by TerrieLynn Bach
In the course of trapping and neutering community and feral cats, we sometimes come across a particularly clever cat. “King” was such a cat.
We arrived at our site and set up several traps. Then casually stood around talking with the community cat feeder, during which, we caught a couple of cats and set those traps aside.
Then, down the middle of the street, here comes a big tabby and white tom cat, strutting down the street like he owns the whole neighborhood. He slips around my car towards a trap set on the other side, out of our view.
We all pause our conversation, collectively listening for the snap of the trap shutting. But it didn’t.
King saunters around the car and sits down facing us, not six feet away, and begins to wash his face.
Michael goes around the car in the opposite direction to check the trap and, sure enough, the trap is still set –but the bait is gone!
Michael tests the trap and it works properly. Hmmmm, what happened?!
We reset the trap with fresh bait and wait. After King’s ablutions, he stands up and slowly strolls around the car to check out the trap again.
We all hold our collective breath, waiting for the snap of the trap. And, again, it doesn’t happen!
Michael, once more, goes around the car to check the trap. And, again, the trap is still set and the bait is gone!
This is one smart cat who is letting us know he’s the King, because, again, he’s sitting just out of reach, nonchalantly washing his face!
Persistence is in our nature, so we set and re-bait the trap a third time. Only this time, when we see King walk towards the trap, Michael very stealthily slips around the opposite side –where he finds King standing over the trip plate without touching it, eating the bait!
Michael reaches out a hand and quickly trips the door closed. Got him!
King immediately puts up a fuss,, but we cover him with a cover and he eventually calms down.
When King was neutered, it was discovered that he had one testicle that had not descended, so it was a really good, life-saving thing we got him neutered when we did!
Two days later, post surgery, King was fully recovered, and I took him back to release him.
When I opened the trap to let him go, he didn’t hesitate or thank me for saving his life; he just shot out like a bullet straight into the nearby woods.
King’s caretaker says that, to this day, King still saunters down the middle of the street like he owns the neighborhood! Clearly, he is King of the Road!
