Orange Man Has a Bad Day

 

Ever since the disturbing day when I rejected Orange Man's advances, I had not seen Orange Man.  I figured he was out in the woods sulking.  

This morning I found Orange Man in the yard, appearing to have fallen over.  I went up to him, but he didn't hear or see me, and I spoke to him.  He then looked up at me in horror and ran terrified into the bushes.  OK.  

I had come out the back door, and since the front door was still locked I had to go back in that way.  So I checked the mail and tossed out the trash, then headed back to the house.  Orange Man had staggered to the open door, and turned around and began hissing at me.  He never did that before.  I stood outside, supposing he would go in the kitchen to eat his goody, which was already put out for him, even though I haven't seen him in eleven days.  Eventually he went in, but now I had the problem that he was blocking my way into the living room.  I found a broom, and used it to shield my legs as I tried to get by.  This seemed to frighten him.  

Well, he's a wreck.  His left ear looks half torn off, his left eye is somehow injured, and he's been scratched and bitten to ribbons.  He looks like the cat mafia got hold of him.  I didn't pet him because he was scaring me.   He seemed to think I should pet him but he didn't want me touching him anywhere he was injured.  

After he went outside he stood on the back steps, probably waiting for me.  I spoke to him as kindly as I could, and took out some broth from dinner last night.  Nothing will cure a cat like broth.  He wasn't much interested.  

Boy, is he rabid?  Well, I can't get him to the vet because I would have to handle him to get him into a kennel.  I'm not going to shoot him.  Mrs.  Billingsley said David would, what?  Dispatch him?  I suppose he needs a few days to recover.  Hopefully.  

I looked up rabies in cats to try to figure out what the signs are and some idea of what to do.  I read an article that said, "Take your cat to the vet."  My cat?  A stray/feral cat.   They mentioned changes in behavior,  aggressiveness, and the furious form of rabies, and if you see that, just grab the kitty and throw it in a kennel?   There were no words of caution.  Anyway, I'm going to leave him alone a while.