Opie

For the last few weeks a large male cat has intimidated our two females. He found the cat door that gave him access to the utility room and, if the door was open, to the house. Julie, being the official labeler-of-cats, decided "the big red cat" wasn't appropriate and chose "Opie" as his name.

On Sunday evening we set a live trap and baited it with food. Early Monday morning I heard the cat door close and looked into the utility room. Opie was considering the food. We had been feeding him in a white cup for a while to lull him into a mistaken sense of security. A few minutes later I heard the trap close.

Opie shortly after being trapped.

I suspected he was tame but afraid of us. We could get close to him and he never showed strong signs of stress. After trapping him I gave him a few minutes then put a finger through the trap. He didn't react. Next I offered him mayonaise on an outstretched finger and he immediately accepted it. We took him out of the trap and he never showed signs of terror or aggression. He's tame!

We have debated what to do with him. One thing wasn't debated. Feral cats should be broken, unable to reproduce. A few phone calls and Opie had a 7:30 AM appointment with a local vet. We picked him up yesterday evening and returned him to a large cage for the night. This morning we turned him loose. He has his freedom after 48 hours in our B&B.

We're still debating what to do to prevent him coming into the house without spending too much money. (Hmmm? Cats don't spend money. Maybe that should be: We're still debating the most economical way to prevent him coming into the house.)

I like him. I hope he stays around.