Explain the PTS rule to me ? ? ?

mooficat

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So wanted to start a seperate thread - for those of you following Reillys case, heres my question and lack of knowledge........

Her mom says the vet will PTS cos of her behaviour, report the attack to Animal Control (WHAT - a cat !!!! )

I am sorry but I just dont get that


what are the circumstance about reporting ?

what legal aspects are vets controlled by ?

who are these Animal Control people ?

when can they decide to PTS ?

what rights does the owner have ?

is this a US-wide law ?

UK members - whats the current rules there ?

I totally get it about dangerous dogs - yes when they bite, and I mean bite, a human then there can only be one course of action, PTS, but a cat, again, I am sorry I just dont get that at all ? ? ?
? ? ?


Sorry folks CONFUSED of Spain

Mods - maybe this needs to go in IMO - sorry
 

squirtle

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I was as shocked as you are when I heard about Animal Control having the right to label cats as vicious!
I received a bite from Dori a couple of months ago when we were playing. The bite became infected and got into my bloodstream so I had to see a doctor. I told them how it happened, completely ignorant to the fact that would cause trouble. They made me fill out a report that they were required to submit to Animal Control. If I didn't fill out the report the doctor wouldn't see me. I was terrified of them coming to take Dori. I was told they would visit my house and put Dori under quarantine to ensure she doesn't have rabies.. Even though I had proof of current shots. I was also told that there was a possibility they could label her as vicious, which would affect my homeowners insurance and would force me to put Dori through some sort of 'vicious animal' program! I was extremely upset and angry at how this process is handled. If you animal is current on shots what right do they have to come in and try to force quarantine on them? Thank goodness nothing happened in our case.
 

mirinae

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My friend came upon two of her cats fighting quite viciously, and although she knows better, she tried to break up the fight by grabbing one of them from behind. He clawed her quite badly (she had to have her husband come and remove one of the cat's claws from her skin, it had gotten stuck!) because he had his adrenaline up and because she startled him -- he was so focused on attacking his brother, he didn't even realize she was in the room. She cleaned up her wounds and put polysporin on them, but one scratch (the one where the claw became embedded) got infected. She went to see her own doctor, because her doctor knows she has cats, knows her cats are in excellent health and knows that what happened in this particular case was an accident -- my friend knew better than to grab an agitated cat from behind in the middle of a cat fight!

Another time, though, her extremely elderly cat Josie tried to climb up on another friend's lap and, being decidedly uncoordinated, slid off and used her claws to grab on. That friend always has a nasty reaction to cat scratches and had to go to the hospital right away, so the "attack" was reported. Animal Control dropped by the house to meet with the so-called "vicious" cat and was met by a docile, slightly senile, half-blind and mostly deaf cat of advanced years, who couldn't get up onto the couch without assistance. The poor Animal Control worker took one look at Josie, took another look at my friend's wound, and was like "She did that?!?" The situation was explained (it had somehow been reported as a cat attack, rather than "elderly cat found herself falling and used her claws to stabilize herself") and that was that.

Now, I happen to think it's a good idea to report animal attacks, and even in Josie's case it's a good thing someone came by to investigate (what if my friend had been lying to protect her cat?). If your cat is, in fact, vicious and you as an owner don't feel like you need to get the problem resolved, I think the authorities need to do something to prevent further attacks. However, I think in Reilly's case that solutions are being sought, her owner isn't ignoring the problem, and I think putting her to sleep is an extreme "answer" to her problems. I'm hoping another solution can be found for poor Reilly -- my fingers and toes are crossed for her.
 

luckygirl

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I don't know much about the rules, but I would hope that all other means be exhausted before PTS. Wouldn't you try to medicate an animal before PTS? Maybe there is a chemical imbalance that can be controlled with meds? Something as simple as diabetes can cause emotional & physical changes in an animal, and it's solved with medicine....

I am distraught that they would suggest putting Reilly to sleep without 1st trying something else.... it seems sad to de-value life so easily. I would probably don a ski mask and break into the vets office & take my baby back before letting them put either one of my babies to sleep.
I'd probably be the only cat-burglar that stole cats!!!
 

white cat lover

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Basically, if the cat is thought to be a threat to people, then animal control wants it euthanized.

