A pet owner has tragically died after he was scratched by his cat, causing him to bleed out.

55-year-old Dmitry Ukhin was looking for his pet, which had run away two days prior. He was bringing him home on Friday afternoon, November 22, in the Kirshi district of the Leningrad region in Russia when the incident occurred.

Image credits: The Voice Mag

But the animal lashed out, injuring Dmitry’s leg so severely that it led to his death. The man had previously suffered from diabetes and poor blood clotting, reportedly caused by his high blood pressure.

A man in Russia bled out after his cat aggressively scratched at his leg

Image credits: The Voice Mag

According to the Daily Mail, at the time of the accident, Dmitry’s wife wasn’t present, so he phoned his neighbor to tell him that he had been badly injured and couldn’t stop the bleeding.

A police source allegedly told local media, “Around 11pm, a man called 112 to report that his friend was bleeding from his leg due to a torn vein. 

“The doctors who arrived only confirmed the man’s death, which the police received a telephone message about.”

Image credits: Chris King / Unsplash (Not the actual photo)

The neighbor mentioned that the paramedics took too long to arrive. 

Additionally, Dmitry’s wife, Natalya, said their cat, Styopka, was “kind and harmless” and liked to walk by itself. 

The cat’s fate is currently unknown, as is Dmitry’s official cause of death. 

The bizarre case has netizens wondering if there is more information to be disclosed

Image credits: Timo Volz / Unsplash (Not the actual photo)

For some people online, coverage of the accident left them with more questions than answers.

“Yeah this doesn’t sound right…” one person speculated.

“If torn veins were that easy to get from cat scratches, wouldn’t something like that happen more often? Idk how cat scratches work but why was the cat clawing at his leg to begin with?” another questioned.

Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (Not the actual photo)

A third stated, “There is NO way. They scratch deep[er] than human nails but their claws are so small that it wouldn’t create a gashing wound! He’d bleed, but not to death. 

“House cats aren’t bears and they’re not demons. Moody, yes, but not evil. They’re just as goofballs as dogs can be.”

Death by cat scratches are possible, but no cases of bleeding out have ever been reported

Image credits: Victoria Romulo / Unsplash (Not the actual photo)

A cat’s claws can potentially create a phenomenon known as “cat scratch fever.”

If an infected cat licks an open wound on a human’s skin, bites, or scratches someone, the disease can likely transfer to the new host. Kids and teenagers are most susceptible, but adults with weaker immune systems are at risk, as well.

In more extreme cases, children younger than 5 years old or immunocompromised individuals may face infections in other organs, such as the liver, spleen, or heart valves.

Image credits: Paul Hanaoka / Unsplash (Not the actual photo)

Most people will not require any treatment, since the infection would most likely heal on its own and should fade within two to eight weeks. 

WebMD states that death is possible if the proper antibiotics aren’t given — but there has been no mention of bleeding out. 

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