Cats

Acidman posted a story about the only cat he ever liked. Now, I've been around a bunch I liked, but one in particular stands out.

Way back, before either of the kids showed up, the wife traded a bag of tomatos from the garden for a fuzzy black & white kitten. I'd never had a cat before, so it was a learning experience. This little furball grew up into a big cat /14 pounds summer, closer to 18 winter/ and a fairly unique character.

Trying to come up with a name, I finally remembered the dog in the Asterix the Gaul comics and said, "How about Catmatyx?" And so he became, my reason being that when I yelled "CAT!" he damn well knew who I was talking to. He was a seriously tough critter, and maintained discipline on the other critters in the neighborhood. I once saw two dogs coming down the street see him sitting on our porch and cross the street, get past our house, then cross back over. And once, having decided that the big labrador under the tree he was in shouldn't be there, he dropped out of the tree onto the dogs back, inspiring the damndest ride you'd ever see outside of a National Finals Rodeo.

The biggest single thing was one night when the wife woke me up whispering "There's someone trying to open the front door!" I fumbled around for the only gun I owned, noting an odd noise in the background. Finding the gun, I eased into the living room and found the source of the noise. One of the stereo speakers sat just beyond the edge of the door when it was fully open; and crouched on the speaker was Catmatyx: ears back, eyes locked on the door, one paw raised and that low 'rrrrrooowwrrrrr' sound that usually preceeded his beating the crap out of something in his territory. I eased up and looked out the window. The storm door was propped open, but the jerk was gone. I don't know if he heard me or the cat, but it would've served him right if he'd opened the door, because the cat would have laid into him, and laid him open.

He lived to about 15 years, and died one night after jumping off the bed. He gave three yowls and was gone.

That was one hell of a cat.