Possibly Rabid Raccoon Breaks Into Brooklyn Apartment, Kills Kitten

Raccoons: now terrorizing Park Slope locals and their cats.

Raccoons: when they're not breaking into Brooklyn brownstones, they're... breaking into Brooklyn brownstones. Previously it was unknown what they wanted in these brownstones: organic food from the Co-op? A copy of Freedom? But in light of a recent incident, we can say with confidence that these raccoons are after the cats.

Park Slope Patch tells the tale of Brooklynite Justin Hogan, and the grisly scene he walked into upon returning home one recent morning. Last week, Hogan entered his 3rd Street apartment and noticed a screen was torn out of the window frame, looking down he saw bloody paw prints, and then... his 6-month-old tabby Nigel lying lifeless in the bathtub (heartbreakingly noting that the tub is where the kitten would go when he was scared).

Hogan described the scene as "gruesome, like blood-spattered-on-the-wall gruesome." He believes a raccoon is the prime suspect, due to the bloody paw marks and claw marks all over a shredded bag of cat treats. He believes it got there by climbing a tree onto the roof just below his window. The press officer with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation says, "It is unusual for a raccoon to kill a cat. Very unusual. It does sound like something was wrong with this raccoon for this to happen, and most likely that would be rabies." (The borough is the new hot spot for rabid raccoons.)

To wash away this horrific scene from our mind, let's watch this clip of Alf... who joked about eating cats but never actually followed through with it (at least, not in the Tanner household). Follow his lead, raccoons.

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By Jen Carlson in News on May 17, 2011 11:24 AM

Comments [rss]

harveyharevi

OMG ALF!

Guest

Over the hedge and into the streets.

I have seen proof in Richmond Hill that the racoons kill rats and pigeons too.

Perspective is an interesting thing.

Take spiders for instance

If you have spiders in your home than you don't have bugs.

RabbiLaFunque

Spiders are bugs.

Guest

No spiders are not bugs.

They are arachnids.

Also...

Technically only certain insects are bugs, belonging to the
insect order Hemiptera. Therefore not all insects are bugs, either.

Guest

And if you have cats in your deli/bodega, you don't have mice/rats. Yay for government agencies prohibiting preventative measures for "public health" reasons.

OvaltineJenkins

Got cats....got mice, too. Lazy friggin cats.

Guest

Hey! Those 3 or 4 hours a day that they are actually awake are prime hours for catching and playing with mice.

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Guest

Oh yeah, I was thinking about that a couple of months ago when Bloomberg was talking about the problems the city has with Rats. Why not utilize the single most effective weapon - which is also the best for the environment - cats. I mean how many cats are killed each day in city shelters - when they could just be roaming the streets on patrol.

Guest

I completely agree. I'd much rather see cats roaming the streets than rats. But then you have the problem of people like Felix that want to take in every stray they see.

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RabbiLaFunque

Too bad those Park slope wusses are so politically correct; anywhwre else they could blame it on a black guy.

Guest

what's a "black" guy?

Google Santorum

a "coon".

http://www.thefreedictionary.c...

Guest

uhm... i have an eerie feeling that i'm entirely in the wrong planet today. let's see -- i just hope it's not Eart... wait,

...SOS!! SOS!! SOS!!!

Roger_the_Shrubber

Time to start shooting a few of these beasts.

Guest

HEAR, HEAR! goddamn animals...

Militant Conformist

Why won't they release the crime scene photos? What are they hiding?

Julia Maddox

I live in Sunnyside, Queens and I've seen raccoons in the neighborhood twice lately. What's being done about catching these critters?

cr17

I wasn't aware that wildlife was banned from Sunnyside.

Guest

hey man, i ain't no speciest. in fact, i love raccoons -- my best friend's a raccoon. but it's the RABID ones i've got a problem with. those RABID ones have GOT TO GO.