Monday, July 25, 2011

KILLER KITTY



About two weeks ago, I was out walking with Mighty Dog. Suddenly from my car port, a HUGE cat strolled out, giving us the fish eye. This was not a wild cat but was the tallest domestic cat I have ever seen.

My first thought was that Mighty was totally outclassed and I started hollering for him to leave it alone. He could not win this battle but try telling a terrier that. They spied each other and the race was on. This was so reminiscent of the night Mighty tangled with a strange dog  and I knocked the poor little guy silly with my flashlight

They tore off to the same corner of the property and the fight was on. Very quickly however, Mighty let out a scream and came out of the bushes like he had been scalded. The huge cat had snatched him a good one on the nose making him a true believer in cat power. Super Cat disappeared into my neighbors pasture and has not been seen again.

Mighty recovered physically but not mentally.

The other morning as I was walking with Mighty, I heard a cat cry on my back porch. “Oh crap.” I thought, “Here we go again.”

I followed Mighty around the corner of the porch and there was maybe a pound and a half of fur in defense mode. It was about an eight week old kitten with every bit of its fur at attention and doing a really good Halloween cat imitation by standing on its toes.

My fierce little terrier with a nose still remembering, barked but kept a healthy distance from the tiny creature. Mighty definitely had learned respect.  I snatched Mighty up quickly and put him in the house. When I came back out, the kitten was gone but I was pretty sure it was still on the property. I did my best “kitty, kitty,” but no response so I put some dry cat food in a bowl next to the water fountain and left.

Later the bowl was cleaned spotless so I knew it was still around. I have a humane trap that I use to catch errant raccoons, possums, and armadillos that  decide to take up residence under my porch.  I baited the trap with tuna that night and set it out.


This is what I found in the AM

 As soon as I approached the trap, tiny paws with every claw exposed shot out of the cage as far as they could go, accompanied by a spit that would have made Super Cat proud. I gave the little terror plenty of room and tried to decide what to do.

I did not want nor did I have room for a kitten. A friend of mine with the Humane Society put me in touch with a cat foster. Our Humane Society is quite small so they enlist fosters who  care for the excess animals till a home can be found. Really a wonderful solution. The foster named Pat, agreed to take the kitten so we decided to meet at Walmart for the transfer.

Now comes the part I am not particularly proud of. You know from previous posts that I have faced down pit bulls, German Shepherds, Rottweilers and of course the ever vicious weenie dogs. Dogs do not usually scare me and I have learned how to handle them. Only rarely was I attacked and never during a rescue. 

I will  admit, I was intimidated by this small creature. I could just envision those tiny claws carving up my fragile old skin. It was very stressed by the trap and I was the main threat. It wanted a piece of me. 

I once saw a judge at a cat show leave the building on a stretcher after a cat went to bonkers on him. I am a believer. What was making me the most nervous was that the little fellow was trapped. That rarely brings out the sweetness in an animal.  

So I broke out my gauntlet leather rose gloves and prepared meet the foster.

Pat, whom I had talked to on the phone is a delightful lady. We had a long, easy conversation and I told her how amazing I thought she was but she said the wonderful one was her husband who put up with the cats and had built the holding pens. She might have a point.  

When we went to transfer the kitten to her carrier, the scared little baby, went to the far end of the trap and wasn't about to leave. So I broke out my gloves, cranked up my courage and reached as far in as I could to try to grab it. Being short also means short armed so I was just inches from reaching the little one. I was actually relieved.

Pat started to reach in and I offered my gloves but she pooh poohed that. Teasing the kitten with a bit of rope, she coaxed it towards the opening, gently but firmly she wrapped her hand around its chest and made the transfer with no hiss, no claw , no problem. Seeing that small kitten in her hand made me feel rather small myself. Had I really been afraid of that tiny kitten? Yep.

I got her permission to post her picture so here is Pat, the brave woman who brought the killer kitty down.


People like Pat and her husband, who put time,money, energy and caring into the protection of animals are my heroes.

I guess the moral here is that if you need help catching a stray dog, I am your person.  If it involves handling an itty bitty kitty, look somewhere else.  Most of us have our  Achilles heel.  I found mine.

Do you have one?

