Animal control in Polk County, Florida located and captured a stray cat that had attacked five people and a puppy in early June 2026 in the Glen Road area of north Lakeland. The cat was found deceased under a resident's home and tested positive for rabies, confirmed by state laboratory testing on June 12, 2026. This incident illustrates a direct risk to both people and pets when stray cats go unvaccinated and are regularly fed in residential neighborhoods. For cat owners, the case underscores why vaccination and preventing contact with roaming strays matter for household safety.
Table of Contents
- How the attacks unfolded
- Why the cat posed an ongoing threat
- What the rabies diagnosis means for exposure victims
- How animal control responded and what it reveals
- What cat owners should know about stray contact and vaccination
- Frequently Asked Questions
How the attacks unfolded
The attacks occurred over several days in early June 2026 in the Glen Road neighborhood. A 29-year-old man was bitten on the legs without provocation while at a neighbor's home where the cat was being fed.
In a separate incident, a 33-year-old woman was attacked when the cat jumped into her lap, bit her finger, and attacked her legs as she tried washing the wound. Three additional people and one puppy were also bitten during the outbreak. None of the victims knew they were facing a rabies-positive animal, so none had immediate awareness of the infection risk they'd been exposed to.
Why the cat posed an ongoing threat
The attacking cat was one of several strays regularly fed and named by 31-year-old Angelica Perez, a Glen Road resident. Polk County authorities later cited Perez for allowing unvaccinated cats to roam and for injury to a person resulting from negligence.
Feeding outdoor strays without ensuring vaccination creates a public health liability. The cat's rabies status was unknown until it attacked multiple victims, meaning the virus was circulating in the neighborhood for an unknown duration before anyone recognized the danger.
What the rabies diagnosis means for exposure victims
Rabies is a fatal viral infection transmitted through saliva, typically by a bite or scratch. All five people and the puppy who were bitten faced potential infection and would need post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)—a series of rabies vaccines given immediately after suspected exposure—to prevent the disease from developing.
Once rabies symptoms appear, the infection is nearly always fatal. The window for effective treatment closes quickly, which is why immediate medical attention matters. Each victim's survival depended on recognizing they'd been bitten and seeking emergency care fast enough to receive PEP.
How animal control responded and what it reveals
Polk County Animal Control deployed multiple traps to capture the attacking cat but initially trapped 10 unrelated stray cats before the dangerous animal was discovered deceased beneath a resident's home. This response highlights the challenge authorities face when multiple strays roam a neighborhood: identifying which animal poses an active threat requires either direct capture or, as in this case, finding the animal's body and confirming rabies through laboratory testing. The delays between first attacks and final confirmation extended the window during which other neighbors remained unaware of the risk.
What cat owners should know about stray contact and vaccination
If you encounter a stray cat in your neighborhood, avoid direct contact and do not feed it, especially if you cannot verify its vaccination status. If you do feed outdoor strays—whether feral or abandoned cats—arrange for vaccination and spay/neuter services through local animal welfare organizations rather than managing them independently.
For your own cats, keep vaccinations current and prevent outdoor access or unsupervised roaming. Sheriff Grady Judd stated that "this unvaccinated roaming stray cat with rabies attacked and bit five people," underscoring the specific danger of unvaccinated outdoor strays in residential areas.
- —
Frequently Asked Questions
If I was bitten by a stray cat, what should I do?
Wash the wound immediately with soap and water, then seek emergency medical care. Tell your doctor you were bitten by a stray cat and don't know its vaccination status. Post-exposure rabies shots must be started as soon as possible after exposure—do not wait for symptoms.
Is it safe to feed stray cats?
Feeding strays carries risk if their vaccination status is unknown. If you want to help, contact local animal rescue or trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs that can vaccinate and sterilize cats before they continue living outdoors or are relocated.
Can indoor cats get rabies?
Yes, if they have contact with an infected animal. Keep your cat indoors, current on rabies vaccination, and away from wildlife or strays to prevent exposure.