Cat's Cat

Only His Name ls A Ordinary

l,i$by Demp Forrest

Some cats live out their lives sit-

ting on sunny

fur i

windowsills, licking and boxing with

thei# — - - shadows. And then there are other cats Who seem to live the legendary nine lives, frequently entrapped on rooftops and tfees, restless for adventure, suspicious of strangers and watchkeepers of

the neijpborhood.

i I went in search of such a cat. A

cat’s cal A cat amongst cats I found such a candidate at a most, unlikely place with the even more unlikely name of ‘Kitty Cat.’ Kitty Cat’ domiciles at the home of Herb arid-Peggy Anger, of.. Trenton Avenue, Cape May. THE ANGERS (a most unlikely name, come to think of it for such a tranquil and charming family who seem devoted to one another, their community and quiet achievement). A model family in

every way.

•Daughters Lisanne and Susan are unspoiled, thoughtful young women, both scholastic achievers and skHIful-athletes Herb Anger is supervisor of the . Cape May Post Office, a longtime member of the Cape May Volunteer Fire Department, a concerned citizen and church goer, Peggy Anger is ,a former board member of Lower Cape may Regional High School' and is employed as a teacher at Ocean Academy. ‘Kitty Cat' is an achiever in his own way. too An achiever of notoriety. A deliverer of mice to the Anger doorstep. An Evel’ Knievel of the cat world CATS - LIVES DO not generally make the headlines unlesd they perform extraordinary feats or live with extraordinary humans. (Now, if Ronald or Nancy Reagan. acquire a cat during their years in ’ the White House, he'll no doubt find his way into the history

books).

But, Kitty.Cat’ certainly ought to be included in any Guiness list of ultra-cats ‘Kitty Cat’ has saved the lives of his owners; he has bech locked up in a garage for 17 days without benefit of food or water; he has had his jaw wired following an auto accident, he sports one eye; he stopped breathing twice following an’ operation; he nearly lost his tail after being injured, yet, his relentless curiosity still gets the best of him. He is addicted to climbing telephone poles and exploring nigh wires During the years that Lisanne and Susan were attending local schools, 'Kitty Cat’ would accompany them to the bus-stop showing off for waiting students. ‘Kitty Cat’ used to ride the school bus

A CAT-among cats,... regularly, at least to the next corner'where he’d be put off,” Peggy Anger remembers. DEVtlTED TO HIS human family, ‘Kitty Cat' would deposit mite on the doorstep of the Anger house while Susie was a high school student. ‘‘One of, the teachers kept a boa constrictor in the high school and ‘Kitty Cat' . kept the snake supplied With mice," Peggy relates; “On cold mornings tho they’d have to be warmed oh a radiator before feeding time." Three Or four years ago, ‘Kitty Cat’ mysteriously disappeared. The Angers searched their neighborhood, questfoning mailmen on whether they had seen him. Even the police were called to be on the lookout for a black cat with White V-shaped ruff, white fur across his nose and white paws . The Angers clung .to a slim hope ‘Kitty Cat’ would someday reappear. Seventeen days after his inysterious disappearance, a Maryland Avenue neighbor who had closed up her garage before leaving town heard a banging at the window and discovered ‘Kitty Cat.' “WHEN HE WAS FOUND he ran’in circles before collapsing," Peggy said. “We called the vet andhevsaid to look at the color of his gums and to pinch his skin. We reported back to him and there seemed to be some hope, but he cautioned us to just give him small amounts of food and water for awhile. ‘Kitty Cat’ rested for awhile and then was completely

revived.”

The night of the '78 blizzard ‘Kitty Cat' meowed fiercely as Herb and Peggy slept, alerting them their electric blanket had caught fire. Herb ran for an extinquisner, then threw the mattress out into the deepening snow. Thus, 'Kitty Cat' had added the title of ‘hero’ to his list of exploits. New, Year's night two years ago ’Kitty Cat’ endured his worst misadventure yet. He was hit by a car and suffered a split jaw. a deep cut under his tongue arid damage .to an optic nerve. The on-

AN EVEL Knievel of the cat

world,...

ly available vet on duty was in Margate, and Peggy, Lizanne and Susie rushed ‘Kitty Cal’ to the hospital. (Herb had had a fall that morning and Was bedridden). •KITTY CAT’s’ JAW was wired during the emergency operation; he stopped breathing following the procedure and nad to be brought back to Iife\Subsequent operations were performed to repair ‘Kitty Cat’s’ tongue and to remove an eye. While ‘Kitty Cat’ recovered from the ordeal, the Angers' faithfully cut up filet of flounder and served it cube by cube to their feline pet. Since then, ‘Kitty Cat’ has been less than 'enthusiastic about regular cat food and his diet

HIS CURIOSITY gets the best of him. * . angry at the Angers he turns his back to ftiem until he decides he's punished them long enough. When he decides he’s hungry fie slams the kitchen door until Herb feeds him. When he wants to climb the attic stairs he will stare at the steps with his one eye, until one of the Angers pulls down the stair,case so ‘Kitty Cat’ can get on with dn adventure. While ‘Kilty Cat’ is loyal to the Anger family, he is suspicious of nearly everyone else. One of his favorite observation points is the yellow line in the middle of the street in front of the Anger home where htedares cars. “He’s nearly been hit a number of times, but still he does it,” Peggy says.

KITTY CAT decided when the plSture-taking'session was over. It corresponded with his going under a bush in the yard and turning his back on everyone.

DESPITE THE HARROWING experience he had in a neig garage, Kitty Cat doesn't find it discomforting to return to such dane surroundings.. s/AOGUjr u, itsi

today consists of canned mackeral and some dried food. “He’s spoiled,” Peggy Anger said simply. When did' Kitty Cat’ start to exhibit aggregmye behavior? What was his kittmiood like? And how come such a distinquished cat bears such an undistinquished name? “WE GOT KITTY CAT’ February 17, 1972 from the Todd family, Peggy replies. “The girls were both young then and every week they called him something elje. ‘Kitty Cat’ just stuck.” For the first year and a half 'Kitty Cat’ was just cat. He did spend a lot of time watching the family parakeet, but the Angers kept the door to the birdcagqkpcked and 'Blinky' died of natural causes. But, at about a year and a half of age, ‘Kitty Cat’ starting climbing trees — and the Angers started climbing trees too. One day a neighbor suffered a heart attack and while the ambulance crew went to retrieve the patient, ‘Kitty Cat' climbed inside the ambulance before he was discovered. When Herb Anger is house painting, ‘Kitty Cat' accompanies him up the ladder. ‘Kitty Cat’ has been accidentally painted every color the house has been painted," Peggy attests. WHEN KITTY CAT’ gets

In spite of his many close calls with fate, ‘Kitty Cat’ fias changed very little, according to Peggy. He is a night stalker, awakening the Angers by standing on their stomaefis until they unlatch the door for him. “He investigates every stranger in the neighborhood,” says Peggy. WHILE PEGGY ACTED as ‘Kitty Cat's’ spokesperson during the interview, ‘Kitty Cat’ surveyed the reporter with disdain. He would frequently go to the livingroom screen door and bang at it with his paw, as if warn ting to get out. “How do you think 'Kitty Cat' views himself?” Peggy was asked. "Does he think your family are cats too?" “No,” Peggy replied, “not ‘Kitty Cat.’ He doesn’t think we're cats at all. He thinks he’s one of us — he thinks he’s human.”

Libby Demp Forrest is a freelance writer who obviously lifees oriimals, even if they do thinh they’re human.