14 DAY TRIAL // A cat-sitting session has ended in a lawsuit for one Homer Glen, Illinois cat owner. Christine Bobak is being sued after her feline allegedly attacked a man, leaving behind serious injuries and emotional distress.
The Mokena Patch details that William Baxter has filed a claim in Will County Courthouse asking for $100,000 (€77,870) in damages over the incident that took place on April 22, 2011.
The paperwork has been filed on March 22 and the case will appear before a judge on July 10.
The claim states that the plaintiff incurred injuries to a finger and his left arm when the animal "without provocation, viciously attacked, bit and clawed" him.
It specifies that feeding time ended in the pet biting his right ring finger, and it then turned and "clawed along his left arm."
While it appears that the cat has priors, having harmed someone else before being watched by Baxter, no other similar incident has been reported.
Court papers read that Baxter "should have known [her] cat had vicious propensities in that, upon information and belief, the cat had attacked at least one other person on at least one prior occasion."
In addition to that, the aggressive attack has allegedly left the victim suffering "great pain and anguish" in "body and mind."
At this time, there is no information about the breed or age of the feline assailant. Baxter has enlisted the legal help of attorney Michael Shammas, who refused to answer questions about the case when prompted by Southtown Star reporters.
"That’s not something I really want to get into and talk about. [...] I’d rather keep it in the courthouse," he answered.
No information about the relationship between the claimant and the defendant has been specified. A man named Billy Baxter shows up on Facebook as married to a Christine Bobak Baxter, of Homer Glen.