When Animals Attack

Yesterday, Cookie, a cat I gave to my sis Serene, was put to death, by my own decision.

"So what do you want to do with it?" The pet handler asked.
My heart almost stopped, but I had to make the call, I can't risk having such a powerful and unpredictable tomcat staying with 3 old folks anymore.

"Put it to sleep..."

Siti cried, my sis cried on the line when she heard it from me. But we all know it was inevitable.

Whatever happened took place so fast that I'm not sure if I got it all down correctly.

After ferrying my grandma and mum to the dentist, we decided to drop by their place for awhile. Cookie, as usual, greeted us with some whining and grumbling, as if to chide us for being away so long. We all know that he must have missed Serene, who got married and moved out about 6 months ago. I played with it for a few minutes before settling down to read the papers. Cookie then went over to Siti smell her feet, then her bermudas, then her blouse. We know he can pick up our own cat's scent coz Allie, my fat cat, has been sleeping on it for the past day or so. But this is not the first time so it's nothing unusual.

Siti and mum then decided to look at some stuff in Serene's vacated room. Next I know, Siti was calling out, Kevin Help! Kevin Help! Cookie is biting me!

I got up and walked over to the room, thinking that the cat is probably playing with her, but what I saw next shocked me.

My mum was running away from Cookie, after being badly scratched on the leg by him when she tried to stop it from biting Siti. The cat chased after my mum and pounced on her, clinging on to her right arm with it's razor sharp claws, scratching and biting her at the same time. She flung it to the floor in pain. Immediately, I tried to lift it up by the fold of skin behind it's neck and shoulders with my left hand, as this method is known to relax cats. But, apparently, this cat has forgotten how to relax. It spun around forcefully, biting and scratching my wrist, causing my grip on him to loosen. Then it pounced on me, this time clinging on to my right arm and sinking it's fangs into it. I now know that this is no longer the Cookie we knew and so loved, it has lost it's mind. I thought of flinging the cat out the 14th floor window but couldn't make myself do it, having watched it come out of it's mother's womb right up to this day, 7 years later, so instead, I just bit my lip and bear with the pain, grabbed it by it's torso, and pushed it, back first, into a pile of junk, at the same time shouting at Siti and mum to get out of the room.

At that moment, the cat went berserk, clawing away at my right hand viciously. The pain got to me again as I quickly released the cat. It jumped out of the rubble and started to approach me again. I told my mum to remain still as I retreated slowly out of the room with Siti behind me. I shut the door behind it so that my mum is isolated. But now I'm being cornered by it, every sound and movement from us was deemed threatening. My concern now is for my wife hiding behind me, and my grandma, cooking up a storm in the kitchen, oblivious to the severity of the situation. I tried shouting at her to unlock the door and gate and lock herself in her room but, being partially deaf, she couldn't hear me. I guess ignorance truly is bliss! She later saw us cowering in the corner and even tried making some noise and calling the cat! I used the universal hand signal to tell her to keep quiet and to shut herself in the room. But she didn't get it.

After about 15 minutes of standing motionless in the corner, Siti called 999 using her mobile. The operator must have thought we were joking, but she said a despatch is on the way anyway.

I then shouted at my grandma to switch off the TV, and then told her to leave the gates unlocked for the police and shut herself in the room. Hearing the word police finally made her realize that we were facing a dangerous beast now. She finally did as I said.

After another 15 minutes, the police finally arrived. 2 men in blue. I told them to grab a few big towels as they managed to distract the cat. Cookie then started to turn his attention to the newly arrived strangers and started to move slowly towards them. Quickly, I asked Siti to get in the room to find me a towel. She got me a big, quilted blanket. Even better. Slowly, we closed in on Cookie and cornered him into the toilet. The cop tried to capture the cat with the blanket but after about 15 minutes, they too gave up. Without the right equipment, it was just too strong and risky for us to do it safely.

After a few phone calls, I got a number from the SPCA, and they gave me the number to a guy named Francis, a professional pet-handler/problem-solver. He laughed at first upon hearing that the police were involved but said that he will be here anyway, with the proper equipment, I reminded him.

Half an hour later, this tall specky guy came, with a pvc pipe with nylon loops at both ends and a cage in his hands. According to him, he's been doing this for 15 years, so he should have seen it all.

The loop was slowly manoeuvred around Cookie, who was at this time screaming loudly at this new threat and pooing uncontrollably out of fear and desperation, and with a quick tug at the other end, choke-held the cat around it's neck. It's attempt to scratch the pvc pole and to break itself free were in vain. Francis quickly stuff the cat into the cage. It was over in about 5 minutes.

He said that in his 15 years, he's never seen a domesticated house cat gone so crazy like this. Must have been due to the pent-up sexual urge over the past 7 years, noting that it wasn't neutered. Maybe it's trying to protect it's owner's room from unfamiliar people with other cat's scent on our body. He said that this is a very dominant tomcat, judging from it's ferocity and its bulky and round head, and it will probably kill the other male strays in the neighbourhood had it been let loose. Then he asked me the dreaded question.

With a lump in my throat, I told him my painful decision, and said our last goodbyes to Cookie...

Damage assessment. I have mostly lacerated wounds mostly caused by the cat clinging onto my arm and tearing away with it's hind legs, plus a few puncture wounds from it's fangs. Some minor cuts and bruises on my legs and knees when I struggled to hold it down.

Mum was worse off. Cookie took a chunk of her skin off her arm, about the size of two 10 cent coins, and we can see the flesh and the fats from the gaping wound. Took 5 stitches to patch it up. Her right leg also has a few scratches about 5 to 8cm long.

$80 for Francis, $20 for SPCA to put Cookie to sleep, $135 for patching us up. But money was the last thing on my mind then... poor Cookie...

On my way back from the clinic, my car also ran over a bird. So I guess that's 2 lives I've ended now in just one day...

Rest in Peace, Cookie...