Los Angeles County woman, family cat recovering after rattlesnake bites on consecutive days

A Los Angeles County woman and her pet cat are recovering after they were both bitten by the same rattlesnake on back-to-back days last week. 

The first instance happened Wednesday, when the woman was picking up cat toys in the backyard of her Palmdale home. She was bitten on her index finger and rushed to a nearby hospital by one of her neighbors. 

"She couldn't feel her legs anymore. Her entire face felt numb, she was having a hard time swallowing and her throat was kind of, like, starting to close up," said the woman's sister, Souny, who said she immediately received anti-venom upon arrival. 

While she was receiving follow-up care at the hospital, Souny says her sister's pet cat named Magic was then bitten the next day. Again, a dose of anti-venom was immediately administered after Magic was taken to the vet. 

Doctors say that time is critical when it comes to rattlesnake bites.

"The bite happens, the venom gets released, and their jaw opens back up, and they go back out," said Dr. Ali Jamehdor with St. Mary's Medical Center. "We always urge people that when there is a bite in the field, to get to an emergency department very rapidly and quickly, and not just wait for things to happen. Because once they start happening, things happen very quickly."

As the duo continues to recover, Cary Quashen was called to handle the situation at their home. 

"I drove over there, but it wasn't where they thought it was," Quashen, the owner of The Snake School in Santa Clarita, said. "About an hour and a half later, I found it."

He says that the incident is a good reminder to be alert, especially with such sweltering temperatures lingering over Southern California. He advised people to keep an eye on pets and children while outside, especially when around brush and shaded areas where the snakes could be hiding.

"If you see a snake, don't panic. Just back away and you'll be fine," Quashen said.