Santa Claus won't need rabies shots.
A man playing the jolly elf was bitten by a large cat named "Benny" during a Santa Paws photo event for an animal-rescue group at the PetsMart store in Hamilton Township in Atlantic County.
Jonathan Bebbington said the cat appeared terrified because dogs were nearby. The Vineland resident said the cat bit his wrist and hand, drawing blood.
The cat and owner disappeared before coming forward on Wednesday. The cat's owner, Christine Haughey, identified herself and produced vaccination records after learning Bebbington might have to undergo the shots.
Haughey said "Benny" is a mix between a house cat and bobcat, known as a pixie bob, which is legal in New Jersey. Haughey had told people at the store that she had bought the cat from a breeder in Wyoming for $1,500.
The 25-year-old Egg Harbor Township resident left after the cat attacked Santa.