Depending on the severity of the attack, a second chance may be given to the cat.
 

snosrap5

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In Florida, well in my neck of the woods anyway. Cat on Dog bites aren't even reported. Even when our 13yr old dog was attacked by our neighbors dog, nothing was reported. I have terrible pictures of the drains and his bites. The vet said because it was dog on dog bite, unless I wanted to file a complaint they were under no legal law to report it. I could report it but they didn't have too.

They have to report all dog bite on humans. I have not checked if the same applies for cats. I do know that when I rescued Mocha he bit me right through my thumbnail and into the skin it was bleeding pretty bad and my vet helped me clean it up and told me to keep an eye on it but she didn't say anything about having to report it. That was a year ago.
 

starryeyedtiger

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Natalie got it right
./ In the US, if an animal (cat or dog) is thought of as viscious and has attacked someone, the vets MUST notify animal control of the situation (if they let it slide, the animal could attack again and potentially kill or disfigure someone).Animal Control then reserves the right to have the animal euthanized if they see fit depending on the situation. Honestly, cats are capable of doing as much damage to a person as are dogs- I witnessed my infant niece get visciously attacked by the family cat when she was a baby- she wasn't anywhere near the cat eithor- she was sitting on the floor eating her snack in a different room- the cat just charged her and visiciously attacked her. He wouldn't let go eithor- it was just aweful! We had to rush Taylor to the ER (thankfully she is ok today and not disfigured- she had excellent doctors). At the time, they took their cat to the vet (and believe me- I do NOT advocate declawing- but in this situation, it was eithor declaw or euthanize- that was the choice that the vet and animal control gave them at the time. Now keep in mind- this was long before soft claws were around. Once again I do not approve of declawing except in very rare, desperate conditions- this was one of them at the time. The did not want their kitty euthanized- so they had the vet declaw him and animal control quarentined him for several days before he was allowed to go back to the family. For this kitty, he never once attacked anyone again after that. No that's not to say that he couldn't have- he could just have easily used his teeth to attack if he wanted. But he didn't. They kept him until he passed on of old age. He lived a long happy life with them after that incedent...and thankfully, my little niece isn't scared of kitties- she loves them!
Once again, I don't advocate declawing - I just understand that their situation was one in which at the time it was that or euthanazia. ) Honestly, if it were me now and I had a small child around an animal who was acting in a violent manner- I would try to rehome it- I would not keep an animal around my children acting like that - I would be too scared it would hurt them. But that's a very tough call to make. I say that now, but I may change my mind down the road. / When it comes down to it though- Animal Control is going to do what's best for each family and take into consideration each situation personally. They don't want to euthanize an animal any more than anyone else would, but if it comes down to a viscious animal who has harmed people already and would be a prime canidate to do it again, they might just have to make that judgement call. It just depends on the situation. Please do not think animal control is bad though- they're trying to do what's best for each animal and each family. Their job is not easy.
 

jennyr

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Here in France the vets can make an order for euthanisation on the grounds of Public Danger. That is what happened to the poor feral who attacked me. If he had been my cat I could have appealed, but they knew he was a feral so I had no real say in it, and I couldn't get a shelter or even the pound to take him, so there was no alternative. I felt terrible though as he was only defending his territory and I can't help feeling that losing Napoleon so soon afterwards was fate paying me back.
 

satai

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Originally Posted by jennyranson

I felt terrible though as he was only defending his territory and I can't help feeling that losing Napoleon so soon afterwards was fate paying me back.
Please don't think that, it wasn't that at all. It's not as if you had a say, even less a choice - and if you had, this would not have been the one you would have made.

You are guilty of nothing, and not being punished.

This may not be of much comfort to you, but I find it helpful to reflect on sometimes - it's a quote for an old TV show (Babylon 5) I really like:

"You know, um… I used to think that it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I thought, wouldn't it be much worse if life were fair, and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them? So, now I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe." - Marcus Cole, Babylon 5: "A Late Delivery From Avalon".
 

halfpint

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Originally Posted by Satai

Please don't think that, it wasn't that at all. It's not as if you had a say, even less a choice - and if you had, this would not have been the one you would have made.

