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Brookline cat attacked by possibly rabid raccoon
By adamg on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 9:03am
The Brookline Health Department is warning residents to stay away from wild animals after a raccoon suspected of having rabies attacked a north Brookline resident's pet in daylight hours - a few weeks after a rabid raccoon was picked up in Jamaica Plain.
Two bats captured in Brookline also recently tested positive for rabies.
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Comments
Dead fat raccoon
There was a road-killed, trash-fattened raccoon hit by a car yesterday morning in Brighton near the Brookline border (not exactly North Brookline though). I reported it to the city and they cleaned it up the same day. I hope they tested it instead of just (ironically) tossing it in a garbage bag.
Ah, so it was you!
I just saw that report on Citizens Connect.
Because I have no life ...
Yeah
I figured the "trash-fattened" would give me away. ;)
I don't think they test roadkill racoons.
but I could be wrong.
"Possibly rabid"
For whatever reason, people in our community (I-495 land) feel compelled to call police every time they see a wild animal - fox, raccoon, coyote, etc. It's pretty silly. And, they always want to include "possibly rabid" in their report, I'm guessing because they feel it will get more attention. Again, pretty silly.
Re: "Possibly rabid"
Well, since it's extremely unusual for a "normal" raccoon to a) be out during the day and b) bite a cat, in this case I think the use of "possibly rabid" is warranted.
It's not extremely unusual
Stick to the city, Hillary, it's not "extremely unusual" nor is it cause for alarm to see a raccoon during the day. It's not common, but by no means is it extremely unusual.
As for biting the cat, it was most likely defending itself.
Anways, my point was that people like to say "possibly rabid" not because they think the animal is actually rabid, but because they feel saying that will warrant more attention.
I don't know about that... I
I don't know about that... I grew up out in the middle of nowhere, and was indoctrinated at a young age to fear nocturnal animals who were out and about during the day. It's possible that this particular one had adjusted its schedule for daytime foraging, but you should still give it a wide berth; raccoons are nasty and dangerous in the best of situations, and rabid ones are apt to attack humans without provocation. (And no cat in its right mind would attack something that big)
It's also worth mentioning that they killed a rabid one in Jamaica Plain just a couple of weeks ago; these aren't idle fears by city slickers.
Simply not true
So that makes it a fact? It simply is not true. Sorry to call your parents liars. ;-)
But you are right, always give wild animals a wide berth, whether it's day or night, because, well, they're wild. Gee.
Opportunistic Racoons
Racoons seem to be able to adjust their schedule to suit their foraging opportunities. Is there trash to be had? Not a lot of people out? Well then, trash day buffet is ON!
I've even seen them fishing herring out of the Mystic during the herring run, in evening daylight.
However, they aren't typically aggressive toward pets, let alone attack them. That's a sign that rabies might be involved. Ditto for rabies being reported in the population in the area.
Cats and dogs get routine vaccinations. This is why!
What ever happened to the idea of
keeping pets indoors? Just take a look at all the lost cat and dog posts on craigslist. It is nuts! Cats and small dogs fall prey to wildlife everyday. A local wildlife photographer just this week took a photo of a Great Horn Owl in Medford with a dead animal, at first believed to be a rabbit, in its talons. On closer look, the dead animal is a CAT, and a decent-sized one at that. Vaccines are necessary, of course, but keeping our furry loved ones indoors is the best protection against wildlife - rabid, or otherwise.