“It’s a little overwhelming to have all these cameramen up in your new apartment,’’ said Baker, a student at Portland Community College. “We’re just really trying to keep it calm.”
The meow heard 'round the world began Sunday, when the couple’s 8-month-old son, Jesse, crawled after Lux and pulled his tail. Lux reacted by swiping at Jesse’s face and drew blood from the baby’s forehead.
Before he could continue, Palmer kicked the cat away.
Lux, according to Palmer and the detailed 911 call, went ballistic. The cat's behavior was so alarming, the couple took Jesse and their black Pomeranian dog, Smokey, and locked themselves in the bedroom of their apartment at The Yards at Union Station in Northwest Portland. Lux wailed and screamed outside.
Palmer couldn't get through to Multnomah County Animal Services, so he decided to call 911. In short order, Portland police arrived and captured Lux on top of the refrigerator using a snare.
On Monday, police issued a press release detailing the rescue. The story, too, went ballistic, attracting worldwide attention and keeping both Palmer and Barker’s cellphones buzzing and ringing into Tuesday.
“He attacked our baby, so we got a bit of adrenalin rush,” Barker said. “If you had a cat and you had a baby… I assure you, you’d do the same thing. We were worried about the baby; we could’ve cared less how the cat felt.”
In addition to the media attention, Baker and Palmer have been fielding calls from people who want to adopt Lux and others offering psychological counseling for the cat. Barker and Palmer are also expecting a call from the producers of the Animal Planet show “My Cat from Hell.”
They've granted several interviews, including with "Inside Edition." The entertainment show paid the couple for the interview.
What they aren't considering is giving up on or giving away Lux, Barker said.
“It’s not going to happen — I’m not getting rid of my cat right now,” she said. “I’ve raised him since he was a baby … we’re taking different precautions.”
Later Tuesday, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said it would offer to help Palmer and Barker find Lux a new home.
"There are many ways to foster appropriate behavior in our animal companions, but violence — including kicking and spanking — should never be one of them," Daphna Nachminovitch, PETA senior vice president of cruelty investigations, said in a statement. "PETA encourages all families to use positive reinforcement, which allows animals to learn quickly without losing trust in their guardians."
In response, Palmer admitted to getting angry at the time.
"I should not have kicked him, which I did barefoot and not even hard, but I don't believe in hitting animals," he said. "But when I saw my son bleeding, I lost my temper."
For now, Barker and Palmer are keeping the baby away from Lux and Lux away from the baby. The couple don’t think Lux will continue to stay hidden under the bed.
“The cat never attacked the baby until he pulled on his tail,’’ Barker said. “The baby runs after the kitty and goes ‘ki-ki’ and tries to grab the kitty. He does the same with the dog. The only difference is the cat attacks and the dog doesn’t.
“We gotta watch the cat around the baby. Period.”
(Oregon Live - Mar 16, 2014)
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