan Bebbington said he was playing Santa Claus and holding pets for pictures, when a woman brought what appeared to be a bobcat or some sort of wildcat-hybrid to him at about 11:30 a.m.
"The poor thing was terrified with the dogs" in the area, but volunteers got the animal on his lap for a picture, Bebbington said. Then the cat got out of control.
"It bit my wrist and my hand several times. It actually drew blood," Bebbington said. "It had very powerful jaws and big teeth."
Bebbington estimated the cat, named Benny, weighed about 30 pounds, and was "still a kitten." The owner told him Benny would grow to be about 55 pounds.
By time the picture was developed and a volunteer turned to hand it to the owner, the woman and the cat had disappeared, Kerr said.
"Her last words were 'I have a permit and the cat has all his vaccines,'" Kerr said.
The woman told people in the store that she had bought the cat from a breeder in Wyoming for $1,500 and had it shipped to New Jersey, Kerr said.
"I don't want anything to happen to the cat. It's a beautiful animal and was naturally scared," Bebbington said. But he does wish the owner would come forward with the animal's medical records so that he might be spared a series of rabies shots.
PetSmart has offered to pay his medical bills, Bebbington said.
Bebbington said he has played Santa Claus for several years and has never been bitten by a pet before Sunday. The worst thing to happen was that a small dog urinated on him*.
Bebbington is being more compassionate about this incident than I think I would be. I am not sure I would voluntarily hold a predatory, woods-dwelling critter for a flash photo, and I sure would be upset if the little beast bit me and the owner just left without an offer to pay the medical bills and produce the cat's vaccination records.
The report did not indicate if the owner even apolgized for her "cat" taking a bite of Santa. Coal in her stocking this year, for sure.
So, to all you kitty lovers out there who said you wouldn't take your feline for a Santa photo for fear of the ensuing chaos, you now know you were right to follow your instincts. I am pretty sure bobcats eat kitty cats. Benny might have wanted another snack before he left the store.
(Photo from www.pressofatlanticcity.com)
(*Okay, so now I feel a little better that Dexter only peed on Santa's chair, not directly on Santa.)
My cat can't stand being in the car (you can imagine what moving from Florida to Virginia was like). So, I've never thought to take her to see Santa. My kids even feel they're too old to see the big guy. So, I guess we don't have to worry about seeing any bobcats.
Now, the cat I had as a child was named Spooky (no she wasn't black, but her birthday WAS on Halloween) and her vet had the word "fractious" on her chart. She might have been a good match for that bobcat.
Comment by Amy Hanek — December 10, 2008 @ 10:30 am
It is very pretty, though! I didn't even know you could have a bobcat as a pet. I wonder if they act like housecats or if they are trying to stalk you all of the time.
Hmmm, actually, that is what my housecat has been doing a lot of lately . . .
Comment by Michelle — December 10, 2008 @ 10:41 am
Who has a bobcat as a domestic pet...honestly? I guess if Michael Jackson can have tigers and monkeys as pets...
Perhaps Santa was seen as a tasty treat in Benny's eyes.
Comment by Danielle Dunaway — December 10, 2008 @ 12:11 pm
Now that's a very generous Santa! Poor guy.
Amy, I had a Spooky cat growing up too. We actually had a Spooky I, II and III. I named the last one when I was four years old and it was only half black, but I just figured a cat was supposed to be named Spooky!
Comment by Heather Froeschl — December 10, 2008 @ 12:35 pm
That woman must have been looking for attention and she got it - just not in the way she anticipated! Who spends $1500 for a wild animal anyway? It is a beautiful cat and it would be neat to have one but most normal people realize that it's not the best idea in the world. You've got to question her sanity (and her ego).
Kudos to the Santa though. He realizes it was not the poor cat's fault and he's not jumping headfirst into our lawsuit-happy society. Hopefully the woman will come forward so that he can avoid the rabies shots. That's the least she could do.
Comment by Kim — December 10, 2008 @ 2:49 pm
My goodness...I can't imagine taking a wild animal into a store or even having one at home. They are beautiful...in the wild. To think I was worried about my dog and kitties going after Santa...they wouldn't have done anything as bad compared to a Bobcat!
Comment by Deborah — December 10, 2008 @ 6:58 pm