Tracy Clark is seen during his arraignment in King County Superior Court on Wednesday, May 6, 2009.

Tracy Clark has been charged with first-degree animal cruelty for the April 20 attack that left Scat the cat with multiple stab wounds, including a 7-inch gash on its side.

Scat has been the pet therapy cat at the Cross Church & Discipleship Center for the past eight years.

Clark told deputies the cat attacked him first, forcing him to defend himself. He said he grabbed the cat by the throat, threw it against the wall and admitted to stabbing Scat with his own knife, according to court documents.

Clark, 47, said he had enrolled in rehabilitation at the church, which offers a full-time residential discipleship program for distressed men.

Another resident of the church told investigators Clark woke him up some time after he had gone to bed on Sunday night, and said he had "gutted the cat," according to a police report.

Scat was taken to the intensive care unit at South Seattle Veterinary Hospital where employee Lisa McCollough-Dutt said the animal arrived in very poor shape.

"It makes me want to cry. Sheer horror...it's actually devastating to see a cat or anything brutally attacked," she said.

Church members said when Scat first came to the church, he was very leery of people. But over time, he became more socialized and eventually grew into a lovable therapy cat.

Scat spent 10 days at the animal hospital and, while it's having some complications, vets expect the cat to recover.

Clark is being held in the King County Jail on $50,000 bail and faces up to five years in prison if convicted as charged.

In court on Wednesday, a judge ordered that if Clark makes bail, he is to have no contact with the Scat.