48 comments :

  1. If having an Achilles heel means working very hard at finding a humane place for a feral kitten despite your fears, then maybe that's not such a bad thing.

    It will be interesting to see how long Mighty Dog's cat memory lasts. Patches (my cat) forgets nothing. Ever.

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  2. Good for you helping a little kitten. wonder if the super cat could have been this kitten's mommy?

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  3. Reminds me of the kittens that were born in my barn, the littlest one was the feistiest and finally we tricked it into a cage. Good for you and for Pat for helping this little guy out.

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  4. What a wonderful thing you and Pat (and her husband) did to help that cat. People who help animals are the best in my book.

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  5. Good for you and Pat! Great story.

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  6. Patti, no matter what you tell about you always tell it with such wonderful humor. Your humor was not all that is wonderful about this post. What you did was wonderful too and I applaud you for what you did to save that little kitty. Glad you and Mighty are both safe after your adventures with the cats. Hugs for you and nose kisses for Mighty.

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  7. Awww.... what a cute little guy. Mighty will probably forget, much to his later chagrin, but for now, he's safe from cats. I love that little kitten, and I also have nothing but respect for people who take care of these little guys.

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  8. Straying Dogs-You never know their temperament, or how long they have been running in packs. Of course I steer clear of some of Arkansas's wildlife like cougers, black bears and SNAKES.

    My heroine is a lady near my age, who has conquered every addiction known to man, and is now runs a volunteer spay and neuter c;inic for cats and dogs. I help her every way I can. I have paid for one spay for a deserving client and loaned our trailer out to hauling their supplies and cages to the site of the clinic. She has2-3 a year and organizes a benefit, too. They may wear the trailer out before we do.

    Sometimes she pushes a tad hard, and I have to firmly push back. But we neither one are ugly. I can't blame her for trying.

    We have a feral cat problem in my town started in the late 50s when a woman moved here in a bus with 50 cats which had tons of kittens that became feral. OR SO THE STORY GOES.

    We also have an ordinance if you feed/water them you own them and people are ticketed. I cannot afford that.

    The clinic assumes your ownership unless you do something like I do--help someone else out.

    I new one appeared yesterday that looks like a grown up version of your kitten.

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  9. Then I have to hand it to the other Pat. I might not have wanted to go gloveless into the fray either. I'm going to see if I can send you a link to a video I saw on FB this morning. You'll love it!

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  10. Yes, although I know I have only two heels, it looks as if I have lots of Achilles' heels. The older I get the more I realise that I have failed many people and did a lot of stupid things.
    Thanks for your comment. I saw the Norwegian king wiping the tears off his eyes. It was the first time I saw a king cry.

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  11. Heroes aplenty in this post. Truly the beginning of what I hope will be a happty ending for Itty Bitty. Afraid i would be in the house with Mighty!

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  12. Well I'm impressed with both of you in your efforts to find a home for that little cat.

    I don't blame you using gloves either. We had two burmese cats and they could shred my arms to pieces in seconds!

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  13. Sounds like you did good to me. I doubt I would even know how to trap anything. Our one daughter has several times, the last being a large raccoon that went crazy on her patio, tearing plants out of pots and upsetting the pots, made a real mess. He's now relocated about ten miles away at a nice woods with a stream of water running through it. Hopefully he'll one day find a mate. But she had a hard time getting the animal to come out of the cage when they got there.

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  14. Patti, I had to laugh when you talked about killer kitties! It's so true that a cat in a snit is formidable, indeed. Good for you for getting in touch with that the Humane Society and the foster cat caregiver. I hope the little terror gets tamed, socialized and becomes someone's treasured pet!

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  15. Awwww Patti, You mean you don't have room on that new cat tree for a hissing, clawing cat? I took one like that into the house once and it promptly climbed up the curtain and sat on top of the rod and wouldn't come down. Back to the barn for that kitty. It was destined to catch mice, anyway.
    Manzanita@Wannabuyaduck

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  16. Hi Patti,

    Glad that Mighty Dog is better and has a healthy respect for cats. I'm more of a dog person too. Your story reminded me of a time years ago when I witnessed a dog being hit by a car (the lady was driving slowly through a parking lot and a frightened dog ran out in front of her), and then stopped the car on his leg. I told her to move forward a bit and then pulled the dog out and somebody else took him to the vet. An observer told me, "I would have never done what you did!". I didn't even think of ME getting bit at the time. Glad I didn't ... but he sure did need a bit of assistance.

