Cat
An Illinois man named William Baxter is suing a cat owner, who may or may not be his wife, after the woman’s pet (not pictured) “viciously attacked” him. Creative Commons

An Illinois man named William Baxter is suing a cat owner, who may or may not be his wife, after the woman’s pet “viciously attacked” him.

According to a lawsuit filed last month, Baxter was cat-sitting for Christine Bobak on April 22, 2011, at his home when the feline attacked him as he tried to feed it. However, many have speculated that Bobak, who lives in a separate residence in Homer Glen, is actually Baxter’s wife, since the two are listed as “married” on Facebook.

Baxter said the cat “viciously attacked, bit and clawed” him and claims to have suffered serious injuries. Baxter said he suffered from a bite on his ring finger and claw marks on his left arm after the attack. He is seeking $50,000 on each of two counts, according to the suit filed in Will County Circuit Court.

The suit said the attack was unprovoked, but Baxter claims Bobak should have cautioned of the danger of the cat, since it allegedly had attacked at least one other person before.

The case is bizarre, the Chicago Sun-Times adds, because a Facebook profile for a Billy Baxter who resides in Homer Glen is listed as “married” to a Christine “Bobak” Baxter of the same town. However, the lawsuit lists both Baxter and Bobak at separate residences in Illinois.

It is unclear if the pair is married, and Baxter’s attorney, Michael Shammas, declined to comment on the case to the Chicago Sun-Times, as well as Gawker.

"That's not something I really want to get into and talk about," Shammas told Gawker. "I'd rather keep it in the courthouse."

The first hearing is scheduled for July 10.