The quiet village of Tullibody, just east of Stirling, has been walking on eggshells since a menace hospitalised four people.
For six years, the ‘Tullibody Terrorist’ has threatened locals.
Holly Turner, a 24-year-old Tullibody resident, was the most recent victim of these attacks. The criminal broke into her home before making his vicious move. She recalled the incident with a shaky voice.
“I walk downstairs into my kitchen and sit down. He runs through my living room and literally throws himself up onto the bunker and wraps his mouth around my hand.”
The accused is a local cat that has been terrorising the village. Holly mentioned it was bigger than any cat she had seen outside of a zoo.
“I’m smashing it off my kitchen counters, trying to get it off, and it wasn’t budging. I ended up having to try and pry its jaws off my hand,” she recalled, still in disbelief that this happened to her.
It was pointless. Once she had shaken off the animal, the damage was done.
“When it was biting me, I heard a crunch. The blood just started p**sing out. It was a perfect hole because this thing sunk its teeth well and truly in.
“My friend came in and said, ‘I think you need to go at minor injuries’,” she said.
After waiting in A&E, Holly was on her way with a sterilised wound tightly bandaged, and powerful antibiotics.
She soon returned after her hand painfully swelled up, but some antibiotics sorted her out. Once again, she was back home, believing the ordeal was over.
The Terrorist, however, was not finished with her.
A month passed without incident. She began to lower her guard, going out without thinking about him.
Soon, he returned. Sitting in her front garden, she saw the beast when heading out for the night, locking eyes with him.
Determined to enjoy some time out, Holly didn’t let the encounter phase her. Then, her back started to hurt.
“At this point, he doesn’t even need to do anything to me to put me in hospital,” she said, exasperated.
The pain became unbearable, and she had to return to A&E. They discovered that she had a serious infection which had spread to her kidneys, liver, and spine.
“The normal antibiotics weren’t working. I ended up having to get IV antibiotics again.
They still were not working so they had to give me even stronger antibiotics, and I spent a while in hospital.
“They discovered that I had an infection in my kidneys, my bladder, and my spine. My liver function was low, and I think that was the cat coming back to finish off the job.
“Like, he actually tried to kill me this time!” she exclaimed.
After the ordeal, she discovered the cat had a history of violence.
In 2023, a Tullibody resident, Megan Oliver, posted to Facebook about the feline, claiming he had attacked her, her husband, and severely injured her own cat.
She said: “There is a cat that visits our area (by the golf course) which torments/attacks cats, including ours and is also extremely aggressive.
“It’s attacked Dean [her husband] before, and just today has attacked me and I have ended up at hospital with severe bites and scratches.
“Does anyone own/know where this cat comes from? We believe it is not neutered and with there being small children in the area, I’m worried it will do it to someone else.”
He was caught attacking another man, leaving him scratched and bloody.
His vicious behaviour was tracked back to at least 2019.
After finding out about his history, Holly got in touch with a few other victims and uncovered that the cat’s owner had been found. The owner couldn’t believe his cat would cause such harm and continued to let him outside, Holly said.
The RSPCA website states: “Cats are protected by law and are free to roam meaning they might go into other people’s gardens or allotments.”
They have information on how to deter cats without harming them, but Holly mentioned that due to the right to roam that cats have, the RSPCA couldn’t help in this case.
It has been a few months since Holly’s last run-in with the Terrorist, but the effects of his attack continue to haunt her.
“I’m feeling better now but it took me ages. To be honest, I still have really low energy,” she sighed.
Repeated courses of antibiotics have left Holly drained, and the consequences of her low liver function still impact her daily life.
The Terrorist remains at large, lying in wait, no doubt planning his next strike.
Featured Image Credit: Pixabay via Pexels
Fourth year student journalist studying Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Journalism Studies.
Words at Brig, The Daily Evergreen, Alloa Advertiser, Discovery Music Scotland, and The Mourning Paper.
