Tuck returns May 4, 2024
I knew Tuck was back when I heard the growling in the yard this morning.
This terrifying, which howl had been so common in the past
when Tuck roamed the neighborhood, had vanished when we brought Tuck into the
house during the summer, after he had suffered wounds so severe, we believed he
would not survive.
Although we got him to the vet briefly, they did not wish to
deal with how vicious he was, giving him only the basic shots, and telling us
to return with him later, when it was all we could do to capture him once.
So, we let him heal in our house, a risky business since he
tends to be unpredictable.
You move unexpectedly or do something that alarms him, he
bites and claws you – not gently either.
This is not to say he didn’t appreciate us. I fed him. I
petted him. But I was away nervous around him.
The stronger he got, the more anxious he became, longing to
be released back into the wild.
Frankly, I think he missed the fighting, and often perched
in the open window looking out as other cats made their way through the
neighborhood. Over the last few weeks, he got more and more agitated and angry
at us for not letting him out, which we eventually did.
His return this morning came with the confrontation with
another male cat someone had abandoned, and from the howl, I knew I had to
intervene before the two got into that godawful embrace of teeth and claws that
no mere human to break apart.
I chased the tiger cat away, fed Tuck, before he went off
again.
A week ago, when we re released him to the wild, we never
expected to see him again. He did return twice, once even came back to the
house to rest before insisting we let him loose again, and then another time,
just to hang out on the front porch, warming himself in the sun.
But for the last two days, we saw neither hide nor hair of
him, and began to fear the worst, and that we might never see him again.
So, the howl from the yard –even as a prelude to severe
conflict – was a relief.
I chased the tiger cat out of the yard, fed Tuck, and hope
when I see him again, he won’t be in as bad a shape as when we brought him into
the house in the first place.
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