I just had an interesting cat encounter...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

I stepped out to get something from my car, and this neighborhood orange tabby (possibly feral, I'm not sure) was in front of my gate, meowing at me. I've seen him before, and he's never wanted anything to do with me. He waited a moment as I came out the gate, then walked into my driveway and ultimately my back yard as I followed. He didn't want me to get too close...he clearly wanted me to follow him.

The next thing I knew, fire trucks came screaming down the street behind ours, and stopped at a house directly in back of ours, separated by another neighbor's back yard. The cat then tore around to the other side of my house. I'm can't help thinking he just wanted me to take notice of the fire.

[TZ]

1. huh.

Wonder if that cat lives in/near that house. Could be he wanted to notify someone about trouble on *his* territory....

[GoddessOfGuinness]

2. Could be...

I know he doesn't belong to any of my immediate neighbors. But he does like to wander through our yards. Some cat left a terd on my front porch the other day :grr: ...might have been him.

[bamademo]

3. I had an orange and white feral kitty that hung out my porch...

I eventually put food out for him. He started meowing if the bowl was empty (I had no cats at this point) and one cold evening he walked right in, jumped in my lap and he's never left. He is now known as Tyler. :-)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

4. Awww...

I guess it's possible he was looking for food. We've had a fair number of foreclosures in our area...I think one family may have just turned their pets loose rather than attempting to find homes for them. :-(

A few years ago, a stray dog was an uncommon site around my neighborhood. Now I'm seeing them with frightening frequency.

[Skittles]

23. HUGE compliment when a feral cat does that

yes INDEED

[suninvited]

5. He was like a feline Lassie

telling you about the fire.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

6. Hehheh...

[havocmom]

7. Like a good neighbor

stray cats are there.

Sorry, Goddess, couldn't resist. Good cat neighborhood watch program. Leave a treat out regularly. You WANT that cat around!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

10. He looks pretty well-fed...

but he's definitely an outdoor kitty. His coat's pretty grimy. If I put food outside for him around here, I'll have raccoons, oppossums, and quite possibly rats expecting dinner at my door. :scared:

[Contrary1]

32. I have had all kinds of critters

feeding on my deck for years. Hell, rodents need to eat too. :)

One night, I did witness an odd gathering. My two feral fur babies were on the deck, along with a raccoon and opossum. The kitties had had their fill, so the other two were there to do the dishes.

The raccoon was sitting behind one of the ferals. Very slowly, he wrapped his paw around Leggs (his given name) and pulled the dish from in front of him. He then proceeded to empty it. Meanwhile, the opossum was finishing off the other feral's leftovers.

Two cats, a opossum, and a raccoon, within a couple feet of each other who had no problem sharing their wealth.

Too bad humans aren't as generous.

RIP, Leggs...I miss ya.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

34. Awww...

He was a pretty cat, too...looks sort of Maine Coonish.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. What are you saying, Kitty? Timmy's fallen in the well?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

11. ~~~

[JTG of the PRB]

9. If I didn't know better, I'd almost say the cat was BRAGGING about the fire...

Cats are pretty smart. Maybe this one figured out how to work the matches? :shrug:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

13. Maybe he was saying, "Fork over your tuna, or your house is next!"

:scared:

[JTG of the PRB]

16. Make sure you give the police profiler a detailed description of this cat.

You could have a cat burngular on the loose!

Bad pun, I know. I can't help myself! :yoiks:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

18. :-)

:rofl:

[WannaBeGrumpy]

12. Animals are pretty smart like that!

...my dog is just dumb and barks at the smoke detector. :hi:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. It probably hurts his ears...

I know I feel like barking when they go off. :D

[MichiganVote]

15. Probably set it. Sorry but my cats are opposed to orange kitties. Too flashy.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

19. So he's starting a flame war?

:D

[MichiganVote]

21. They're bitter. Orange kitties have a bad rap at my house since

the last one came on the deck and cleaned out the summertime cat food left out for my divisive darlings. They're meatheads what can I say.

[jobycom]

17. Probably did.

Cats aren't as independent as they seem. They come to humans for food, water, to get let in or out, and everything else they need. So the cat smells a fire, and tries to get some human's attention. Who else are they going to call? We are, after all, their servants.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

20. He was probably afraid his songbird patch would go up in flames.

[jobycom]

22. You say songbird patch, he says all you can eat buffet.

[nuxvomica]

24. I think you're right

I know some folks who were sleeping in their beds when their house caught fire. Their cat woke them up and saved their lives. Cats understand that fire bad.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

27. They're certainly smart...

and I think many of them really do care about things like that...even if they do seem contrary.

[applegrove]

25. All I can say if pay attention to cats when they try and warn you.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

28. It certainly can't hurt.

Better to err on the side of caution.

[applegrove]

33. My cats have warned me about 1) someone breaking into my apartment

2) a fire 3)a water heater that had become electrifying 4) a hurrican on its way.

Pay attention to your cats or know them well enough that you can understand when they put on warning behaviour.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

35. Now that you mention it,

I did have a cat who tried to warn me when someone broke into our basement. It's creepy to think of it now...He was in our house stealing stuff while we were asleep. :scared:

[applegrove]

36. i had someone try and get into my apartment in the middle of the night.

Got the door open but did not undo the chain. Cat slept right by the door and meowed. I called out to cat. Creep left at that point I think. Only when I woke up did I realize somebody tried to get in. I know i locked the door and i heard giggle noises before cat meowed. Thought cat was playing with something. Thank god for that cat.

[Parche]

26. Cats Are Smart

They know things.......:hi:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

29. I hope it wasn't his house...

[BuelahWitch]

30. That is a wonderful story!

I love how animals communicate! :hi:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

31. Me too...

I've had wrens give me hell when I've neglected to fill the feeder. It's pretty funny.