I discovered the rottenest kitten in the known universe yesterday

[jmowreader]

I am almost done with the stone sample display case I described in the thread about the fucking lawsuit. Yesterday I needed a new sanding disc for my random-orbit sander and went to the best industrial supply house in Fayetteville. (Strangely enough, even though it's a small business selling very expensive things, they're able to lowball Home Depot on a lot of stuff. Their router bits are cheaper AND a more reputable brand, the sanding disc I bought is a dollar cheaper there, and so on. OTOH, you probably don't want any of their argon.)

While I'm standing at the counter explaining to another customer that no, Home Depot does not carry covers for machinists' vises, I felt my pants start to hang down on one side. I looked down to find a five-month-old orange kitten hanging from my leg.

Turns out he decided to go exploring one day, walked through the back door of the shop and decided to stay. This place sells lots of noisy things and he's not fazed at all.

He likes to go on forklift rides. When he hears the forklift start to crank up, he runs over, jumps on the step and crawls up in the operator's lap. Everyone's learned to wait until the cat gets on the forklift before they move, so they won't squish him. (The employees say he is Safety Orange.)

They feed him cat food and he's already learned to catch mice, but he also likes people food and he's learned how to get it: if he likes a particular thing, he remembers which employee brings it to lunch with him, gets into that employee's lunchbox, and takes the item he wants. No one seems to mind.

I've owned plenty of rotten cats. None compares to him...and this little fucker doesn't even have a name.

[wildhorses]

1. best post today!!

:applasue:

[proud patriot]

2. His name is Safety Orange

:D

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My dear jmowreader!

He sounds adorable.....and resourceful!

I think it's great that he catches the mice...

Good for him!

Hopefully they'll get him his shots and get him neutered, and like that!

:bounce: :bounce:

[Heidi]

4. Excellent post!

:kick:

[crim son]

5. I clicked on this expecting to see a pic of Phat cat, Brenda.

Safety Orange sounds like he has her beat, however. Thanks for the post!
edited for typo

[fizzgig]

6. eeeee! so cute!

that does sound like one rotten kitteh :D

[Flaxbee]

7. I don't know what it is about orange kitties, but man, are

they full of it! We have three exceptionally ornery (in a darling, good way) orange kitties - one boy, two girls. Life is always entertaining....

Glad the little guy seems to have found a home, even if it is a giant space with lots of owners!

[EstimatedProphet]

8. Awww! What a sweetheart!

Which Home Depot? I may have to come visit him!

[jmowreader]

12. He's at Hurst Annaho on Grove Street in Fayetteville

This place is like Tim the Tool Man's wettest dream. They sell NOTHING but industrial-grade tools, welding supplies, gases, and safety supplies.

The owner once told me how the store got its name. It was started as an industrial-gas supplier by a Mr. Hurst, whose inventory when he began came from an industrial gas supplier in Raleigh and an out-of-state industrial tool supplier. The tool supplier shipped his entire order on one truck...that wound up in Fayetteville, Arkansas. So all he had in stock on the day he opened the doors was acetylene, nitrogen, nitrous oxide, argon, helium and oxygen...someone wrote those six gases on a paper, the paper wound up in Mr. Hurst's hands...a-n-n-a-h-o...perfect.

Mr. Hurst retired in the 1970s, but people still call and ask for him. When told he's not there, "well then, may I speak to Mr. Annaho?"

[hedgehog]

9. Real feed stores and real lumber yards always have a cat and/or a dog! nt

[ceile]

10. Awww!

That's so cute. Saftey Orange is a perfect name.

[amitten]

11. I want that kitty. n/t

[MissMillie]

13. I think his name is "Scally"

for scallywag!

[Kali]

14. Um his name is obviously Orange Safety

[pitohui]

15. these orange cats don't get better with age

i know one that is a vicious ankle biter to this day and he must be 20 if he's a day

[EFerrari]

16. Water spray bottles go a long way to, um, discourage this behavior.

And Little F is as good a name as any. lol

Edit: I named the last rescue WahBaby because he's such a loud mouth. And just feeling his oats, too. I see earplugs in my future. :)

[legally blonde]

17. sounds like a typical orange cat to me

I have one--he's been a little shit since the day I got him five years ago. But I love him anyway!