A conservation agent removed Lamia, a bobcat kitten, from a Springfield home Wednesday morning after the Springfield-Greene County Health Department determined the 3-week-old cat — which could have rabies — has to be euthanized.

The woman taking care of Lamia says there's no reason authorities can't wait and see whether the cat shows signs of rabies, but the health department said state law mandates euthanizing and testing the animal.

"I feel really empty. My heart just hurts," said Georgia Lafita, the woman caring for Lamia. "I feel like somehow I failed her."

Lafita began caring for the bobcat kitten when a man bulldozing his property discovered the kitten and took her to Lafita, who is certified to do wildlife rehabilitation.

The plan was to care for the animal until it was weaned, Lafita said, then send her to another animal rescue facility to be paired with another bobcat who would teach it to hunt.

Eventually, Lamia was supposed be released into the wild, Lafita said.

But before any of that could happen, the man stuck his hand inside Lamia's cage, Lafita said, and the kitten bit the man's hand, puncturing his skin.

A health department spokeswoman said Wednesday that wild animals, under state law, cannot be quarantined and that rabies is 100 percent fatal once a person starts exhibiting symptoms.

"We understand that this is an emotional issue for many people, but it is our responsibility to follow the law to protect the public’s health," said spokeswoman Kathryn Wall.

Lafita said she told the health department that if they wanted to take Lamia away from her, the department would have to send a "SWAT team."

"I get a little impassioned sometimes," she said.

In two separates instances, people were "banging" on her door early Wednesday morning, offering to hide the kitten for her and spare its life.

Lafita turned them down.

A conservation agent took the cat without incident, Lafita said, adding that she gave the kitten a final bottle before she was taken.

Lafita runs an animal rescue out of her house, where she currently is rehabilitating two beavers, eight skunks, a baby chipmunk, a squirrel, a flying squirrel and — up until Thursday morning — Lamia, the bobcat.

Springfield health dept. says it has to put down this rescued baby bobcat

Lamia will be euthanized and her head will be sent to Jefferson City for testing.

"I feel the health department considers wildlife disposable," Lafita said. "That their lives don't matter."

As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, it was unclear whether Lamia had been euthanized.

Shortly after the bobcat was taken, Lafita said the executive director of the National Bobcat Rescue and Research Center in Texas called and asked if there was any way to help.

“I told them she was already gone,” an emotional Lafita said. “It’s over and I just hope that this kitten has not died in vain. I hope this is opening the eyes of the powers that be.”

Lafita said a different big cat conservation organization has already offered to pay for rabies shots for the man whose hand was bitten, but the man couldn't have the shots because he recently had heart surgery.

She had a simple message for anyone who comes in contact with a bobcat kitten: "Don't handle wildlife."