My cat got attacked by a raccoon

[Tara]

One of my cats got attacked by a raccoon late Thursday night. He's ok right now but really sore and has a broken leg.

I was sitting in on the computer at about 2:00 am Thursday night and though I heard what was cat fight. I started out the door to break up the fighi and say 2 racoons in the middle of the street and what I thought at 1st was cat up in the tree. I then heard some weird screeming sound in the tree and realized it was a baby racoon.

I then looked in to my driveway and saw another racoon beating up my cat Opie. I started screaming and none of them moved. I then ran in the grabbed stuff to throw at the racoon. I threw a pan and part of my vaccuum cleaner and the raccoon that was beating up Opie still didn't move. It finally ran away when I started pounding on the window screaming.

Actually it didn't run away it just moved away from my cat. Three adult raccoons and the baby all stood in the middle of street "talkling". I stood in my door way screaming at them and finally they started accross the street.

At this point I didn't know where my cat was or how bad he was hurt. I tried calling him in the from door and one of my other cats came in. She was ok. I then went the back porch and called him. I heard heavy breathings and opened the door.

There was poor Opie with blook all over his face. He actually made it up the step after the 2nd try. His back hind leg paw was dragging a long while he was walking.

At this point I screamed and woke my husband up. Somehow we went through the phone book started calling vets offices and got the number of a 24 vet hospital which was about 30 minutes away. We hopped in the car with the cat (in a crate) and took him there.

He ended up staying there until late saturday morning. He's now home and we have to take care of him. We need to keep his wounds clean, do phsysical therapy on this right leg, medicate him, etc. He's is really sore right now and not really able to move so we also have keep changing his bedding when he goes to the bathroom.

If this wasn't bad enough, we also have to other cats and have decided to keep them in at night. They aren't too happy about that...lol. I stayed down stairs last night with opie and tried to sleep on the coach. I swear everytime I fell asleep my other 2 took turns meowing to go out...

[Draga]

Awe Hugs Tara, Sorry That Happend but am glad he is ok...He is a Lucky Cat to have such caring owners

[FlakeyGirl]

What a bunch of bullying thugs! I'm glad Opie is okay. How long will he be recovering? I think your other cats may have other motives besides the usual cat strolling around stuff, they want revenge for Opie.

[jaimegerise]

Awwww poor catdoot.....

give him a treat and a fresh cockroach to play with LMAO

[Tara]

Well, I have some sad news... Opie passed away right after I wrote this. My husband is really upset. Opie was his grandmother's cat and his grandmother died about 3 years ago. So, I think it brings all that back too.

[Draga]

Tara BIG HUGSSSSSSSSSSS I am sooo Sorry....If I see a raccoon out here I kick em in da bullseye just for Opie.

[Ian]

So sad. ouch.

[jaimegerise]

Hugs to Tara and her hubbydoot, may Opie be in that big kitty playpen in the sky.

[krisp]

Sorry to hear about Opie, Tara! (Especially since he had extra-special meaning to your family.) I hope your other cats get used to their loss of freedom soon ... you definitely don't want them hanging out with that crowd.

[QueensU_girl]

Gosh, hard to control if they like to sneak out. Some kitties can be so fast!

I worry about parasites and them being attacked. Raccoons (and their poop) can carry Leptospirosis ("Lepto") and Roundworms.

I never [ever] let my cats out. They are all spayed/neutered and seem to be happy not to wander.

Learned my Lesson: One cat we let out (when I was younger) was HBC (hit by a car) and died. Never again!

Outdoor VS Indoor mortality:
-The average outdoor f/t"street cat's" lifespan is only ~2 years, I once read.
-Indoor cats can reach close to 20 years.

[QueensU_girl]

Sorry to read the update. [We have raccoons around here and they really go bananas protecting their babies too.]
I feel bad for everyone and all the animals involved. Gosh.

[DimensionX]

racoon would meet my size twelves if they picked on my cat!.....mind you, the cat in question has cornered a whimpering sheperd dog and other dogs are scared of it so it might not need help but still point stands

[DimensionX]

my cat is both indoor and out and is currently 15

[~Ødd~Scr~θθball]

Hi Tara, I am so sorry about the loss of your cat, Opie. I know all too well how emotionally painful such a loss can be. As many know I am a diehard cat lover~we are owned by 8 of them. It is not uncommon for racoons to attack other animals{Usually dogs} but I was wondering if those racoons could have possibly been rabid and the possible exposure of your injured cat to your inside cats.Mind you I'm not saying Opie contracted Rabies but here in the Georgia mountains there have been 6 confirmed cases of Rabid racoons and one rabid bat and I'm sure the disease is crosses state lines. I only mention this out of concern and as a pre~caution for All Pet owners to have their beloved pets Vaccinated against this fatal disease.
{{{{Hugs and Peace, Tara for the tragic loss of your very special kitty.}}}}}

[Persephone]

Hello Tara,
I'm very sorry that you and your husband lost Opie
It's so sad when a loved one (including our precious pets) passes away.
Persephone