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The Cat


Dusty Devil Dale

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One recent afternoon, my wife and I drove for 45 minutes to early-deliver our tax materials to our CPA tax accountant.  We met with him inside his office for about an hour.  Upon returning to the pickup, we noticed a beautiful male Bengal cat that looked exactly like one of our own outdoor cats, named Caterpillar, standing in the garden in front of the truck.  I pointed him out and we both commented how much the stray looked like our pet.  We gave it no more thought, being preoccupied with the info our accountant had given us, and we left for home. 

 
As we drove into our driveway, one of our two outdoor cats, a huge 26 lb yellow guy, met us in the front yard with that "Where have you been--you're late!" stare.  My wife commented, "Maybe we had better find the other cat to be sure it wasn't sleeping in the pickup bed while we drove to the accountant.   
 
An hour and a half later, the other cat had not shown up to our calling or for food, which is very unusual.  My wife became concerned and suggested maybe I'd better drive back to the accountant (now through the rush hour traffic) to be sure the cat we saw wasn't ours.   I reluctantly climbed back in the truck with a bag of cat food and food dish, heading back for the accountants office through busy traffic and the endless non-synchronized stop lights that have become a hallmark for our city.  My wife said she would phone me if the cat showed up.  
 
I pulled the truck into the office complex and parked in the same space where I had parked earlier.  The parking lot was now mostly empty, and daylight was quickly fading.  I climbed out and looked around in the garden, but no kitty was to be found.  I walked around the landscaped sidewalks in the dim remaining light, calling unsuccessfully.  
 
 I suddenly felt an eerie feeling like somebody was watching me.  I heard a noise behind me, and turned to see two uniformed officers approaching me on foot.  It was now fully dark, except for a few street lights that had begun to buzz and flicker on.  The LEOs asked me what I was up to, and I explained, while watching them glance at each other in half-belief.  We talked for a short time, then they wished me luck and departed.  I noticed the two of them walking the other sidewalks around the other buildings in the office complex, apparently helping me search.   I walked down a long, heavily landscaped walkway with no luck.  I was about to give it up, when I came around the corner and met one of the officers carrying a big striped Bengal cat.  
"Is this your cat?", he inquired.
"Wow!  Thank you, officer, I think that is him."
 
We were walking together back toward my pickup when the other officer appeared beside another building, holding a big grayish cat that didn't look too pleased.  
"Is this him?" he asked.  
"No, mine is darker and more heavily striped", I responded.  
"I think we already got him here.  Thanks very much".  
 
I  sincerely thanked them both for their beyond-the-call-of-duty help, and loaded the big kitty into the cab and headed for home.  I hadn't driven more than a block when my mobile phone buzzed, signaling a text message.  I glance at it.
 
"Catepillar is here, eating on the back porch". 
 
I looked at the stray cat riding like a plutocrat passenger in the passenger seat.  I thought, "Now I know how an UBER driver feels--but what do I do now?"
I couldn't really go back and dump the cat back where the officer had found him; that being technically illegal, and the parking lot now being well lit by the lighted street lamps and being video monitored.  So I decided the only real option was to take the new cat home and introduce him to the other two outdoor cats.  After all, he was friendly, and there are plenty of gophers and squirrels in my pecan orchard, and rats in my hay barn.  So it seemed like a win-win.  
 
When I drove into the driveway, my wife came out, not knowing if I had seen her earlier text.  She took one look on the pickup seat and broke into laughter.  
 
I disturbed his highness to lift him out to the ground.  He acted like it was a major imposition to remove him from his plush seat and his dish of disappearing food.  He strolled a few yards over to the garden, sprayed a rose bush, looked around and headed around the end of the garage.  He soon met up with our other two outdoor cats.  Instead of the expected suspicious tail waving, side face-offs and growling behaviors, they simply began washing each other's face and ears, like they had known each other forever.  
 
The new guy was still around the next morning, so off we went to the vet clinic.  They scanned him but found no ID chips.  So $110 later, plus a $30 donation to the "free" clinic, he's all vaccinated, netuered, chipped and officially ours.  My wife is contemplating a name for the new guy, who seems to have moved right in as a member of the pride.  
 
Having no dogs and a 6' chain link llama fence around the property has made it a magnet for stray cats.  But this was the first time I ever went out looking for a new stray.  As long as he gets along with everybody and hunts squirrels, gophers and rats he will be welcome.    But I'm afraid of what my accountant must have seen on his video monitors.  He must think I'm just a bit eccentric-- along with the two helpful spirited LEOs. 
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12 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

That’s a funny story. :lol:

 

Looking for names?

 

Our Original very short-hair Bengal is named (Butch) Caterpillar.  The big yellow guy is Sundance (Kitty).  If the new one was a female, she'd have to be Etta.  But she is a he, and we haven't thought up a good name for him yet.  Suggestions? 

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Kid Curry

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Great story!

 

We wound up with a 5th cat that we really didn't need a few years ago.  Our daughter who is big into cat rescue and trap and release, talked us into the adoption.

 

I named him "Bogey" (one over par for you non golfers).  He was one cat too many.  The name has gotten shortened to just Bo and he is by far the best cat we've ever owned.

 

Cats are like potato chips; you can't have just one.

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