Thursday, March 26, 2009

Bobby - Ninja Kitty


The kitty in the picture is my barn cat Bobby. You can't really get a feel for the size or solidness of Bobby from his picture. Bobby belonged to a woman I know. She paid some healthy amount for him, she's never said what. He is supposed to be part Bobcat. Don't know, he looks kind of like one, or just a really big Manx. He's raked like a muscle car, the hind end is higher than the front.



I guess it got to the point where she was worried walking through her house, wondering from where and when Bobby would leap out and attack her. Bobby ran away from home. She looked for him, couldn't find him. He showed up at the local dressage barn. Bobby did fine for awhile there, then he decided he should be the only kitty at the barn. Oh, and his attacking of DQ's was very frowned on. I guess he chased one kitty in front of a car and it died. He put another kitty's eye out, and beat another kitty up pretty bad. The DQ's were going to take him to the pound, or just off him somehow. They'd had it with him.


Elaine called me and asked if I wanted a barn cat. My son was 11 at the time. She tells me all his bad behavior, and how mean etc... Now I'm kind of worried, I don't want some vicious cat at my place around my kid. She says she doesn't think he's as bad as reported. So we borrow a kitty carrier. I'm wondering how to get this beast into the carrier. One lady at the barn that really likes him, puts him in. She recommends I do not leave him in the carrier. That I just let him out as soon as I get to my place. I'm thinking...oh he'll be gone, I'll never see him again.


Once at my place, with great hesitation I let him out. I've put down canned food and dry (they said he hated canned food and wouldn't eat it). He strolls out of the carrier and settles into the can of food. He now gets a can morning and night, plus dry food.


Well, Bobby does have some issues. If you're petting him and he's done he'll bite you. If flops over on his back showing you his tummy, and wriggles like "oh rub my tummy" don't do it, don't believe him. He will latch onto your arm like a boa, and then try to gut your arm with his hind legs. Yes, I have thrown this kitty (that semi panicked...ugh get off of me). Sad but true.


There have been a few incidents with Bobby. My neighbor came up to talk to me one day. Bobby strolls up. She starts backing away from him. She asks, "Is this your cat?" I really want to say, "No, why?" But no, I say, "Yes he is, why?" I guess he showed up at her house and attacked her. (Jerk, really bad form to go to someone's house and beat them up. Not allowed). They get along fine now.

Second incident. I had a mobile vet out to do acupuncture on Shad. Very easy going woman, kind, very kind to animals. Well, Bobby decides to hop into her motor home that is her traveling office with surgery and everything set up in it. Very cool set up by the way. She goes up to her all Mr. Nice. She pets him a few times, and he tags her. She shushes him off, and he goes out the door. Well, he comes back, with intent. He comes trotting up the steps...scopes out where she is sitting and launches himself at her. Hind and front legs splayed...air born. Just as he hits her leg, I grab him by the scruff of the neck, and hurl him out the door about 25 feet or so. He lands, gives me the 'hate you' look and walks off.


I now realize I have just hurled my cat 25+ feet through the air, in the presence of this very nice, touchy feely kind of vet. I'm thinking, great...she's going to think I'm some horrible animal abuser. I hesitate a moment before I turn back around and say, "Bobby's kind of different. If you don't get after him right away in a big way and stop it he gets worse." She is laughing, "Oh, I have one at home just like him. Manx too, but female...I'd of done the same thing." Whew bullet dodged.


Bobby's piece de la resistance was biting the judge's brother. I share my pasture and barn with a local Superior Court Judge. She would have her brother come up and feed for her. He would tease Bobby. My son even told him, don't tease Bobby, you'll make him mean. Well, this guy thought it was funny. He would palm the top of Bobby's head, and shake it and say, "See he's a tough guy he likes it." I said, "No, he doesn't you're going to make him mad. Don't tease my cat."


At the stable in town across from me is a local sheriff. Great person. Love her to death. There is an orange and white kitty there, Fenton. Fenton and the sheriff do not get along. I swear they have a running vendetta at each other. I think Fenton started it actually. When she pulls up in her truck, and gets out....Fenton hurries over and pees on her tires. She always say, "Do something about your cat." Fenton is not my cat, he just decided he would hang out in my tack room. He sprays in everyone elses. (He hasn't in mine, knock wood). I don't feed Fenton, he is not my kitty.


I get a call from Animal Control about my Cat. I assume it's my friend the sheriff messing with me, big joke etc... Then I hear 'cat bite'. So, I call. Yup, it's Bobby. He bit the judge's brother. The judge's brother ended up in the ER. I have to take a copy of Bobby's rabies certificate in to animal control. I get there, and tell them the story. The officer says, "Yeah, the guy is pretty embarrassed, he said he was teasing the cat. But all animal bites that end up in the ER have to be reported." Great. Bobby is on probation.


I later tell my friend the sheriff what happened and what I thought she'd done. She laughed, said if she had thought of it she would have done it Her response to the judges brother situation, "F-ing pussy. Kitty put him in the ER."

19 comments:

Dena said...

OMG!!! Still Laughing!!!

We have Jack Jack. Also Manx. He is the coolest kitty.
With a brain.

Not aggressive like your's.

Except with his prey.LOL

I love Manxs. Cats with more.
Something more whatever it is.
Even though they are minus some portion of the tail.
Jack is a one knuckler.

Great minds may think alike. I just know I am never getting a 4legged Laptop.

horspoor said...

He's actually really sweet and cuddly most of the time. He likes to ride in cars up to the barn. Will gallop across the field when he sees you. Very cool kitty, just kind of moody. lol

Dena said...

