Lewis is the name of a cat from

Fairfield, Connecticut Fairfield is a New England town, town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It borders the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut, Bridgeport and towns of Trumbull, Connecticut, Trumbull, Easton, Connecticut, Easton, Weston, Connecticut, W ...

, who garnered mass media attention for being placed under

house arrest House arrest (also called home confinement, or nowadays electronic monitoring) is a legal measure where a person is required to remain at their residence under supervision, typically as an alternative to imprisonment. The person is confined b ...

in March 2006. At the time of his arrest Lewis was five years old, placing his birthdate between the years 2000 and 2001.

Background

Lewis is a polydactyl, domestic long-haired cat. Several of Fairfield's Sunset Circle residents, along with an Avon saleswoman, have accused the cat of attacking them. There were witnesses to some of the incidents who stated the attacks were unprovoked. Janet Kettman of Sunset Circle who was allegedly attacked twice by the cat even picked Lewis out of a line-up of black and white cats. Animal Control Officer Rachel Solveira placed a

restraining order A restraining order or protective order is an order used by a court to protect a person in a situation often involving alleged domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, assault, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault. Restraining and perso ...

on Lewis. It was the first time such an action was taken against a cat in the United States. Lewis was ordered to be placed under house arrest, and his owner tried medicating Lewis with Prozac but could not contain the cat in the house. Ruth Cisero, Lewis's owner, was arrested and charged with failure to comply with a restraint order which the prosecuting attorney later changed to reckless endangerment. Cisero appeared in Bridgeport Superior Court at the end of April 2006. Cisero could have agreed to probation on the condition that Lewis be euthanized, a special probation offer with conditions made at the insistence of one woman that Lewis allegedly attacked on February 20. In a letter to prosecutors, she said she would only agree to probation for Cisero if the cat were put to death. Cisero instead opted to go to trial to try to preserve Lewis' life. Cisero appeared in court on May 23, 2006, on a second degree reckless endangerment charge. Cisero stated that if the court ordered Lewis to be executed, she would move, as she would rather leave Fairfield than have her cat be killed. She further stated that she believed that Lewis may have been acting in self-defence, saying that "One day he came home covered in eggs because someone had egged him and another time a woman sprayed him with a hose. They have been tormenting this poor animal."

Outcome

A hearing was set for June 20, 2006, to determine whether Cisero could get special probation and have her cat's life spared. The outcome was that Lewis had to remain inside his owner's home at all times, the sole exception being when Lewis is taken to a vet, though he must remain in a cage while outside. Ruth Cisero, Lewis's owner, was granted accelerated rehabilitation, which would result in her record being expunged if she successfully completed two years of probation. A Utah animal sanctuary, Best Friends Animal Society, offered to take the cat if he were to be executed, but G.V. Riccio, Cisero's attorney, said Lewis enjoys life in southern New England and wants to stay. In July 2008, the judge dismissed the reckless endangerment charge against Cisero, concluding she had met terms of a special probation for first-time offenders. Lewis is now an indoor pet, allowed outside only in a cat carrier.

List of News Reports

Associated Press - Conn. crazy cat case heads to trial

Television

National

MSNBC - AP - Crazy cat mends ways under house arrest''CBS News'' - Conn. Crazy Cat Case Heads to TrialMSNBC - House arrest for attack catMSNBC - ''The Situation with Tucker Carlson'' for March 29 - House arrest for attack catMSNBC - ''Countdown with Keith Olberman'' March 29, 2006

Local

(Connecticut)

(New York, Tri State Area)

(New York, Tri State Area)

(Minnesota, Minneapolis/St. Paul)
WFSB - Lewis the Cat's Fate Pending
(Connecticut)

(North Carolina, Raleigh-Durham & Fayetteville)
WTNH - Cat case going to trial
(Connecticut)