    Thanks for all your help with animals, and to your new friend and her husband too.

    As far as kitties go, I'll never forget introducing our new one to our big dog. The kitten saw Ray and freaked out, latching on to my lips. OWWW!!! Good thing my stepson Peter was there to help get him off of them, lol.

    Kathy M.

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  17. I wouldn't face down a dog or a cat either one! I think you both are pretty brave. :) blessings, marlene

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  18. Great story, Patti... Hopefully that little kitty will find a good home. Thanks to people like Pat...

    I guess one of my biggest fears is BUGS... I despise bugs --especially when I see one (even the tiniest spider) in my house... You'd think I found a 10 ton gorilla. ha ha

    Have a great day.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  19. There seems nothing so vicious as an angry and scared feline ...and there just are those people that seem to deal with them without getting scared for life. DD is a bit like that ...I'm not ...they sense my fear.

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  20. Your fear made me giggle a little, although I would be scared too, or maybe, because I would be scared too. They feel our fears, or excitement, and react to it. I think.

    It is great that the poor baby found you! Scared or not!
    xxx

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  21. Loved your cat tale, Patti!

    Granddaughter Alivia just adopted a itty bitty kitty her older brother found in a parking lot...one almost too young to eat cat food. She named it Mandy.

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  22. Actually I'm not super comfortable with either cats or dogs. They both have teeth and claws. I admire them all from the distance. You should see our mailman when he goes to the neighbors who have 3 dogs up front barking up a storm. They're all tiny... but... This was such a fun post!

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  23. Well, I consider you quite brave--and dedicated--for getting that kitty to a foster home.

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  24. You're a GOOD person--& an excellent writer! Let me tell you my story of life with the big cats. Many, many years ago I had a lunch date with a friend of mine. She had recently gotten a bobcat as a pet--yes, a REAL bobcat named Roberta Pussycat. I came to her house to pick her up & since she wasn't quite ready, she asked me to sit in the living room. I did, & the bobcat, whom I had never before met, came up to me, growled & swung her paw (with claws extended) very close to me. At the time, I was the mother of 3 young children (who were not with me) & I guess I reacted by instinct. I leaned towards her & swatted her on the nose, never thinking about her being basically a wild animal. She stepped back, looked at me & lay down at my feet & went to sleep. We got along fine after that--it turns out I was sitting in HER chair.

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  25. I probably would have taken the kitty if I lived nearby. I want a cat again, but husband is not interested. I think our little dog would be confused if a cat didn't want to play with him. He assumes all others love him as much as he loves. them. Mighty Dog could teach him a few things.

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  26. RV Vagabonds,
    I do hope he has a long memory so I don't have to worry about him and cats again.

    Miss Dazey,
    Ha, Super Cat had an enormous set of male equipment. Maybe the daddy??

    Linda Starr,
    Thanks, some just have attitudes,I am sure this little fellow was just terrified.

    Ellen,
    I feel so fortunate to have found such a willing soul.

    Clint,
    Thanks, it was a happy ending.

    Chancy,
    Thank you and yes, I am glad all my skin is attached and Mighty's nose has no new scars.

    Djan,
    Me too. I hope he remembers and stays away from strange cats. One on one, I will bet on a cat anyday.

    Nitwit,
    It is so nice that you let her use your trailer. People who do those things need all the help they can get.

    kenju,
    Thanks Judy, I don't feel so whimpy now.

    Reader Wil,
    Each news cast just leaves us shaking our heads with disbelief. This should never have happened.

    LC,
    Heard from Pat and the kitten is settling in fine. Spent some time cuddling with her so it was someones cat.

    LLCool Joe,
    They do come with awesome weapons don't they? I am a believer.

    Patty,
    I have found that with the animals I have trapped also. They don't want to leave the cage when you relocate them.

    Dr. Kathy,
    Oh I love "cat in a snit". That would have been the perfect title and snit aptly describes the kitty.

    Manzinita,
    Yikes, some cats are just destined for the great outdoors. Good move.

    Oregon gifts.
    You really did take a chance but I would have done the same thing. A dog in pain will bite nine times out of ten. So glad you came along at number ten.

