Cat Scratch Fever

What do you do when the cat not only gets out of the bag, but then attacks the hell out of you? Apparently you sue the management.

Tracy Granum found out the hard way and filed a jumbo-sized suit against property management firms Innovative Housing Inc. and HOF Management, as well as the woman they hired who catastrophically botched up a cat trapping at an Aloha apartment complex, Kinnaman Townhomes.

The bizarre complaint filed on May 18 claims employee Donna Suzanne Chiles lost control of the captured wild cat as she tried to transfer it from the trap to a carrier. It goes on to allege the cat attacked Granum causing:

a. Severe lacerations to both of his hands;
b. Serious infection to his left hand;
c. Loss of use of his left hand for several months;
d. Inability to seek employment during the period he could not use his left hand;
e. A permanent lack of mobility in his left hand;
f. Pain, embarrassment, duress, anxiety, fear and humiliation.



Granum seeks $11,500 in economic damages, $38,500 in non-economic damages and the usual fee disbursements.

Barbara Baugnon of the Oregon Humane society says she doesn't hear about feral cats attacking humans unless they are being trapped. “They are fearful of humans so would probably run away rather than attack,” she explains.

Innovative Housing did not return repeated phone calls, and Kinnaman Townhomes refused to comment.