SOUTH HADLEY, Mass.—For the second time in recent weeks, a cat has tested positive for rabies after attacking people in South Hadley.
The town's animal control officer says a man and a 9-year-old girl were bitten by the cat last week after it climbed out of a wood pile. The animal was captured and brought to a state laboratory in Boston, where it tested positive for rabies.
The man and the girl are being given preventative treatment for the disease, which is nearly always fatal if left untreated.
Another stray cat tested positive for rabies after biting or scratching four people and three dogs in South Hadley June 14-15. Animal control officer Robert Dufault says he's not sure if the two cases are connected.
Only four cats tested positive for rabies in all of Massachusetts in 2007.
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Information from: Daily Hampshire Gazette, http://www.gazettenet.com
