Did a bobcat really bite Santa during a photo shoot?
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
Call it the tale of Santa Clawed.
This story, brought to L.A. Unleashed courtesy of the Associated Press and the Press of Atlantic City, concerns a large cat and its unfortunate encounter with a store Santa in New Jersey. It brings to mind another notable feline from New Jersey, a 44-pound cat found wondering near Blackwood this year. That fat cat was known as Princess Chunk.
But back to Santa’s cat. We’ll let the AP take it from here -- and click on the link to the Press for a photo of the cat.
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Santa Claus posed with a very large kitty on his lap — and now, unfortunately, he might need rabies shots. Jonathan Bebbington was playing the jolly old elf during a Santa Paws photo event at a PetsMart store when he was bitten Sunday on the wrist and hand. The event was to raise money for Penny Angel’s Beagle Rescue group. The cat and owner disappeared after the incident. At least one person thought it was a bobcat, said Joan Kerr, president of Penny Angel’s. ‘It had absolutely huge paws, like 3 inches around,’ Kerr said. The cat, named ‘Benny,’ appeared terrified because dogs were nearby, Bebbington, 47, told the Press of Atlantic City. ‘It had very powerful jaws and big teeth,’ he said, estimating the cat weighed about 30 pounds. The woman who brought it to the store told people there she bought the cat from a breeder in Wyoming for $1,500. ‘Her last words were, ‘I have a permit and the cat has all his vaccines,’ ‘ Bebbington said. Unless the owner produces vaccination records, Bebbington will have to receive rabies shots starting Thursday as a precaution. He’s already had a tetanus shot. ‘I don’t want anything to happen to the cat,’ he said. ‘It’s a beautiful animal and was naturally scared.’
-- Steve Padilla