Hp

When Bobby is galloping do his hind legs come alongside of his ears like something off of Animal Kingdom?

Jack is all cuddle. No bite.

Last summer Micah and his Daddy saved this pigeon that just fell out of the sky.
Nursed it for about a month.
Big release day. Big speech from Micah and a prayer that God watch out for James(the pigeon).
Jack comes out of nowhere leaps about 8' and snatches James out of the sky.
We couldn't catch him so I am sure you can imagine the end.

Poor Micah. He said,"Do you suppose that was part of God's plan too"? Bear in mind he was angry when he said it. Think sarcasm.

Jack was grounded by Micah from his person, his room, the house, for quite some time.
Jack got a slight respiratory infection and was sneezing and wheezing. Micah would walk by and mumble, "Good I hope you die". Really not his nature.
Jack was forgiven about 6 months after date of incident.

How did I know? I walked by Micah's room and Micah was sitting on the floor watching tv and Jack was sitting right tight next to him with his paw wrapped around Micah's back.
A little desperately and ingratiatingly, if, you ask me.

I like unusual animals. Not necessarily exotic just not ordinary.

No reptiles, or stuff like that though.
Or, rodents. Makes my skin crawl.

horspoor said...

My friend Teri says I'll only get an animal, "if it's blind, crippled, or crazy." Thanks Teri. lol

GoLightly said...

Bbbbbbbad to the bone, Bobby!
George Thoroughgood and the Destroyers.
Oh, I hear that guitar riff as soon as I saw the pic.

He's got SUCH a swagger!!!!

Note to self, wear heavily padded clothes when going to visit HP's barn:)

Maybe a helmet, and face guard??

horspoor said...

Ah, he's mellowing with age. I think Bobby is 13 now. He loves to be picked up...his moments are few and far between now. He'll still pop up and surprise you once in awhile.

Hunter extraordinaire. He brought me two gophers in one lesson once. My farrier said I needed to quit feeding him so much, he'd quit hunting. Not 2 minutes later...plops down in front of the shoer and starts loudy crunching the bones of the fresh gopher. Even the shoer shivered, and said that's disgusting...I guess he'll keep hunting. lol

Drsgjunky said...

HP....

Just thought I'd check in. I'll be following as time permits.

Send some of that fine CA weather our direction. We're drowning/freezing up here.

blueheron said...

Bobby...what a cat.
He has conducted his own natural selection experiment on the quail living at the pasture. The quail there, now, after 5 years of Bobby selection, are the fastest, sleekest, stealth quail you've ever seen. Endurance quail. lol.

After I saw how fat and slow the quail in Boise are, I wanted to box some up and send them to Bobby for sport.

horspoor said...

It was nice today. It's should be nice through the weekend. I'm not sure if I'm taking Top to my Carrie lesson on Saturday. He just finished the round of antibiotics for a bout of cellulitis due to a small cut. Swelling is gone, but I haven't ridden him since the last lesson, and I don't want it to flame back up. I'll see how he seems tomorrow.

nccatnip said...

I had a cat very similar when I was younger, looked just like that. We always suspected bobcat DNA and he acted about the same. I could handle him and do anything to him but others not so much. He was huge, too, about 22lbs. Gotta respect the power of the cat.

horspoor said...

Ncc,
Bobby had an abcess on his neck. I wrapped him in a towel, and clamped him between my legs. I couldn't hold him. I got a little peroxide on...and he was done. I could not believe how strong he was.

I took him into the vet. Young new vet. Starts to look at it. Bobby objects...the guy wussed out. Gave me some antibiotics and says, "Well, it looks like you cleaned it up pretty good. The antibiotics will do fine."

kestrel said...

I love cats like that!
You should meet evil parrot Petey, who will coo and suck you in just to bite. Except for me. Quaker parrots are like that. For me he flirts and puffs up like a green golf ball and flirts. Years ago, like lots more years than Quakers are supposed to live, a friend asked me if I wanted a bird. I said I would have to think about it...came home to a parrot in my kitchen with a note. My son spent 2 years trying to teach the bird to say "Petey wants some cyanide" Bird responds with F*** you every time!

GoLightly said...

Cats are incredibly powerful for their size. I flea-bathed a kitten once, it was still sedated from it's surgery, woke up and just about took my arm off. A Kitten!

Tough little beasts.

Everyone here is too young to remember the hilarious ancient TV spy show called the Avengers. They had a killer-cat episode.. As in, cats programmed to kill you. Which, they Could!

How is Top?

horspoor said...

I loved the Avengers. Steed and Mrs. Peel. I was going to grow up and be Mrs Peel/Diana Rigg. lol So very cool.

horspoor said...

Top is not going to the lesson tomorrow. He's still a hair puffy from the cellulitis. He doesn't look off at all, but he is cautious with the leg. So, I figure better safe than sorry.

GoLightly said...

Yeah, me too, HP. I was Mrs. Peel! LOL! Diana Rigg, the coolest woman, ever:)
The first Bond woman, FCS!

Too bad about the lesson, but 4sure, safer is better than sorrier..

horspoor said...

That's right. I forgot she married Bond and died in the first one. The guy never played Bond again did he?

GoLightly said...

Yeah, good ol'George Lazenby.

He was so not Bond.

Sean Connery..

(sigh)

sorry for the OT:)

horspoor said...

My friend Teri's son looks like a cross between Sean Connery and Tom Selleck. He's in his mid thirties. He walked in her house one evening. That immediate..."oh I want that."

He came in and I was staring, kind of took my breath away. Whew...swig a little more wine...where's the water? OMG, let me break my rule about younger men, lol...