You are guilty of nothing, and not being punished.

This may not be of much comfort to you, but I find it helpful to reflect on sometimes - it's a quote for an old TV show (Babylon 5) I really like:

"You know, um… I used to think that it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I thought, wouldn't it be much worse if life were fair, and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them? So, now I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe." - Marcus Cole, Babylon 5: "A Late Delivery From Avalon".
That's is so true isn't it. I myself have had 2 unanswered questions and I said I wanted an answer before I died, that was one of them ( Thanks for putting that ) and the other is why do we alway's try to figue out why people keep doing the same stupied things over and over that aren't working at all, and I finally got an answer in my mind and I think it's right, That people do what works for them wrong or right,
 

satai

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Originally Posted by halfpint

That's is so true isn't it. I myself have had 2 unanswered questions and I said I wanted an answer before I died, that was one of them ( Thanks for putting that ) and the other is why do we alway's try to figue out why people keep doing the same stupied things over and over that aren't working at all, and I finally got an answer in my mind and I think it's right, That people do what works for them wrong or right,
Well, I've heard it said that the AA's defination of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. I have to say, I think that's a good defination.
 

bella713

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Originally Posted by jennyranson

Here in France the vets can make an order for euthanisation on the grounds of Public Danger. That is what happened to the poor feral who attacked me. If he had been my cat I could have appealed, but they knew he was a feral so I had no real say in it, and I couldn't get a shelter or even the pound to take him, so there was no alternative. I felt terrible though as he was only defending his territory and I can't help feeling that losing Napoleon so soon afterwards was fate paying me back.
Jenny Bless your heart!! Don't think that!!
 

white cat lover

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Originally Posted by jennyranson

Here in France the vets can make an order for euthanisation on the grounds of Public Danger. That is what happened to the poor feral who attacked me. If he had been my cat I could have appealed, but they knew he was a feral so I had no real say in it, and I couldn't get a shelter or even the pound to take him, so there was no alternative. I felt terrible though as he was only defending his territory and I can't help feeling that losing Napoleon so soon afterwards was fate paying me back.
Jenny, you shouldn't feel that way. You were the one who did NOT want the feral put down...you were the one who fought for him. Nobody else bothered to get him vet care.
 

jennyr

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I know it really, but I have all these 'what if?' feelings. Anyway, I did not mean to hijack your thread!
 

april31

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Where i live there is a law that any animal bite has to be reported. If you have proof that the animal has had its shot then they will quarentine it for the 10 days. If the animal hasnt had its shots they will put it to sleep to run tests to see if it has rabies. We have a 3 strikes your out rule unless it attacts a child or is a really bad attack. I have never heard of them putting a cat to sleep but once in a while they will a dog.

When 1 of my cats attacked my daughter i reported it myself before i took her to the hospital so i could explain what happened. Animal control agrred to let me take it to my vet for the 10 days instead of them taking him. I knew that when i took her to the hospital that they would have to report it. I didnt want my daughter to think that thte cat had to go to the pound because of her so it worked out better that way.

I know this is gonna cause a stir but I did end up putting that cat to sleep. About 2 weeks after he came back from the 10 days at the vet he attacked my mother when she came for a visit. He actually had her trapped in the bathroom. I know they both felt cornered. He ended up bitting her a few times on the leg. It scared me when she took me he jumped up on her while attacking it wasnt a fight or flight he was by the open door.

I have 3 children and we have relatives with small children that come around. He also would attack our other cat to the point of fur flying and the other cat bleeding. Usually we was the sweatest cat but we couldnt figure out what triggures these attacks.

Luckly my mom didnt have to go to the dr. and after things settled down I started thinking that what if when a small child came what if he attacked them. My other choice was adopting him out to like a plder couple but if he attacked them they wouldnt be able to fend him off he would come at a vengence. It was a very very hard decision but in the end i think it was for the best for him and us. That would have been his 2nd bite 1 more they would have put him to sleep and we could have gotten in trouble with having children around him.
Sorry so long i hope things work out. Dont feel bad you are doing the best you can its not your fault.
 
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