LAKELAND, Fla. – A rabid stray cat terrorized a north Lakeland neighborhood, biting five people and attacking a puppy before dying under a home, according to reports from Polk County Animal Control.
The state laboratory in Tampa confirmed the animal had rabies on June 12, prompting health officials to urge all victims to seek immediate medical treatment.
Lakeland Stray Cat Attack
What we know:
Residents in the Glen Road area of north Lakeland contacted animal control officers during the first week of June after a roaming cat began attacking people unprovoked.
Investigators discovered the rabid animal was one of many cats being named and fed by 31-year-old Angelica Perez.
The animal control report details a string of violent encounters across the neighborhood:
- A 29-year-old man was bitten on his legs while at Perez’s home.
- A 33-year-old woman was attacked in a neighbor’s yard, where the cat jumped into her lap, bit her finger, and later charged her legs, forcing her to defend herself with a baseball bat.
- A 16-year-old girl was bitten on the knee while trying to play with the cat.
- A 9-year-old girl was bitten on the leg by the cat outside her home.
- A 13-year-old boy was ambushed by the cat at the end of his driveway while taking out the trash.
- A 4-month-old puppy was attacked by the cat outside Perez’s home while a neighbor watched.
Officers initially set multiple traps but captured 10 unrelated stray cats, which were segregated into kennels.
On June 11, a homeowner reported a foul odor, leading officers to find the deceased cat under a Glen Road home.
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Perez was cited for allowing cats to roam, failing to vaccinate the animal, and negligence resulting in injury.
Her personal dog has also been placed in quarantine due to rabies exposure.
Health Department Investigation
What we don’t know:
Officials have not yet confirmed whether any of the victims have begun showing symptoms or if they have successfully completed their post-exposure medical treatments. It remains unknown if any of the other 10 trapped stray cats have been infected or if they will eventually be euthanized.
Feral Overpopulation Danger
Why you should care:
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office warns that feeding roaming animals creates a severe threat to public safety. Feral domestic cats are considered an invasive species that carry zoonotic diseases transmissible to humans, including ringworm, cat scratch disease, hookworms and rabies.
Sheriff Judd Statement
What they’re saying:
“This unvaccinated roaming stray cat with rabies attacked and bit five people, and that speaks for itself,” Sheriff Grady Judd said.
Animal Control Guidance
What you can do:
The sheriff’s office reminds the public to never feed or interact with outdoor animals unless they are certain the pet is spayed, neutered and vaccinated. Individuals wanting to care for a stray should humanely trap it, have it vaccinated and altered, provide parasite protection, and register the animal with animal control.
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