All I want for Christmas is my rabies vaccination

[heykellymichelle]

I've lived a few other places in my life, but ONLY at home in South Jersey would Santa get attacked by a bobcat in a stripmall photo shoot. DANG it's good to be home!!!



Large cat attacks Santa during photo shoot
By ELAINE ROSE Staff Writer, Press Of Atlantic City 609-272-7215

Published: Wednesday, December 10, 2008

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP - A naughty feline, possibly a pet bobcat, can expect coal in its stocking for Christmas after it bit Santa Claus while having its picture taken during a fundraiser for an animal-rescue group, officials said Tuesday.
Santa will probably have to get a series of rabies shots because the owner picked up her cat and left after the incident without leaving her name and address.

The PetsMart store was doing a Santa Paws photo event Sunday to benefit the Penny Angel's Beagle Rescue, when a woman walked through the store with an "odd-looking cat," Penny Angel President Joan Kerr said Tuesday. Kerr 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 said.

Jonathan Bebbington, 47, of Vineland, said he was playing Santa Claus and holding pets for pictures, when the woman brought a bobcat or hybrid to him at about 11:30 a.m.

"The poor thing was terrified with the dogs" in the area, but they 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," and could probably have bitten the hand off a baby or small child.

Bebbington estimated the cat, named Benny [pictured below], weighed about 30 pounds, and was "still a kitten." The owner told him it 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. The woman lives in Egg Harbor Township and told volunteers she keeps the cat on a dog lead in her yard during the day.

PetsMart conducts the Santa Paws events, sells the pictures for $10 and later turns over half the proceeds to the animal-rescue group, Kerr said. The events will continue as scheduled for the next two weekends.

Bebbington said he washed his six puncture wounds, put antibiotics on them and went to see his doctor Monday. The doctor gave him a tetanus shot and said he will have to go through a painful series of rabies shots unless the owner comes forward with the cat's vaccination records. The first shot is scheduled for Thursday.

"I don't want anything to happen to the cat. It's a beautiful animal and was naturally scared," Bebbington said, who works as a locksmith at South Woods State Prison. But he does wish the owner would come forward with the animal's medical records so that he might be spared the 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.

"I've had snakes on me, I've had parrots on me and never had a problem," he said.

Bebbington said he is gaining national notoriety on account of his ordeal. He is scheduled to travel to Philadelphia this morning to do an interview for MSNBC

He will continue to play Santa for pet pictures, but will not accept an animal that looks like it might become aggressive, Bebbington said.

"It's a good cause," he said.



E-mail Elaine Rose:

ERose@pressofac.com

[gottaflylee]

heykellymichelle,
should be easy to find out through FDA as most exotic pets have to be registered with them...

[Avenger]

Whatinthehell is the matter with people? Why on God's green earth do people want to keep a critter like that for a pet? And second, even if you think that's okay why expose the public to it and then bail when the thing injures someone? This woman needs a good beating with a dead cat.

[Fish Biz]

Man I wish there was video of that. Only in NJ. It sucks the guy will have to go through the rabies shots I hear thats no picnic. Thanks Tim