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COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — A man who police say assaulted a cat, causing injuries that resulted in the cat's owner having to euthanize the animal, is now facing a criminal charge.
The 23-year-old Cottonwood Heights man was charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with torture of a companion animal, a third-degree felony.
On Oct. 13, the man was visiting an apartment when he said he noticed a cat had pooped in the apartment, according to charging documents. The man then tried to "forcefully administer the cat Benadryl," the charges state, prompting the cat to bite the man's finger.
The man told police that after being bit, it caused him "to enter a fit of rage" and he "choked the cat around its neck with both hands until the cat failed to move," according to the charges. He then called the cat's owner, told him what happened and ordered a ride share for the airport, the charges state.
The cat's owner rushed home, found the cat "lying in the back bedroom and unresponsive." A veterinarian discovered the cat had "multiple spinal and rib fractures" and "recommended euthanizing the cat due to the severity of the cat's injuries," according to charging documents.
The arrested man told police he was supposed to be taking "anti-psychotic medications but had missed several doses" when the incident occurred, the charges state.
