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Wilbur the tomcat who was eaten alive by a 13-foot
Burmese python in Bristol, England. (Martin Wadey)
A sad and horrifying incident in Bristol, England has prompted the owners of a pet cat strangled and "eaten alive" by a neighbor's 13-foot Burmese python to call for changes in the law concerning dangerous animals.
On the evening of June 25, Wilbur, a four year-old orange and white tabby, unwittingly ambled into a neighbor's backyard and met a grisly death. Lying among the shrubbery and grass was a 13-foot Burmese python that its owner had let loose in his garden.
At the moment the snake struck, Wilbur's owners, Martin and Helen Wadey were at home a few houses away.
We heard the python's strike from the terrified scream that came from Wilbur and the subsequent blood chilling cries as he fought for his life. Then in less than a minute, all was silent.
He never stood a chance against a creature over 13 times his weight with such immense power. Wilbur was crushed, asphyxiated and consumed whole.
-- Martin Wadey, Wilbur's owner
Standing on the deck of their house, the Wadeys heard every terrible sound, but could see little into the neighboring garden. Mr. Wadey ran to the neighbor's house and banged on the front door, but no one answered.
Two days later, Mr. Wadey was finally able to confront the owner of the python, who admitted that he had left the 13-foot snake outside from 7 to 8 p.m. on the night that Wilbur died. He also admitted that when he went to retrieve his snake, it had a "huge bulge" in it that indicated he had eaten live prey. Wilbur had been "crushed, asphyxiated and consumed whole."
Upon scanning the snake with a microchip scanner, the RSPCA confirmed that the snake had a "domestic pets microchip" inside of it. The RSCPA issued a verbal warning to the owner of the python, but took no further action.
As it is currently written, England's Dangerous Wild Animals Act of 1976 does not include pythons. The Wadeys want to change that. They have started an online petition at the website, Justice for Wilbur, to ask their government to amend the law to include pythons as dangerous animals. (In July, a two year-old Florida baby girl lying in her crib was strangled by a pet albino Burmese python belonging to the boyfriend of the baby's mother. He did not have the requisite permit, nor was the snake kept under lock and key as required by state law.)
The Wadeys, who are childless and have three other cats (one of whom is Wilbur's brother, Freddy), are devastated at Wilbur's death. They had raised Wilbur since he was a seven week-old kitten.
Some might not understand the fuss being made over a dead cat, but he was our cat and we loved him dearly, he was a part of our family, as any cat owner will understand.
He was beautiful, strong, soft, had a purr like a dynamo and was a miracle of fluffy nature.
-- The Wadeys
The Wadeys "have had nothing to say goodbye to, stroke for one last time, mourn over, or bury." They hope that "Wilbur's Amendment" will change the law so that snakes are required to be licensed, owners must notify nearby residents of the snake, and subjected to prosecution if they fail to do either of those things or leave them unattended. In this way, the Wadeys hope that Wilbur's death will not have been in vain.
Comments
um no, snakes kill their prey before eating. If eaten alive a cat would do enormous damage to a snake. You know sharp claws, teeth. How bout they keep their pet off of other peoples property. The snake was in the owners yard, and didn't get out, at least according to your story, which who knows how much to believe seeing as you like to lie to sensationalize your story.
Suppose it had been a toddler instead of a cat....... I do not think snakes are appropriate pets. It is NEVER "OK" to have a 13' snake "loose" in the back yard!!!
There are too many idiots who fail to take proper precautions with these dangerous animals and innocent bystanders and their pets are killed or harmed as a result.
I for one am tired of it. I think anyone who has a snake should have to pay a HUGE registration fee to keep it and show the animal control authorities that they have proper containment.
If the snake gets loose, it does NOT get a second chance. It is confiscated and euthanized by the animal control authorities. If the snake harms or kills a person or animal while it is loose, not only is it confiscated and euthanized by the animal control authorities, but the owner gets a HUGE fine and jail time for a felony.
It is time to make examples out of these idiots who put the rest of us and our families and pets in danger by being careless with huge snakes.
I think the snake owner was negligent for leaving a 13' snake loose in the yard. He should be brought up on charges, fined and do jail time. Suppose Wilbur was a toddler?
