Ungrateful Cat Bites Firefighter Rescuing it From a Tree

Cat Bites Fireman

A firefighter responding to a CMED call of a cat in a tree on Fairmount Drive on at 1:27 p.m. on Oct. 7 was bit before the animal fell to the ground and ran off. The feral cat was being fed by condo residents and police are unsure of its vaccination status.

Since the cat ran off, Animal Control Officer Edward Risko said the firefighter now must undergo post exposure rabies treatment as a precaution. The Trumbull-Monroe Health District was notified.

Risko said firefighters must respond to any call sent to them by CMED, but he does not believe calls of a cat in a tree should be sent to firefighters, who are not familiar with cat behavior and do not have the proper equipment for a cat rescue.

Risko also believes firefighters should be free for major emergencies such as fires and oil spills.

While performing a cat rescue, someone should have tongs to catch it without being bitten or scratched and a bag to put the cat in, said Risko, adding one should also know who the owner is before trying to retrieve a cat — otherwise it can just climb back up.

When a cat gets hungry enough, Risko said it will come down from a tree on its own.

Raccoon Stuck in a Trash Container

A raccoon got stuck inside a garbage container on Hillside Lane at 11:47 a.m. on Oct. 6. An officer released the animal on the site and exclusion tips on ways to secure trash containers were provided to the homeowner.

Woodchucks in the Garden

A Hearthstone Road woman complaining about woodchucks in her garden on Oct. 9 was given a PSA with hazing tips to keep animals away from her plantings.

Raccoon Euthanized

A sick or injured raccoon seen walking along the edge of Great Hollow Lake before falling in and dragging itself out at around 5 p.m. on Oct. 9 was euthanized. Police believe it was suffering from rabies because of sporadic paralysis in the animal's hind legs.

Animal Control Officer Ed Risko said two fishermen had stayed with the animal until an officer arrived.

Squirrels in the House?

A Hammertown Road woman reported that two squirrels were trapped inside her house on Oct. 10, but an officer who searched her home could not find the animals. A referral was made to a Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection licensed nuisance wildlife control operator should the problem persist.

Animal Control Officer Ed Risko said if a squirrel becomes trapped inside a house things will be knocked off of counters, wood around windows will be chewed from the animal trying to escape and fecal droppings would be found in the house. In the call on Hammertown Road, Risko said the officer did not see any of these tell-tale signs.

If one sees a squirrel inside a room, Risko said to open a window allowing an escape route for the animal before getting out of there and closing the door.

A Large Snapping Turtle

A large snapping turtle was seen in the Jockey Hollow School parking lot on Fan Hill Road Oct. 10, but police said there was no traffic hazard because an officer who went there could not find it.

Wandering Sheep

A Wheeler Road resident told police that Joe Aversa's sheep had wandered away from his property on Old Coach Road and into the roadway at 4:21 p.m. on Oct. 8. An officer gave him a complaint advisory.

A Lost Cat

An American long hair cat named Jake, an orange male tabby, was reported lost by his owner on Blue Ridge Drive in Trumbull at 8:02 p.m. on Oct. 8. Police said the cat is eight-years-old and weighs around 10 pounds.

Casualties

A skunk was struck by a vehicle and killed on Moose Hill Road Oct. 5.

Windsor Road residents reported finding a dead fox in their yard on Oct. 7. The carcass was removed.

A stray cat was put down at a veterinary clinic in Shelton Oct. 10 when injuries it had sustained from being hit by a vehicle on Monroe Turnpike were too extensive to treat, according to police.