NEWSLETTER
Editor’s disclosure: I am a cat person (crud, I just lost some readers). So my thoughts here are probably tainted by my little snoopy, poopy, woopy, wittle, kitty… er, sorry.
As the now infamous calico cat was running across the outfield at Wrigley on Tuesday night, most Cubs fans were groaning. I was, too.
But as most were groaning with thoughts of the black cat circling Ron Santo (or groaning with the knowledge that everyone was going to bring that up), I was groaning with the thought that the poor cat has no idea where it is, or how likely unpleasant the end of it’s run would be.
After scurrying across the outfield in the fourth inning, the white, orange and black calico mix was finally captured by a Wrigley Field security guard who was stationed at the left-field bullpen. The security guard picked the cat up by the tail and handed it over to a towel-wielding security worker in the stands, inciting boos from the crowd.
The kitty left, but not before leaving considerable carnage in its wake. Multiple employees were bitten by the cat and needed treatment at Wrigley.
“We’re assuming they’re fine,” said Chase. “Once we get results back about how that cat is, that’ll give us a little bit more information.” CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
Considerable carnage? Am I the only one who saw that the security guard was wearing a THICK jacket and THICK gloves? Maybe his wrists took a swipe or two, but as someone with a rescued cat as a pet – a cat that has torn into my hands on many occasions with the reckless abandon of a stray at Wrigley – I promise, it’s not that big of a deal. It is no excuse to toss the animal around like a cornhole bag.
The only break I will cut the security guard is the tail grabbing thing. Although it is a HORRIBLE thing to do to a cat, not everyone knows it. You see other animals hang by their tails all the time, and so someone with little cat experience might not know that you absolutely cannot, cannot, cannot pick up a cat by the tail.
The cat was promptly transported to “a local veterinarian” where it will be examined to make sure it’s disease-free, said Chase. The veterinarian asked the Cubs organization to maintain its privacy.
Hopefully the guards and the cat are all fine.
My last thought: although everyone apparently knows this was a local stray (an incredibly well-fed stray, it seems), and “knows” that the cat just came into the park through the Sheffield entrance, up into the bleachers, and then down onto the field, I have a very hard time believing it did so on its own.
Stray cats are not pigeons. They don’t just happen to wander up where thousands of people are jumping up and down screaming. Thus, my assumption is that someone brought that cat into the ballpark with the express purpose of seeing it run loose on the field. Even if I get past my concern of how the cat was forced (thrown) down from the bleachers to the field, the fact that someone would treat a cat like it was some kind of novelty toy absolutely disgusts me.
The thought that someone decided to take this “thing” into the park, and turn it lose without any regard for what might happen makes me absolutely sick. But I’m sure I’m just being a crazy cat person.
After all, it’s just a cat. And more than that, it’s just a stray.