    Stichinby the lake
    Thanks but she took the honors. I was cringing in the corner.

    Betsy,
    I used to be terrified of spiders and bugs like you but working with them as a meter reader, I got over that.
    Good think you have George to protect you.

    Angie,
    You are right, this little kitty had my number though he was scared also.

    Negerigeletschtempoit,
    I know for a fact dogs can sense fear. Guess I now know cats might. BTW, I can't leave a comment on your blog. I can't find a place to do that.

    Wanda,
    Aww, I just know Mandy is going to be one spoiled cat. So glad Alivia has her.

    Kay,
    Thanks. I feel for your mail man for I read meters for years. We are considered fair game to the canine world.

    Olga,
    Thanks. Pat gets the credit for she has the long term care. I was the middle person.

    Fishducky,
    Ha ha, That is a priceless story and I admire your courage to swat a bobcat. There should have been a sign on the chair.

    alwaysinthebackrow,
    I originally thought of offering him as a blog give away. I would have been willing to transport him with in a 400 mile radius. Sure was glad Pat took him.

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  27. Way to go, Patti! You the hero for trapping and saving this kitten and making sure it survived!
    I hope Mighty Dog does not require doggie therapy! HAHA! :D

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  28. That poor little kitty looked a mess! Good for you to help it on the way to finding a new home. Pat looks like a kind and generous person. (And I love her outfit! So bright and cheery.)

    You were right to be cautious. Cats can inflict some nasty and lasting wounds. An old acquaintance of mine who ran a cat rescue was almost done in by a cat bite. She survived and continued on adopting cats until her retirement in the last couple years.

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  29. I don't blame you for being a bit scared after what the cat did to Mighty Dog. I don't trust stray cats. They can be vicious.

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  30. You can't have too many Pats in the world. Angels in people suits that's what they are.

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  31. My daughter's friend offered her a kitten this week and we politely declined. Cats behave about as well as kids!
    Sandy

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  32. It's very kind of you to help the kitty. :-)

    And fearing the kind of damage a cat can do with its claws? That's just smart.

    Pearl

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  33. Ft. Worth is so huge that we don't have as many "fosters" per capita as you, unfortunately. We have opened a spay and neuter clinic that is part of the Code Compliance division of the city. Animals are neutered, vaccinated for rabies (which has been on the increase this summer from the excessive heat and drought they said) and pet adoptions. The do have this:


    "On Wings Of Angels. This program allows caring people to sponsor the adoption of individual animals. Sponsorship amounts can vary. Please consider adopting a sponsored pet or help out the animals by sponsoring one yourself. We have lots of great dogs and cats, pups and kittens available every day. Costs include initial protective shots, heartworm testing, rabies vaccination, city license tag, microchip and the spay or neuter of your new pet. Dogs are $49 and cats are $25 but we always have specials going on. For example: Senior Citizens pay half price. Senior animals are half price."

    I wonder if all the 1/2 prices would make a pet free. :)

    Be careful with the wildlife, you are rabid enough for us from time to time...oh wait..maybe that is me.

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  34. Achilles hill, what me?? Of course, for a while mine was parrots. I still love my parrots, but now they have all started laughing like me and its getting noisy around here. Guess I will have to stop reading your post. just kidding of course. But I am buying ear plugs. Dianne

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  35. I actually had such a kitty once - I didn't know she was from a feral litter when I adopted her. She developed an attachment to me and to my Irish Setter, but other than that nobody else was supposed to enter the house (including my husband). When she started peeing on the spare room bed to punish me if I left the house, I had to find a farmer who wanted a fierce cat to keep his barn free of mice (and wanderers).

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  36. Lynda G
    Ha--He may need that. He just recently got over the whipping the 3 pound min pin put on him.

    Barry,
    I think we all have heard of cat scratch fever and it lurks in the back of our minds. So glad your friend recovered. That can be very bad.

    Retired English Teacher,
    I think it was the claw display when I first saw it that impressed me so.

    Linda,
    I so agree with you.

    Mom of 12,
    Considering you all ready have 28 feet pitter patting about your house, I can see why you wouldn't want 4 more.

    Pearl,
    Thank you so much for stopping by and welcome to TNS. Claws got my attention.

