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

Tracy Clark originally entered a not guilty plea to a first-degree animal cruelty charge in May for the April 20 attack that left Scat the cat with multiple stab wounds, including a 7-inch gash on its side.

But on Monday Clark changed his stance and entered a guilty plea.

The injured cat had been the pet therapy cat at the Cross Church & Discipleship Center for the past eight years.

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

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.

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 is still recovering.

If convicted, Clark could face up to a year in jail. Prosecutors plan to recommend a nine-month sentence.

Clark is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17. He is being held on $50,000 bail.