The new cat...

[shrink]

My wife has been after me for some time to get another cat. Sadly, the last one was lost to a coyote, or some predator here in our rural neighborhood. I was reluctant to get attached to another cat, only to have it disappear one day.

I must have said something that sounded like agreement, because when I got home late last Wednesday, I was greeted by my wife at the door...

"The cat is hiding", she said. "What cat?" I thought to myself. "Oh", I replied, you got a cat. Where is it?"

"It's hiding, I don't know where it is", she calmly said.

"You don't know where it is?" I tried not to shake my head, but she must have sensed my attitude.

"It's just scared. Don't worry, it'll come out when it gets hungry". She seemed pretty confident in her prediction.

Two days later, we had seen nothing of the hiding cat. I looked everywhere, trying hard to think like a cat. "Would I like to go under a bed, or hide in a closet", I imagined.

By Thursday evening, I was convinced that the cat had somehow gotten out of the house. The food we had left out for it was uneaten. Not a single sad "meow" broke the night silence.

So I brought our dogs up from the basement kennel that evening, determined to enjoy some kind of animal companionship. Before long, my young Samoyed ***** "Teeki" was sniffing at the door to the laundry room. "Come on, girl, let's watch some TV." She was having none of it. She was like a bloodhound on the track of an escaped convict.

I opened the door, and Teeki shot right through, and jumped with her paws on the front of the washing machine. She sniffed and barked with excitement. Now, I'm no Sherlock Holmes, but this seemed pretty obvious... the cat was hiding behind the washing machine. I grabbed a flashlight, climbed up on a stepstool, and peered into the darkness. No cat.

But Teeki was like one of those drug-sniffing dogs who had discovered 100 kilos of heroin. So I tried to move the washing machine. Perched on its stand, and wedged between the dryer and the wall, it wouldn't budge. I summoned a friend to help.

Sure enough, after we had levered the washing machine away from the back wall, I could see the poor animal; it had crawled under the stand beneath the washing machine. Hero that I am, I climbed up over the dryer and got into position to rescue the cat. It was just out of reach, and the closer I got to it, the further it wedged itself into the corner. A yardstick was of no help. Finally, I got it by the tail, and slowly pulled it out to where I could get it by the scruff of the neck.

The cat was not welcoming my advances. It was hissing, and spitting, and batting at me with it's unclipped talons. I was not to be so easily discouraged. I pulled it out, and quickly popped it into the carrier in which it had traveled home.

"It is a pretty cat", I conceded, "but it sure isn't a friendly one." It was a female tortoise shell, with nice orange, black and golden markings. I carried the imprisoned animal into the guest bedroom that was to become it's temporary home.

No sooner had I let it out, than it bolted under the bed. I figured that it was pretty spooked, after having spent a couple of days behind a washing machine that had done a couple of loads. Maybe that was the reason it was acting so wild.

"Damn, that thing acts like it's feral", I said to my wife. She got the funniest look on her face.

"Feral. That's exactly what the man at the animal shelter told me. He said that the cat had been caught in a raccoon trap."

I looked at her with an incredulous gaze. "You brought home a feral cat?"

"Feral?", she replied. "Yeah, that's what he said. I thought that was what they call that color of cat."

[sounddust]

I would be pissed too if I got stuck beneath a washing machine after getting caught in a damn raccoon trap. I wonder what you're gonna name it?

[Jesuscookies]

[Warren]

Animals can make great companions. I know a lot of guys tend to favour dogs, I love dogs too but I don't have any.

We do have a couple of cats and they really are a part of the family.

Some people think that all cats are aloof and keep to themselves a lot.

Me, I like to get on the piss with mine.

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I haven't got him into fine cigars yet but give me time.

[Chicago]

Thank You for the story. Very enjoyable. If/when you take that cat back, ask the man, "Why did you let us take home a feral cat?" From what I have heard/read, these animals are pretty much a lost cause on humans.

The local shelter allowed my sister to take home a cat that still scratches/bites her after 3 years. Not something I could do to someone else.

[jeromeroselli]

Shrink, great story.!

We've got two rescue cats (and 2 rescue dogs).

Both of the cats were feral when we got them and are now adjusted to domestic life.

The dogs on the other hand... both wild, but lots of fun.

Couldn't imagine the house without all 4 of those huge personalities.

[zuma]

"Damn, that thing acts like it's feral", I said to my wife. She got the funniest look on her face.

"Feral. That's exactly what the man at the animal shelter told me. He said that the cat had been caught in a raccoon trap."

I looked at her with an incredulous gaze. "You brought home a feral cat?"

"Feral?", she replied. "Yeah, that's what he said. I thought that was what they call that color of cat."

[Colt45]

Abby, abby someone.

I hope it works out and you are able to keep the cat.

[toracubed]

Great story! Feral = the color red from the scratches you received.

Those darn cats are great at playing hide n' seek. Mine can fit into the smallest of odd places.

[SamuraiJack]

Great story! I love cats so much its stupid. I talk to mine all the time, constantly.

What happened to the cat?

[El Presidente]

Feral Cat!

Here is an Aussie Feral Cat. I wouldn't mess with it

[OZCUBAN]

What a great story.

We have had 3 cats. 2 cats at the moment they have all been British Blues,sadly one has passed,he now resides in a special place in our house in a urn.

Here is our newest arrival his name is Shilah which is american Indian for Brother(for our other cat)

cheers Oz Cuban

[Wiley]

That is so damn funny! I agree that it's weird that they gave her a feral cat. Shelters around here are chalk full of domesticated ones.

"Are you saying that I put an abnormal brain into a seven-and-a-half-foot-long, 54 inch-wide...gorilla?! Is that what you're telling me?"

[SmokinLightning]

That is pretty strange they gave her a wild cat!

I always considered myself a dog person, but my wife already had two cats when we got married. Took a while for myself and the cats to get used to each other, but I like them alot now... tons of personality.