The legend of the "cat wrangler"

[Chuckud]

Photo for representation only

 

We have a new operator so we send him on an easy call.  The 2500 Silverado is parked near a cattle barn with no brakes.

 

I instructed him on the details & sent him on his way..  About 45 minutes later, I get the call that we all dread, " do you have a truck going to..." So my heart sinks, waiting to hear the bad report on our new operator. 

 

The gentleman on the phone says " the driver is driving very well, but I would like to let you know that a orange cat crawled out from under the truck on your flatbed, walked to the side of the bed, looked down & quickly returned to under the truck on the bed" .

 

I call the new operator to report the cat hiding within his cargo & he tells me that he just unloaded the truck, after the 15 mile tow. I instruct him to let the shop know, & I will call the customer.  The customer was not concerned as he described the cat in question as a "Barn Cat" & he had too many of them  anyway.

 

So our new guy reports the "refugee cat" to the shop & much to everyone's surprise, when they opened the hood, the cat wouldn't come out & seemed pretty upset, growling & hissing at anyone who got close!  Our new operator left the truck and the cat for the shop to deal with & he is now known as the "Cat Wrangler".

[dperone]

Well his story ended better then my cat wrangling story. I went to a ladies house one day because her car wouldn't start. As it was coming back to our shop I decided to check it out before I loaded it. Tried to start it but the motor would only turn a little bit before it locked up solid. Opened the hood to see 2 pieces of the same cat wrapped up in the fan belt. Needless to say I was very happy to hear there were calls waiting for me after I dropped the car at the shop, and I made sure to take long enough that the mess was cleaned before I got back.

[Moose]

It's been many years now, but we used to have several cats running around. Had to remember to bang on the hoods before starting the trucks. Seems someone always forgot to tell the newbie and then dead cat. We got rid of most of them as they were no longer keeping the mice away. Seems they were getting fed and didn't want to work. A few drivers may have been the bad influence.

[someotherplace]

Y'all killin' me with these cat stories. : (   But yeah; there does often seem to be someone around the yard that ends up feeding the lot cats and making them lazy.

 

The little polydactyl monster (extra toes, also called "Hemingway" cats) curled up next to me on the bed was a wild lot cat that at an early age decided she liked people and started coming in to sleep in the office, whenever the owner wasn't booting her out.  Right before a hard freeze several years back I brought her home, full-time indoor cat now.  She's got reflexes for catching mice and birds for sure, though!  And big ol' mittens to support those extra toes.

 

Pic is her riding in my lap for the trip home.  How's that for cat wrangling...or she wrangled me, lol

 

Richard

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by someotherplace