It was foreseeable that a 13' snake loose in the yard would do harm to animals and/or small children. People are held accountable for dog bites. They should be held accountable for snake attacks.......
I feel for Wilbur's family. It is awful that they heard a beloved family member screaming for help and could do nothing to save him. It is even worse that they do not have his body to bury or cremate....... My prayers are for Wilbur and his horrible loss for his family.
Eaten alive your a twat,That snake should be under lock and key, if I had seen it I would of took my chainsaw to it, they should be in the country they originate from, if that had got out of the garden it might have been a child. And the cat is part of the familly keep your others in Wadey's or go and sort out that snake
Why was this cat allowed to wander into their neighbours yard ?
Don't these people realise, firstly, the amount of damage their pet cat does to the native environment, and secondly, the cat was trespassing in the first place.
If they were responsible pet owners, they would have confined the cat to their own yard or home, not allowed it free rein to wander the neighbourhood, eating native animals and wildlife, peeing on cars, to chase other pets, or getting eaten in turn.
Python, Dog, another cat or person, car on the road even, something was going to get this cat sooner or later as it wandered.
Bad eggs I say, they are just looking for someone to blame for their own negligence.
People need to take a look at the damage pet dogs have done to children, adults and other pets and consider taking their fear and aggression out in that direction.
What happened here was a freaky one off thing and that python is no more dangerous in the yard than a protective family dog would have been.
Less dangerous even, as humans are not the pythons natural prey, whereas a protective dog, would have no hesitation in attacking anything.
S.T.F.up wrasse you twat, If they want the snake dead i will go and do it, you dont know what your on about. wanker
A tragic story all around - tho I hope the sanke isn't "euthanized" for acting on its natural instincts. The serpent's owners, on the other hand, should be called out for not keeping it under proper supervision when not confined.
If they cared so much about the cat they should have kept it at home. I've never understood wanting a python for a pet but I can't blame him for this, the snake was in it's yard. It could have just as easily been a dog, car or native snake.
I see no reason to keep big snakes as pets. They grow to be HUGE.
If they grab you you have almost no chance if you're alone.At least with a dog you have some chance of escape or help & people generally know how to stop a dog attack,but if someone's being constricted..? You must use extreme caution feeding them,can't let them roam your house,got to keep them fed well so they don't mistake you for food,got to have a super strong enclosure to keep them in, & you got to warn people to be careful around them.What's the fun in all that? I've had dogs & cats most of my life & they're FUN & don't require all that drama when it comes to care.Mostly it's teen boys & young men full of testosterone & no common sense that want these things so they can show off & impress people.There was a guy like that in Phila,PA.Parading down the street wrapped in the thing trying to impress girls, & they just ignored him for having a huge snake that can kill by constriction.
Bunny,you are absolutely right.People often don't take proper precautions with these snakes. To folks who complain about cats killing wildlife,there are thousands of pythons loose in the Everglades eating up native wildlife & now they've got hunters trying to kill some of them. Some are said to have escaped from sanctuaries or zoos during one of the big hurricanes & many are presaumed to be discarded pets who grew too big to handle. I don't like these things at all but they have a place in this world & should be in the wild.
I have 2 indoor cats & my neighbors also have cats & dogs. We would NOT be happy if someone had a pet python & let it loose in their yard.And if it came into my yard after the birds & animals around my 6 bird feeders or got into my house after my cats or me, out would come my late dad's shotgun....end of story.
I seriously doubt the cat was alive when it was eaten. The snake squeezes at the end of every exhale soon making it impossible to inhale. That is if the broken ribs don't puncture the lungs first...
Domestic cats should live inside. A "like a child" pet should not be allowed to roam free outside where it can encounter countless risks to its health and life. Allowing your beloved cat out to roam at will is like letting your young kids go out and play without supervision.
Both owners were completely irresponsible. Your cat should never go into anyone elses yard. Be a responsible cat owner and keep your cat inside 24hours a day.
Any responsible owner of a snake should have the snake in a lockable enclosure and if it is out be constantly watching it.
Both parties were just as bad as one another.
