Raccoon Bites 88-Year-Old Woman Who Mistook it for Cat

An 88-year-old Hamden, Connecticut woman who opened her sliding door to let in her cat was attacked when the animal she was petting turned out to be a raccoon

An 88-year-old Hamden, Connecticut woman who opened her sliding door to let in her cat was attacked when the animal she was petting turned out to be a raccoon.

Hamden police responded to a Brinsmade Road home at 11 p.m. on Sunday after receiving a report about a wild animal attack.

The 88-year-old resident had opened her door after hearing a sound to let in her cat, but unbeknownst to her, a raccoon followed her cat inside, police said. The raccoon attacked her when she was petting it, thinking it was her cat, and bit her elbow, hand, forearm, lip and chin, according to police. The raccoon charged at two police officers who responded, but Hamden police killed the raccoon so it wouldn't harm anyone else, according to police.

American Medical Response transported the woman to Yale-New Haven Hospital and she has since been released.

Hamden's Animal Control Division took the raccoon to the Connecticut Public Health Laboratory to be tested for rabies.

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