I live in an apartment in a house. Above me, the owners of the house… a young couple with 3 children… and a cat. Last week, they went on vacation, and I watched the cat for them. Tonight, something interesting happened.

At about 1:30a I was walking into my apartment, about to unlock the door, when I notice something out of the corner of my eye. I spin around, and there walking down the steps behind me... is a cat. A gray and black striped cat, with white paws. A cat, that suspiciously looks like the cat I took care of a week ago.

It looks at me, but doesn't run away. I call out its name (maybe its name), but it's a cat, so it barely flinches.

I get inside my apartment... grab my flashlight, and go back to the door to take a look. It's still there.

And then I remember coming home the other night, I had seen a plate of cat food out in front of the house. And then yesterday and tonight, an empty cat carrier has been out on the front step.

So I go back inside, and open a can of tuna... figuring cats like tuna, and that's all I've got left to eat… well, that and some uncooked pasta, but who wants that? Anyway, I put some in an empty butter tub, and walk back outside. The cat is now hiding behind my trash can. I put the food down, and it immediately walks over, sniffs it a little, and then digs in.

Okay... great... now the cat is fed. If it is their cat, feeding will keep it around (I figure), and then we can catch it and return it in the morning. I walk back inside to get another butter tub, this time with water in it. When I open the door, however, this time the cat is under the door and tries to make its way inside. I catch it, and throw it back outside. Okay, now the cat seems awfully friendly for a stray... so I'm now convinced it’s the same cat.

I walk back outside (careful not to let the cat back inside), and up to their porch, with the intent on getting their cat carrier and catching the cat tonight. Much to my surprise, the cat clings to my ankle the entire way up. I open the cage door, and the cat practically walks inside. I say practically, because it didn't walk in, it just sniffed at it, so I had to pick it up to put it inside (something I was trying to avoid doing, incase it's buggy... which it didn't seem to be).

Okay... great... now I've caught the cat. I throw an old towel in the cage with him, and bring him back inside on my welcome mat (if he nasties and it leaks, well I’ll just buy another 5 dollar mat, and I don't have to worry about it getting all over the kitchen). I write up a note for my landlord, telling them I've caught a cat and borrowed their carrier... and to call me ASAP.

So that's it. I’ve caught the cat. Whose cat, I'm not sure. Either I'm a hero for finding their lost cat (which should have had tags on it, so I knew it was theirs... but whatever)... or I'm the goat for using their carrier to catch some stray cat, which probably has given me fleas, will make me take an unscheduled trip to animal control (or the Chinese restaurant in town, depending on if he nasties in my kitchen), and I'll have to wash out their carrier.

I think I did the right thing... I think I'll be the hero... but time shall tell.

What do you think? Should I have fed the cat, and left it outside? Should I have just ignored it? Should I have called them (even though it’s really really late), to tell them I have their cat? I’ve never caught a cat before… then again, I’ve never really tried. So what do you think? Hero, or the goat?

I say hero. What you did was a good thing. The cat could have been nuts and scratched you all up. It wasn't, but...you get the idea.

At worst, it may prove that you are a heroic goat. Either way, good job on looking after the kitty.

Hmmmm, I'm leaning towards goat, but I'll have to read what you wrote before I give a final answer.

After a sleepless night (because I couldn't sleep, the cat slept fine in the cage, and was quiet), we have a verdict.

Hero, or the Goat.

*DRUM ROLL*

Neither.


It IS the cat... so I was right about that. But apparently, sometimes they let him out during the day (without tags, mind you). Apparently yesterday, they just forgot to bring him back inside.

So not the hero, because the cat wasn't really lost. But not the goat, because it was their cat.

*Sigh*

I'm going to back to bed.

You are The Walrus.

Koo koo ga choob!

I think you're a hero. And I think they owe you a beer. Be sure to let them know that someone tried to take the cat home with them because they didn't see any tags and you rescued it for them. See, now you're a hero.