And for those who were saying, "What if it was a toddler." If that was the case it would be neglect on the behalf of the parents for not watching their kid.
Come on guys. If you want rights take some responsiblity.
Sick, I'm the owner of the Squash, the snake in question. I promise you, you wouldn't stand a chance. so come n ave a go if you think you're hard enough!!!
watch the snake, cus one day its there the next its gone!!you never know when or how, but then you will feel the hurt that others feel
my cat was killed by my neighbors cat so people should no be allowed to keep pet cats right? Also had dogs come into my yard and kill my cats. So they shouldnt be allowed to have dogs huh? Why do you freaking idiots want them to take away our rights. The snake was in its yard minding its own business.. if it was a dog it would of killed it too.. and what do you mean what if it was a toddler.. if the parents are dumb enough to let a toddler roam the neighborhood freely i think they are the ones who should be shot.. as for the everglades thing, domestic dogs and cats DO disrput the eco system ALOT more then the snakes ever will seeings as the snakes eat once a month. And the cats and dogs kill for fun and dont even eat it.
Also, would you rather walk into someones yard with a 10 foot python that can barely move or a gaurd dog that can chase you very fast? You got a better chance running away from the snake then you do from the dog imo. And the snake would just definsivly bite you
The amount of uninformed people commenting on this shocks me. I'm pretty confident that I have more experience than many here when it comes to the keeping and breeding of any reptiles. With over 23 years of reptile breeding under my belt, I have even managed to set-up my own lucrative & profitable business breeding and selling reptiles of all sizes.
- An adult cat would not be "eaten alive" by a 13-foot Burm, if the burm was to try to swallow it live, the cat would scratch/bite to a degree that would cause the snake to release.
The fact these pet owners are trying to ban the keeping of Burmese Pythons is ridiculous, I will admit that the snake keeper was partly to blame, an animal such as that should not be left unattended while outside of it's proper caging. However the same applies to the cat owner. As socially acceptable as it may be to let a house cat to roam wherever it pleases, it isn't safe. When the cat owner knowingly lets his/her pet out, to **Continued in next post**
**Continuation for below post** trespass on other peoples property, which is essentially what he/she is doing, he/she must face the consequences of letting the cat do that. If the cat owners happened to live close to a busy road and the cat would have been hit by a car. Would the owners try to outlaw cars?
If anything, the cat owners are in the wrong more so than the Burm owner. The snake was on it's owners property, perhaps the garden was especially fitted so it was impossible for the Burm to escape (this may/may not be true, seeing as the snake didn't escape I would assume so as pythons are known for their escapism), the garden is merely an extension of it's "Cage."
after reading some of the comments here its easy to see why the actions of a few can penalise the majority?! firstly what happened is absoultely tragic and if wilbur had been my pet i would be absolutely gutted but... NEWSFLASH!! NO RECORDED HUMANS FATALITIES HAVE BEEN RECORDED IN THE UK DESPITE PYTHONS BEING KEPT AS 'PETS' FOR OVER 200 YEARS!!! One sad incident involving 2 neighbouring animals does not warrant a change in the law!
As for all you hysterical people who think that others do not have the right to keep pythons etc in private collections? Do not ever presume that you know more about this subject than responsible reptile keepers because you DO NOT. I have personally kept burmese pythons as pets for over 15 years and no-one has ever been bitten/attacked or otherwise endangered by any of those i have kept. Are they POTENTIALLY dangerous? yes, but even less so than a dog - more dogs have killed people in general, especially children than any python or boa here or in the US
also consider if you will these points/questions:
Should that idiot in Bristol have left a 13 foot snake roaming his garden unattended? NO
Should other peoples pets have the right to invade others gardens because "it's in their nature"? NO
Should the snake's owner have let his neighbours know his snake was in the garden and asked them to prevent their own pet entering HIS garden until it was returned to its enclosure? YES
Should this fool owner be allowed to continue keeping pythons without regular checks/inspections by the RSPCA? NO
So next time you think of slagging off snake owners and saying they shouldn't be kept privately etc etc just remember something... our animals don't keep the neighbourhood awake all night barking, our animals don't treat every garden in the street as their own personal lavatory and our animals don't carry the diseases a lot of 4-legged furry friends do.
