Woman bitten by rabid cat in Hopewell shares her ‘biggest mistake’ in attack

HOPEWELL, Va. (WRIC) -- The Virginia Department of Health confirmed a stray cat in Hopewell connected to multiple attacks tested positive for rabies. Now, one woman is sharing her own run-in with the rabid cat.

Christine Holliday told 8News she was near Oaklawn Boulevard in Hopewell when she was bitten by the rabid cat. What she did leading up to the bite is what VDH is now warning others not to do.

VDH described the animal as a female black cat, missing fur on the top of its head and weighing six to eight pounds. Holliday said she'd seen the cat prior to the incident on Feb. 20, but that day it seemed like it was in distress.

"He seemed really upset, like he was meowing a lot, so I thought he was really hungry," Holliday said. "So I went to feed him, which was probably my biggest mistake."

"I gave him a can of tuna. When I walked away, I was like, five feet away from him, he jumped on me and attached to my leg," Holliday said. "He bit my leg, scratched me, and it was just hanging from my leg. And I instantly knew something wasn't right, because the animal's never acted this way.”

Holliday's instincts were correct. The cat was later captured by Hopewell Animal Control and tested positive for rabies.

Toinette Waldon, environmental health manager for the Crater Health District, said rabies is 100% fatal when not treated.

“It's when they don't get the shots," Waldon said. "It's when they don't seek medical attention and [state] that they were scratched by a feral cat. That's when we get into those territories of you know, extreme concern, especially when there is a rabid confirmed animal.”

VDH asks people to not feed animals that don't belong to them.

"Once you start feeding them, we do say that that is now your property. And if you care enough to feed them, then you should care enough to get them vaccinated," Waldon said.

Holliday said she went to the hospital soon after the attack and began receiving treatment shots.

She's expecting to be okay, but said she's still shaken up by the attack.

"If a dog bites you or a cat, and they're aggressive, you're prepared for it. I wasn't prepared, and I think that's what really bothers me about the whole thing is it really did traumatize me," Holliday said. "I'm trying to watch cat videos and stuff just to bring my love back, and not the fear that I have."

If you have any concern that you came into contact with this cat or have been exposed to rabies, contact your healthcare provider immediately.