Bobcat chasing a cat bursts into a home and attacks an elderly man, police say

WINDSOR, Vt. (WCAX/Gray News) - A bizarre incident played out in Vermont Friday when a bobcat was trapped in a home after attacking one of the residents.

“We received a report from a resident that they had what they believed was a bobcat trapped inside of a bathroom,” Windsor Police Chief Jennifer Frank said.

The image of a wild bobcat lying on a bathroom floor is not something you see everyday. Officials told WCAX the animal burst into the home through an open door Friday morning.

“It was a very lean bobcat, and we believe that it did chase a cat into the residence and that is when it came in contact with the individuals who lived there,” Frank said.

Police say an elderly man in the house was bitten and or scratched by the animal before he was able to trap it in the bathroom. The resident, who has not been identified, was taken to the hospital for evaluation. Vermont Fish and Wildlife officials were called to the scene, and the bobcat was euthanized.

“This is a very rare and unusual circumstance. In fact, I’ve never seen this happen before in my career, where it gained entry into someone’s home and then made contact with a person,” Frank said.”This just happened to be an unusual set of circumstances. There were also people working next door cutting down some trees, and that may have had an impact as well on its habitat.”

The animal will be tested for rabies and other pathogens. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is leading that investigation.

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