The first time I saw Rascal, he was scavanging in our compost heap. As soon as he saw me, he climbed the garden fence and ran away. Several days later, Ditcher and I were walking toward the barn. Suddenly, Ditcher stopped in his tracks and arched his back. Then he ran toward a grove of live oak trees. He climbed a tree and ran onto a low hanging limb. Just as he jumped, I saw an orange and white cat cowering in the tall grass. The cat ran toward the back fence, with Ditcher in hot pursuit. He managed to escape, but several days later he and Ditcher had a catfight. Rascal bit Ditcher's right ear, leaving a permanent mark; however, it was Ditcher's pride that suffered the most.

I planned to capture the "intruder" and take him to an animal shelter. Twice a day, I carried food to the barn in an attempt to intice him. He was suspicious of my efforts to feed him, never going near the food bowl until I walked some distance away from it. Each day, I decreased the distance until, finally, he allowed me to stand nearby while he ate. It was over a month before he let me pet him, but soon after that he came to the house with me. By then, he had gained my respect and he'd given me his trust. Because of their earlier encounter, Ditcher had no desire to associate with this renegade, who we named "Rascal." Dobbin was frightened when the big tomcat came near her.

Our veterinarian determined that Rascal was approximately three years old. He was in good condition, although he was somewhat underweight. The vet gave him a series of vacinations and we made arrangements to have Rascal neutered. He gradually learned the house rules and adapted to his new lifestyle. Ditcher retained the role of top cat, perhaps because Rascal ceased to challenge him. In time, they would even hunt together. Dobbin gradually became accustomed to Rascal's presence, finally accepting him as her friend.

Rascal became a gentle, loving member of our family. During the next few years, a dog and three more cats came to live at the Triple C Ranch. He befriended them all. In fact, we marveled at his relationship to Midnight and Scrappy when they were kittens. Midnight was in very poor condition when we found him on our road. Rascal immediately "adopted" him and became his constant companion. When Scrappy arrived five years later, Rascal became his father figure, too.

Scrappy's introduction to Rascal is told in: Chapter 5 of his adventures.

To be continued. . . .

Pat Crowley

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