‘The vet brought the cat out and my mom burst out laughing, how can you not’: A feral cat's hard-won rescue from an isolated island is marked by a humiliating haircut that sparks a lifelong grudge and a series of poetic acts of vengeance

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Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Sep 1, 2025 4:00 PM EDT

Cats are stubborn, probably more so than most animals, though we dare not compare them to mules, only in the hopes that they are not actually as stubborn as mules. Either way, this story centers around one feline who longed for the feral life and did everything he could to hold onto it for the love of life.

Essentially, this is the tale of a cat child who lived such a protected and pampered life that he longed for a life in the wild. Little did he realize that he was not especially suited to a life of rough and tumble, and after eventually swallowing his pride was returned home to his fur family. But not before a stop off at the vets for what can only be called a little karmic retribution for being so stubborn. It really is true what they say, what goes around, comes around.
 

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  • 01
    So to preface this story comes second hand from my c---- d mom as I was not born yet when this occurred.
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  • 02
    So back it the late 70s/early 80s my parents were building a condo development on a somewhat rural island in the PNW. My dad was the
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    developer and my mom would help out with random handyman tasks. They had cats, one was a long furred cat that liked to roam.
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  • 04
    It got used to the island while they stayed there and when they had to move it would not come out of the woods. They
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  • 05
    drove back multiple times to coax it back so they could take it with them. where they moved. Finally it emerged from the woods, with completely matted fur and having lost pounds.
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  • Cats can be so ridiculourly stubborn it is hard to believe. Like for what reason would you go from being a long haired house cat, prince of your domicile, to then turn around and decide to try and make it as a feral feline in the woods? Obviously there is no good reason and this catto just wasted everyone’s time, but it wasn’t for nothing…

  • 06
    angry black and white cat hissing to the right
    via KanyaphatStudio via Adobe Stock

    Disclaimer: This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 07
    My mother collected the cat and of course took her to the vet to get checked up. Because of all
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  • 08
    the sap in her fur, the vet decided to give her a lion cut for grooming. Full fur around the face, toes and the end of the tail, everything else was shaved bare.
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  • 09
    The vet brought the cat out and my mom burst out laughing, how can you not. According to her
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  • 10
    she couldn't stop laughing the whole way home. Don't ask me why but once the cat was in the car, my mom let her out of the carrier.
    via smirnoffthewench

  • Yeah, we would be laughing pretty hard as well. Like how could you not, this is a pretty justified karmic restoration and the cat will be fine, just a little hurt in the ego is all. Purrhaps next time he will come home when it is time to come home.

  • 11
    They made it all the way home, the cat liked to chill on the dashboard while she was driving.
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  • 12
    They pull in and the neighbors can see the cat from their deck overlooking the driveway and start laughing which sets my mom off again.
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  • 13
    This cat stands up on the dashboard, looks at my mom then p s into the cars dashboard air vents.
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  • 14
    My mom said the cat never forgave her and pi d/s' t in only her shoes until it died.
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  • 15
    angry white cat close up
    via SerPhoto via Adobe Stock

    Disclaimer: This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 16
    tazdevil64 That's hilarious Never had one that slt in my shoes, but know that look well!
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  • 17
    smir... OP As an additional cat story, the other cat we had was called beaver. He hated humans by the time I was around. My
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    mother got him as a kitten but at some point his tail got run over so it was flat like a beaver. This cat hated males...any males. He would
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    smack his tail full strength against any male ankle he encountered. My mother had a tendency to unintentionally make animals live longer
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    than they are supposed to. Beaver lived to 23. I think he thrived on his anger.
    via smirnoffthewench

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humiliation cat island haircut isolated reddit story sparks cat story feral cats vet laughing mom hard work rescue
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