Police Rescue Family, Dog From Violent House Cat; Animal 'Went Over Edge' Held Them Hostage After 'Kick' for Scratching Baby
A 22-pound housecat forced a family in Portland, Ore., to call 911 Sunday when it "went over the edge" and held them and their dog hostage after it was "kicked" for attacking a baby.
A release from the Portland Police Bureau said Central Precinct officers responded to a call at about 7:55 p.m. Sunday from an apartment complex called The Yards where the fat cat reportedly attacked a baby and was preventing the family from leaving their bathroom.
According to the 911 call on the incident reported by FOX 12 the cat, a black and white Himalayan, forced Lee Palmer, his girlfriend, Teresa Barker, and their son, Jesse, to take cover in a bedroom until police were able to orchestrate a their rescue from the "ferocious feline."
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The cat reportedly flew into a rage after Palmer, who says the Himalayan has a "history of violence," kicked it for scratching Jesse.
"He's trying to attack us," said Palmer on the 911 call. "He's very, very, very, very hostile."
"He's got kind of a history of violence," Palmer told the 911 dispatcher. "He's kind of a violent cat already. But he's really bad right now."
According to the Portland Police Bureau release: "The 911 operator stayed on the phone with the caller to insure the family, including the dog, remained safe in the bedroom as the cat screeched in the background."
Police say when they got to the scene of the attack, the house cat known as "Lux" tried to escape custody.
"Officers arrived and cautiously opened the door to the residence, where they saw the black and white Himalayan dart into the kitchen, attempting to flee custody. Officers were able to outwit the high-strung Himalayan, who climbed on to the top of the refrigerator, and got a snare around the cat and safely got the cat behind bars in its crate," said the release.
The police then told the family it was safe to exit the bedroom and left the caged animal in their care.
Although the incident now seems like an episode from a funny TV show, the scratched baby's mother said it was quite serious when it was happening.
"It's only funny when it's not happening to you," said Barker, with a laugh. "When this happens to you, I assure you, you will do the same thing."
