This evening as the sun was setting I took one of my usual strolls through the beautiful quiet neighborhood of Hillsboro Village. I’ve had a heavy heart and a heavier mind this past month dealing with many different things in many different areas of life. Taking a walk in the evening can be so refreshing and peaceful… and on the other hand you never know what you may get yourself into…
As I was walking, hands in my pockets, breathing in the fresh air and taking in the quaint little cottage houses, I noticed a little black cat across the street from me. And through childhood instincts, I suppose, I ‘meowed’ at the cat (Don’t act like you wouldn’t!). He popped his head up and started sprinting towards me. I thought, “Geez, was it something I said?” He dove at my feet and I started petting him (…because he was short-haired and wouldn’t make me sneeze til I fell on the ground dead.). I noticed he had a collar and I was thinking that he should probably be inside not roaming the neighborhood. I shrugged it off and decided not to get involved. As I continued walking so did he, following right behind me. Talking very loud. I paused and turned to look at him. As I did he stopped and stared but continued speaking. My compassion got the best of me so I decided to check if there was a number on the collar that I could phone and see if ’said cat’ was supposed to be in for the evening. As I bent down and took a hold of his collar the little weasel spun his neck right out of it and took off down the street. Here I stood holding a collar with a phone number and a name, Pickle. But no neck in the collar. I could tell that this phone call was not going to go well so I put it off, momentarily.
The peaceful neighborhood was no longer quiet as a lunatic was yelling, “Pickle!” while running down the street.
I caught up to him as he dove into someone’s yard surrounded by bushes. I held him while I dialed the number on his collar. He kept squirming and throwing a fit the entire time. As the phone continued to ring I discovered that Pickle had very sharp little claws which he liked to use to see if I bled. The phone rang and rang to no avail… I hung up. I tried to slip the collar back over Pickle’s face as he was spastically head-banging. That didn’t work at all. I couldn’t get the cork back in the bottle. I had to pin him down with my knee as I undid the buckle. He started hissing like a viper and I was saying over and over, “Dude, calm down… Dude.”
Finally, I was able to subdue his entire body long enough to strap the collar back on and fasten it. I set him loose and we both walked out of the yard. I turned right at the sidewalk and Pickle turned left. It was then that I realized I had just wasted 20 minutes and accomplished nothing… in my attempt to accomplish something. Which is a lot like my life at this very moment.
I have since retired from my civil duties as an animal rescue… person.
That’s why I love dogs over cats. At least dogs (in general) return appreciation & love. Kudos to you for trying to help out a stray animal.
Flipping cats
Bob Barker would have been proud?
HAHAHAHAHA…i was laughing so hard at this. You must have a big heart, cause all I would want to do is dropkick the stupid cat. Haha…and his name was pickle. Well, I just hope you don’t have 7 years of bad luck cause of that black cat.
My goodness. That was a great story.
Very few people would have gotten involved in this cat’s life.
For a moment, you were Pickle’s whole world.
That’s why I love animals. They have no agendas past “right now.” Of course, then Pickle wanted nothing to do with the giant monster trying to choke him. That’s a lot more like the world that I know.
The visual is priceless to me.
What kind of lame cat doesn’t understand “dude, calm down”? Well I gotta go, a commercial for “Step Up 2: Take it to the Streets” just came on.
You taught Pickle a good lesson in stranger danger.
He’ll never run away from home again.
At least you tried. That’s more then some would even attempt to do.
So will you now think of Pickle, everytime that you eat a pickle? I might, and I never even met him.
I love that story. The poor cat probably thought you were its long lost sibling when you meowed at it. I will meow at every random cat I come across from now to see if any of them run to me. Of course, I meow at my own cat on a daily basis.
Not only did I picture every word in my mind (like a short, silent film…which it should be), this will be something I think back on all day (if not a few days) and giggle to myself. I already made myself look ridiculous from the intense “HA!” I belt out while sitting in the back table at starbucks. Only the ENTIRE shop looked at me, a few sitting near me joined in on my laughter (of course, not having any idea what I was laughing about). Laughing is contagious in coffee shops, it seems. Long story short…being in a pickle with you would be entertaining. I enjoyed this. I guess I could’ve just said that in the beginning. Man.