Forest Critters: Yet Another Reason Why I Dislike Tuckercat

This story is how I got my swollen finger – and why I hate Tuckercat for another reason. Let's start at the beginning shall we?

Some of my friends were in the neighborhood so I invited them over for a bonfire in my backyard. At this point I was the only one home. So I decided that I should get out there and put some matches and cardboard by the fire pit before everybody came it was chaos.

*Important note – Tuckercat had been spotted outside an hour before.*

With matches and cardboard in hand, I opened the door at the back of our house to go outside. Tucker (the housecat) slipped between my legs to get outside. Seeing as he's a strictly indoor cat (he has no front claws and is fairly fat) he wouldn't do well in the wild. Usually though when he escapes he nibbles on some grass placidly until somebody scoops him up ad delivers him back to the safe indoors.

That’s exactly what was about to happen. He was munching on some grass, but when I bent to pick him up he ran towards the forest. Obviously I ran after him because dark was approaching and this fat cat wouldn't do very well with tomcats, raccoons, fox and coyotes looking for a juicy meal or a fight.

Unfortunately, Tucker had scented Tuckercat in the forest and didn’t like the idea of this guy messing around in his turf. I remember hearing them yowling and snarling as they bit and tore at each other. Tucker chased Tuckercat a little deeper into the forest and I finally caught up with the brat of a fat cat. At my approach Tuckercat galloped away into the depths of the forest (thankfully).

Relieved the fight was over I bent to pick up Tucker and bring him inside, but he had other ideas. I suppose I should've seen this coming and it was partly my fault, yet it was totally surprising seeing as this cat had been purring beside me on the couch minutes before, but Tucker viciously attacked both my hands when I tried to pick him up. I'll tell you, cats have a very hard bite. Never mess with an angry, scared or riled up cat if you can help it.

At this point I'm just crouch there on the ground panicking because my hands were red with blood and I couldn't get this stupid cat inside. He was growling even at me just being near him. If you have a pet you love dearly, put yourself in this situation:

The animal you love and cuddle has suddenly turned into a snarling beast that viciously attacked you and is growling just at the thought of you being near it and if you touch it, well, it'll attack you again.

I was hysteric. How was I going to get this cat inside before its very dark without getting myself shredded in the process? I didn’t want to tell my family that he had escaped and then never see him again.

I sat there, while it was getting dark, waiting until my friends came. Long story short, they came, except we lost track of Tucker in the dark and couldn't find him. Despairingly we gave up the search. When my sister finally came home she sent us all back out to look for him one last time.

*Note: Tucker has this obsession with those yogurt drops you give hamsters. As soon as he hears me open the drawer I keep them in, he's all over me begging for them.*

And that was what got the stupid cat back inside. Yogurt drops. My sister shook the box and there he was, ready to be fed the tasty treat. We took him back inside promptly and that was that.

Now for my hands. I had washed all the blood off, but they still hurt like crazy and had swollen to a ridiculous extent. My pointer finger on my right hand couldn't bend (it was doubled in size) and my thumb on my left hand was unusable, as he'd bitten the part of my palm just below it and it hurt to move it. My mom took a look (she’s a nurse) and sent me to bed.

In the morning she woke me up and she took me to the doctors. I was given the biggest antibiotics ever! Oh, and the doctor said (and he was totally serious) that if Tucker died in the next 10 days we're supposed to save his head so he can be tested for rabies. Oh joy. I was also at risk for cat scratch fever...that's right; it's a real serious problem. Luckily though, my fingers are usable now and only another five days of giant antibiotics!

Tucker was fine after he attack if you were wondering. My hate for Tuckercat has been rekindled. My next goal: take away Tuckercat's manhood.