Morgantown residents speak out after possible rabid cat attacks

MORGANTOWN, W.Va (WDTV) - For weeks, residents say an estranged cat had been terrorizing an apartment complex in Morgantown attacking small dogs and residents unprovoked.

One neighbor is currently receiving treatments from a bite she suffered last week and others have been afraid to leave their house following the incident.

“You know, I don’t feel safe with a cat running around biting people and them having to get rabies shots.”

5 News received a tip this afternoon pertaining to a suspected rabid cat attacking neighbors and pets in a Morgantown apartment complex.

Just last week a neighbor was bit and scratched after getting too close to this cat.

I spoke to the wife of the victim who explained the traumatic event which she says caused her to receive multiple rabies shots.

“Her cat had gone outside and they ended up fighting and they were separated and Cassia came out to grab her cat. And when she went to go grab her cat, the grey cat came out from under the car and scratched and bit her. So she had to go to urgent care and start rabies shots,” Shauna Jones said.

However this was just one of many dangerous incidents from this cat. Just as Jerry was taking her dog for walk, the cat attempted to attack her puppy.

Luckily, the dog was not injured.

“Today, it attacks a dog, small dog without being provoked or anything”

5 News reached out to the Mon Count Health Department and they say they’ve had fielded multiple calls about this incident, telling me and the neighbors to safely attempt to capture the cat and bring it to the Humane Society.

Although it isn’t clear whether or not the cat does have rabies, both Shauna and Jerry feel much safer knowing the cat won’t be able to harm anyone else.

“Tried to get someone out here to come pick it up. But they said since it’s been 10 days, since the incident it doesn’t have rabies, but there’s no proof of vaccination of a cat. So it’s better safe than sorry”

“What if that cat would have bite a kid? I mean, I don’t want them to go through the pain of those rabies shots.”

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