Cat bite lawsuit resources

Cat bite & feline attack legal resources

Information on cat bite attacks to people is sparce compared with the information about dog attacks that can be used by attorneys litigation. Cat attacks do happen, but are much less frequent than dog attacks, probably because of the interactional style most cats adopt with people. it is infrequent that a cat bite injury to a person proceeds to litigation. in part because of the laws that govern the ownership of cats. In most cases they are legally allowed to roam, and also their is the absence of strict liability statutes for cat bites. a victim must prove the owner had knowledge of the vicious propensities of the cat. On the other hand, negligence may apply, particularly against organizations who display cats for adoption. For example, there was a case in Austin,Texas where a middle age lady was shopping in a pet shop, and on that day the shop was displaying cats in cages for adoption. The defendant may have been told that it was okay to open the cage door to pet the cat, and when she placed her hand in the cage, the cat clamped onto her hand and would not let go. Severe injury resulted and the victim was hospitalized for nearly a week. The physical features of cat bite differ from that of a dog bite. Some have described cat bites appearing as if a needle was inserted into the victim's skin. Infection quickly sets in because bacterial pathogens in the cat's saliva are inserted deep into a person's tissue. Read more here.

Generally speaking, because of the relatively distant social relationship many cats have with people, the causes underlying cat attacks differ from dog attacks. For example, most cats do not display protective type aggression towards people in a fashion similar to dogs. The motivation of fear underlies many cat attacks, and this is often related to pain or fear. For example, a cat who is startled, a cat who becomes frightened after a person suddenly places his hand in a cage, or the cat who bites when stepped on. Redirected aggression also may also be the cause of some cat attacks. Some cats will also respond with aggression due to side effects of medication. The veterinarian who medicates a pet cat for treatment has the responsibility of informing an owner of this risk.