0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. A Florida woman was fighting for her life after a devastating chain of events that began with a caring gesture toward a stray cat
Kennedy Ward knows the exact date her life changed forever: Valentine's Day 2023
Ward was busy showing a little love to a few four-legged friends from the local neighborhood when disaster struck
"I was feeding stray cats and had been feeding them for months," she told Newsweek
"I was distracted and putting their food down on the ground when one of the cats, who we had named Baby, started biting me," she said
Ward went to urgent care and was given a tetanus shot. She remembers doctors telling her there was nothing to worry about
However, a few days later, she received a notification that stopped her in her tracks
"A cat one neighborhood over from us had tested positive for rabies," Ward said. "So we contacted the health department, and they advised us to monitor Baby."
By this point, Baby was beginning to behave erratically. "He started walking in circles, screaming and screeching," Ward said. Within days, Baby had died
It is standard practice for anyone who is bitten or scratched by an animal they even suspect may have rabies to seek medical attention