REPORTING ANIMAL ABUSE
* Within Chattanooga: call City Animal Services at 423-698-2525.
* Within Hamilton County or municipalities served by the Humane Education Society: call 423-624-5302
Not quite a year old, Raven the cat already is fighting for her life.
An 11-month-old domestic shorthair, Raven was shot by an arrow that sliced through her abdomen and stuck out the other side, said Dr. Marcia Toumayan, veterinarian at Cat Clinic of Chattanooga.
"It's hard to imagine how somebody could do this to someone's pet cat," Dr. Toumayan said. "There is no way this was an accident. This had to have been a person deliberately injuring this innocent, young cat -- and someone's pet, too."
Cindy McNabb, the cat's owner, said Raven was shot sometime Saturday but wasn't found until Wednesday.
"I looked at her, and I looked at her again, and she had an arrow sticking out both sides," said Ms. McNabb, who lives on West Elmwood Drive in the Pineville neighborhood. "I was shocked. This is cruelty."
Not being found for several days caused an infection in the cat, Dr. Toumayan said.
"It's a very seriously infected wound," she said.
Raven's prognosis is "guarded" because of the severity of the infection, she said. The cat has already undergone one surgery and will require additional surgeries if it survives. The cat is now receiving liquids and antibiotics, the vet said.
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Staff Photo by Allison Kwesell Dr. Marcia Toumayan looks at Raven, an 11-month-old domestic short haired cat, who was shot with a composite arrow with a practice tip while outside of her home. Her owner brought her to the Cat Clinic of Chattanooga with the wound and the office took over ownership to provide medical needs and find her a new home.
Cases like Raven's are extremely rare, said Guy Bilyeu, executive director of the Hamilton County Humane Educational Society.
"We don't see that many cases at all," Mr. Bilyeu said.
The Humane Society normally deals with minor cases of animal abuse, he said. The most common is when owners don't change their pet's collar when it's outgrown and the collar becomes embedded into the animal, Mr. Bilyeu said.
Despite the tragedy, Dr. Toumayan said, Raven actually was lucky because the arrow had a round practice tip.
"It wasn't the barbed and razor sharp tips that are typically used for actual hunting," she said.
Ms. McNabb said she couldn't afford the multiple surgeries Raven needs, so she had to surrender the cat to the care of Dr. Toumayan.
"Obviously, her wounds were more than I could afford, even though I'd like to have my cat back," she said.
The owner of 12 other cats, Ms. McNabb said she had never had any trouble about her pets or heard of problems with animal cruelty in the neighborhood.
"I've never had any problems," she said. "I've lived here for 30 years."
Dr. Toumayan said if Raven survives, she will eventually be put up for adoption.
"I just want whoever did it to be caught," Ms. McNabb said. "They need to pay for what they did."
Kevin rejoined the Times Free Press in August 2011 as the Southeast Tennessee K-12 education reporter. He worked as an intern in 2009, covering the communities of Signal Mountain, Red Bank, Collegedale and Lookout Mountain, Tenn. A native Kansan, Kevin graduated with bachelor's degrees in journalism and sociology from the University of Kansas. After graduating, he worked as an education reporter in Hutchinson, Kan., for a year before coming back to Chattanooga. Honors include a ...
People that abuse animals ought to be locked up and prosecuted at the fullest extent of the law!!!
These poor little animals cannot speak for themselves!
Twelve other cats??!
I guess we all know why someone shot this one...out of frustration, one would imagine...that and their property being overrun with this owner's animals. Shooting [the pet, not the owner] is not the answer.
A non-injuring animal trap and a release 5-10 miles away would be the more humane answer. The cats trapped and released would obviously be free-ranging and able to forage for themselves.
With that many cats, the owner wouldn't notice the slow attrition of her animals. When she did, perhaps she would realize what was going on and why...or not.
I am a cat-lover and have little sympathy for the owner...the cats have it all. The Humane Society needs to have a chat with her.
Rolando, I don't know how you can call yourself an "animal lover" and approve of trapping this animal, taking it away from it's home and sitting it out. There is nothing humane about that. I don't know the lady and why she has 12 cats, but if she is taking care of them, it's none of my business. I would say the reason she has 12 cats is because she is too tender hearted to turn a stray away, a stray that was probably trapped and taken 5-10 miles away and set out and expected for forage for themselves. I do agree with Ms. McNabb that whoever was thoughtless and cruel enough to do this should be punished and also have to pay for the vet bills. Why should she lose her cat because someone out there probably bought their kid a bow and arrow and lets them terrorize animals with it. The arrow having a rubber tip and not the razor tip makes me believe it was a kid and if so, parents, better watch out, kids who are cruel to animals usually end of being cruel to people later. Ms. McNabb, look for the kids in your neightborhood who are brats, you will probably find your animal abuser.
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