Watch This Bobcat Get Hurled Like a Rag Doll When It Attacks the Wrong Person

Written by Kirstin Harrington
Updated: October 18, 2023
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Key Points:
  • In the below video, a bobcat is seen snarling at a couple, Kristi and Happy Wade, in the driveway of their North Carolina home. Happy leaps into action, capturing it and tossing the cat into the yard while yelling for people to leave. 
  • The online reactions to the video have been mixed, with some praising Happy and others criticizing his actions.
  • Kristi revealed to a local news source that she sustained numerous puncture injuries, scratches, and bites. The bobcat was reported to have been killed by authorities, with tests showing it had rabies.

It’s safe to say that just about everyone would go out of their way to keep their loved ones safe. A husband is earning praise and criticism online for the way he protected his wife when a bobcat began attacking her. 

Take a Look at the Video Below for the Close Encounter!

A couple was enjoying their morning upon getting ready to go to the vet with their cat. At their Burgaw, North Carolina home, Kristi and Happy Wade were making their way to their SUV parked in their driveway. 

Bobcat Teeth - Bobcat Opening Mouth

While the bobcat in this video was hissing at the couple, bobcats rarely attack people.

©Rejean Bedard/Shutterstock.com

Suddenly, a bobcat suddenly began snarling and attacking Kristi. The whole thing was documented on camera. As I came out of our garage, I heard a growl behind or beside one of our cars and I knew it was a cat because I know what a cat sounds like,” Kristi said. 

She knew something was off. Wade went on to say, “But it sounded like a very angry cat, so in the video, I back up to see if I can see what it is and when I do the face of this bobcat came around the corner of the car.”

Fight or Flight

Bobcat
Bobcats are opportunistic hunters and it is possible that the one in the video below was after the pet cat.

The wild animal hisses and writhes its body as Happy leaps into action, capturing it and keeping it in the air. He then flings the cat into the yard while yelling for people to leave. 

This action has garnered a lot of criticism online. When you’re in a life-or-death situation, you never know what you might do. Happy’s goal was to keep his family safe from a wild animal. 

An attack on a person by a bobcat is highly improbable. With that being said, bobcats hunt at any opportunity. Although they rarely attack people, in this instance, the wild animal was likely after their pet cat

Survival of the Fittest

A gloved hand selecting a vial of rabies vaccine

As the bobcat in the video was revealed to be suffering from rabies, Happy and Kristi had rabies treatment.

©iStock.com/arun011

Kristi revealed to a local news source that she sustained numerous puncture injuries, scratches, and bites. Happy admitted to the news organization that he ultimately shot the cat, but didn’t end up killing it. 

The wild animal was later reported to have been killed by authorities. Later tests revealed that the bobcat had rabies. While rabies is fatal once clinical symptoms show, it is completely preventable. 

Vaccines, medications, and other medical advancements have long been accessible to stop rabies deaths. However, rabies continues to claim the lives of thousands of individuals every year.

Happy and Kristi have had rabies treatment and have fully recovered. The couple wants people to know what to do in case another person encounters a circumstance like this. 

The photo featured at the top of this post is ©


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About the Author

Kirstin is a writer at A-Z Animals primarily covering animals, news topics, fun places, and helpful tips. Kirstin has been writing on a variety of topics for over five years. She has her real estate license, along with an associates degree in another field. A resident of Minnesota, Kirstin treats her two cats (Spook and Finlay) like the children they are. She never misses an opportunity to explore a thrift store with a coffee in hand, especially if it’s a cold autumn day!

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