Police in Swanville, Maine, were searching for a man who allegedly choked and struck his sister during an argument over her plan to shave the family cat.

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Nicholas Palmer, 22, fled into the woods after he allegedly choked and struck his 18-year-old sister, who apparently wanted to shave the cat to rid it of fleas and ticks, The Bangor (Maine) Daily News reported Wednesday.

The sister said she kicked Palmer when he tried to cut the cord on her clippers, causing him to accidentally cut himself with the knife he was using to sever the cord. She said he responded by choking and pushing her and fled into the woods when she called 911.

State Trooper Luke Cunningham said teams of officers and tracking dogs spent about four hours Monday searching for Palmer, but had no success.

"We're still on the lookout for him," Cunningham said Tuesday. "We definitely want to get his side of the story."