DON'T USE THE ACTIONS OF 1 PERSON AS JUSTIFICATION OF YOUR PREJUDICES AGAINST US!!!
NOT AGAIN!! Just reading ALL the daily stories from this "Examiner", especially the ones where CATS are hit by cars, shot in a field & now eaten by a snake, you can see they ALL have ONE thing in common....ALL WERE LET OUTSIDE!!! When will people learn to KEEP YOUR CATS INDOORS, & this WON'T happen!! This beautiful cat suffered horribly, & NO ONE even tried to help...not even the owner who HEARD the SCREAMS of the cat, & had to know what was happening since it was his snake out there!
What a jerk! Anyone who thinks a SNAKE is a PET should be eaten by it!! I will take the barking dog who will come when I call it, & who will listen to commands & who I can sleep with at night & not have to worry that it may strangle me while I sleep, to a reptile who only lives to eat whatever....even the owners own BABY if left unattended & slithers away for the next meal. Own what you want, but when are people going to be RESPONSIBLE pet owners! POOR POOR CAT! Sorry, owners fault..would be alive if in!
ONE MORE TIME..........PEOPLE KEEP YOUR CATS IN THE HOUSE SAFE!!
LOVE IS...NEVER HAVING TO SAY I AM SORRY FOR LETTING YOU OUT!
These people would have HAD something to say "goodbye" to at a ripe old age if they would have kept him an indoor only cat!! Cats can live way past 15 & older when kept inside! People rescue or they save an animal!! Then they leave it run loose in the neighborhood where it gets hit by a car, tortured by nasty kids, & lest we forget how CUTE the BUSRIDING kitty WAS...OH, he is DEAD too! Why on earth would an owner who SUPPOSEDLY loves their cat let it go for hours on a BUS not knowing where it is or HOW it is! Some of these RESCUES would have been better off staying where they were & getting HUMANELY EUTHANIZED! It sure beats getting EATEN ALIVE by a snake! I hope the WADELYS learned a good lesson for the other cats they have, & they keep them IN THEIR HOUSE!! They can ban every snake alive, but there isn't a law or legislature in the world that will save a pet except being a responsible owner...KEEP PETS INDOORS! A HAPPY CAT IS A SAFE CAT WADELY FAMILY! Remember this when they want out
OMG! Sorry readers & people, but this article has me SOOOO angry I could scream! HOW STUPID CAN PEOPLE BE!!!! To get everything I feel & want to say out would take 1,000,000 words! We are supposed to feel sorry for these PEOPLE?? It is THEIR fault that their BEAUTIFUL cat is DEAD!! Do you ever think about the dangers ...especially for CATS outside?? That is why so many rescue groups will not adopt to a person who will let it out. It is probably how the group got the cat to begin with! So many are dying in pounds & shelters & on experiment tables with electrobes sticking out of their heads...BECAUSE SOMEONE LET IT OUT!! It is like for every 10 of these stories read about 3 are horrible deaths of a pet. That is 3 TOO many! Animal abuse is running rampant, & stories about that have been on here too! Just remember... NO ONE can abuse your pet IF you KEEP IT INDOORS!! If you let your dog out....WATCH IT! You wouldn't let your 2 yr old out alone...same difference! Kids grow up, pets do not!
ONE LAST THING:
K E E P Y O U R P E T S S A F E I N D O O R S!!!
T H E Y W I L L L I V E A L O T L O N G E R!!!
Someone please explain to me why anyone would want a python as a pet? When they aren't feasting on domestic pets, what do their owners feed them? What if that had been a small child that it attacked? Would the actions of the RSPCA been different? Also, why was the cat left outside to roam? This is a perfect example of what can occur when pet owners act irresponsibly.
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So what happened as the result of this petition? Can we have an update please? Since recently there have been videos of a young person feeding a live kitten to a burmese python "pet", is it not necessary to make owners of such animals hold a licence to make sure only responsible people own them? Now any Tom, Dick or Harry can buyt these pythons and many of these owners look at Kitten pages and take "free to good homes" kittens to feed to their snake. Is it not about time to legislate something to deal with this?
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