    Amber Star,
    Since we don't have a regular building to house the cats, we do rely on the foster system, especially for cats. That makes the service basically a "no kill" facility.

    schmidleysscribblins,
    How funny with the laughing parrots. My sister had a pair of African Greys that would whisper jokes(psst psst) to each other, then bust out laughing. They were a hoot.

    Barb,
    Well you had to admire her taste in people but that peeing would have to go. Also hissing at hubby wasn't cool.

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  37. I learned years ago that an itty bitty kitty could cause major damage when provoked. Good for you for helping the little fella.

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  38. I dunno why I'm not already following you, but I'm fixing that right now. Luv your kitty story. And Wish I Were Smarter and Road Rage, etc., etc. See you around.

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  39. Thanks for your visit to Hans Brinker. I must confess that the story is unknown in Holland. And I never read it myself.

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  40. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today and leaving such a nice comment. I'm glad you keep writing too.
    Sandy

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  41. I agree with you, Patti; fosters are my heroes, too. That little kitten looks just like my sweet Bailey did when we brought her home 13 years ago. We have 3 cats, the youngest not a year old yet (my daughter rescued her from a storm drain). There are so many animals who need our help. If my circumstances were different I'd foster dogs--we have two friendly Lab mixes who would love to enlarge the pack--although my hubby is afraid to do that since we'd have a tough time giving any of them up when the time came. I'm afraid we'd end up with 20 dogs. LOL Great post. You're a nice lady to take such care of a wild kitty.

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  42. I am a cat lover but your description of the kitten's claws made me hyperventilate. It seems the smaller the cat the sharper the claws.

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  43. Looks like a couple of good Samaritans to me. As a birder I can see rescueing a lost or abandoned kitty. The feral cats in our rural neighborhood face the wrath of my shotgun. I know that view won't win me any points with many.... Yes we own a cat... the lovable Simba.

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  44. Oh Patti...I woulkd have been as scared as you---Maybe even more so---Those little claws and teeth can do Heavy Duty damage....! I'm so glad that lady was able to make the transfer with no problem. You have such a big heart and you care so muchg for all the animls you encounter....I say Brava to you, my dear.

    BTW: A new post is up over at my place---A complete change of pace....(lol).

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  45. I have a healthy respect for cat claws. My latest encounter was when trying to get my sweet, sweet little Sweetie Pie into the soft-sided cat carrier for a visit to the vet last week. She was having none of it and let me know by clawing a gash about 3" long in my arm.(I know what you mean by fragile skin.) I gave up and put the carrier away out of sight. In 30 minutes or less she was in my lap, purring. I have to make other arrangements.:)

    Pat and her sort of folks are Godsends to stray animals. I applaud them. Glad your story had a happy ending.

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  46. Sweet Virginia Breeze,
    As Dr. Kathy said, "a cat in a snit" is potentially dangerous creature.

    Tom Sightings,
    Welcome Tom and I am pleased to see you have done some back reading. Thank you for following, I will check your blog out now.

    Reader Wil,
    It doesn't seem possible that story was unknown in Holland. It was one read to me very young.

    Mom of 12
    Thanks, guess we had both better keep pounding the keyboard.

    Lisa,
    One thing so neat about the fosters is that they can give up the animal for a forever home. It takes a special person.

    marciamayo,
    Also their teeth. Playing with a kitten or puppy can leave you looking like you were attacked by an eagle. Those teeth are like needles.

    troutbirder,
    Just wish you would turn the shotgun on those idiot people that throw them out in the first place.

    OOLOH,
    I can draw blood going through a door carelessly. An angry cat could really leave a mark.

    Pat,
    I know exactly what you mean. The other day I lifted Mighty up on the bed while talking on the telephone. As a result, he left a gash about 2 inches long with his toe nails. They don't mean to but the skin really breaks easily as the years pile up.

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  47. Hi Patti, I think you what you did to save the Tiny Terror was wonderful. And kudos to Pat for taking the kitten, too. You are both brave gals.

    I hope that someone will be able to tame the kitten and give it a good permanent home. Great story.

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  48. Cheryl,
    Thank you. Fortunately the kitten turned out to be perfectly tame, it was only scared to death. It should be easy to place.

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