[at-l] Off topic....Final Chapter....Rabies

[kahley7@ptd.net (kahley7)]

WARNING....THIS STORY DOES NOT HAVE A HAPPY ENDING
THIS IS YOUR DELETE OPPORTUNITY

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The cat is gone.
For the last week, Hub and i were trying to figure out another way but
another attack today, sealed the deal.  Hub was working outside and
I in, when the sound of a cat fight brought us both running.  'You dere'
as we had named the wild cat, was back and had attacked another of
ours.

By the time we got there, it was over and this time, our cat wasn't visibly 
injured
but it was clear that Youdere' would not be content until he had established,
through continued violence, who would be alpha in this valley.

I've seen him in the woods for almost three years.  Evidently, our old
male had kept him away until recently.  Having backed down our
male, he moved in, under our porch.  While the dogs and i went hiking,
he'd sneak in thru the cat's door and eat.  I first had a close encounter
when i rushed out to beat a thunderstorm and close my car windows.
I caught him, raiding the dogs gorp which was left on the front seat
and trapped him in the car.

I introduced myself and began the long process of trust building that
has to happen to socialize a wild thing.  After six months, it became
obvious it wasn't gonna happen.  Not because he bit me.  Not even
because he dusted it up with Boomer, another young male.  Cats
have to have a pecking order.  Unlike most dogs, they don't accept imposed
rank or peace.  They have to work it out themselves.  It mostly happens
through dust ups where an ear gets notched on a nose sliced. The matter
gets settled and peace reigns

But not with Youdere.  He was very aggressive, sneaky and defiant.  He lay in
ambush and attacked a cat that never offered challenge to anyone.  A sweet
gentle soul named Moe.   And this morning...another rowe.  'Youdere'  was 
not going
to blend like all the dozen wild and stay cats that have become our's over
the last 25 yrs.

Hub looked at me and in the tone of voice that I rarely let him get away 
with, said.
"Call him in.  Call him in now" and he headed for his .22.  We'd talked about
it all week.  What were we gonna do?  No good options presented.  Youdere
knew his status had changed after the second attack and had stayed out of 
sight.
We hoped he had moved on.  The dogs knew better and last night's fresh snow
had shown his tracks so we know he was still around.  We had decided
Youdere had one last chance and this afternoon, he blew it.

I went out with a plate of food to see if I could lure him out from his 
home, under
the porch.  It took three calls before he answered me.  Another 5 mins 
before he
came out.  Hissing and spitting as usual he circled me.....wanting the 
food.  He's
a smart wild thing and knew things had changed between us.  Or maybe he could
read my mind.  The plan was to lure him into the open so Hub could get a clear
shot.  Hub's almost as good as me.  I wasn't afraid he'd blow the shot.  It 
would
be as painless as getting shot in the head can be.

I just couldn't do it.  I just didn't want to look at the bloodstain in the 
snow till spring.....
a very visible sign of my failure.

I hurried to the shed, grabbed the cat carrier and came back to the 
food.  He abandoned
it as I approached.  I opened the box, setting it on it's end so the open 
door was up.
Sat down on the porch step and talked the mean s o b over to me.  I 
scratched his head
and cheeks until he relaxed and started to eat.  Then I grabbed him by the 
scruff and
dropped him with surprisingly little damage to me, into the 
carrier.  Luckily the local SPCA
was open on Sunday.

They know us there.  We have rescued many dogs from there.  I felt very 
strange to take
an animal instead.  I told them the truth.  Youdere is a fabulous creature, 
big, male, wild thing.
He was capable of trust, at least once. He had an odd habit of alternately 
hissing and
purring.  He would not tolerate other cats.  And don't turn your back on 
him cause he may
go for your leg.  Odds are he'll be put down after ten days.  So while I 
didn't let Mike shoot
him, I didn't save his life.

Felt really bad on the way home.  Hell....I bond with fish.  I rescue 
spiders.  If You dere
had just been a year or two younger, I might have had a chance of bringing 
him around.
I love the wild side of things.  I respect it but could not allow him to 
continue to injure my
four paw family.  As we walked back into our house, and our injured cat, 
the one with
the gentle soul, limped up and mewed hello, Hub reached down and petted him 
and said,
"it's OK Mokie,  the monsters gone.

I know we did the right thing.  Maybe we even waited to long.  I'm gonna be 
awhile
dealing with the guilt towards sweet Mokie for not doing it sooner and the 
look on
Youdere's face when he realized I betrayed his trust....the trust it took
him six months to give.  OK...that's the end of the drama. A no win 
situation for sure
and not a happy ending for Youdere or me.