Wild Cat in the family

My oldest daughter who lives here in Germany with her husband, sent me this email today. I'm posting it as she sent it. I placed some asterisks to explain certain words. This may appeal to all animal lovers, especially Betty.

"As you know, we've had an anonymous visitor coming nights to clean out the food bowls since two years ago. Looking through our window we saw what it was. We saw this big cat that kept his distance, but somehow started affixing himself to our house and home. Then about 3/4 of a year ago he started coming in through the cat door in the cellar when we were still sitting in the living room, and we'd get a brief glimpse of him as he made a dash for the cellar when we'd catch him in the act of eating the cat food. We called him "Atilla" because he was so big, and seemed to us to be wild and aggressive. Then, as time went on, Guenter*, with his "cat whispering" ability, started coaxing him and talking to him, when he'd stay standing at the cellar steps, not moving when we came to inspect. Then, about a half year ago, he started acquiescing to Guenter's coaxing and let him touch him and pet him. Then, practically from one day to the next, "Atilla" became quite manageable, and we soon found out he was really a big teddy bear, and had no aggression in him at all. He promptly started to jump on our laps and insist on scribbles, and would look at us and go "brrrp", "brrp". His meaow is so cute and unobtrusive; you just want to give him everything he wants! Wrapping us around his fingers. He is completely integrated into our, now a four-cat family. The girls** flirt with him, and Leo*** sort of gives him his space (We have to rescue him now and then).
What we did notice is, that he has injuries on his face and ears from catfights. One ear permanently hangs down and the wound on his nose is quite deep, but seemed to be practically healed. But lately, the wounds opened and started to bleed, probably from scratching. A piece of his ear tip is off, and the ear that is bent down from healing wrong shows a large injury on the back of the ear.
Today, I took him to the vet for the first time, as he had a slight fever and
watery eyes and swollen eyelids. The vet told me, that he is a German wild cat! Not your every day house cat. We suspected as much but weren't sure. He also is suffering from "Katzen Schnupfen"****- that's the symptoms he has now. He got a powerful anti-biotic shot for his injuries, and in two weeks I take him back for a normal inspection for the rest. When the Katzen Schnupfen is gone, we can give him the usual impfungen.*****
Our other cats aren't in danger since they get their impfungen regularly.
So, I attach a part of a report about the wildcats here with a picture that
looks just like him. When I get a good picture of him I'll send one.
He is now named "Ernie" because of his temperament."

*My daughter’s husband
** The two female cats
*** The name of the other male cat
****A cold
*****Immunization shots

Katzen Schnupfen. Impfugen. You just gotta love German. My favorite for animals is stinktier - skunk.
Really enjoyed the seven months spent as an MP in Germany right after the end of the war in Europe. We had a lot of civilian guards, all former soldiers, and listening to a dozen or more have a heated discussion during long nights spent in the guardhouse by the main gate was great fun. Once in a while I'd even recognize a word and quite often understood the gist of the conversation.
As for that big cat, I'd keep my distance.

Abe that's priceless -

Abe, your daughter said, "The vet told me, that he is a German wild cat! Not your every day house cat."

Is this a completely different breed of cat, or a normal (is there such
a thing?) housecat that was born in the wild, like a feral cat?

I knew a family once that raised a bobcat from a kitten. It didn't
"revert" when it got older, and I have since learned that this is
possible if you get them before their eyes open. After that, they seem
to do okay until grown, then revert to the wild ways.

It was confirmed and he really is a wildcat, and is on the endangered species list. I think it would make a good human interest story and suggested that she contact an appropriate bureau.

Two weeks ago when I visited my daughter I saw this cat for the first time. His size alone made him look threatening, however he seemed content just to sit and watch from a spot that he has claimed as his own. I usually try to pet a cat, but with this guy I didn't feel comfortable with it, so I just looked. He looked wild, although I didn't associate it with a "wild cat", just wild in the sense that he was a stray living in the wild and defending himself, thus the scars. Their house is near the woods and I suspect hunger is what drove him to their house. The other cats give him respect - and so will I.

How wonderful, Abe. I just love cats,all breeds and sizes. Of course, I love dogs, too. I don't know what I would do without our 'bear'!

I found a website in english that shows the wild cat.

http://www.young-germany.de/news-verwaltung/news-singleview/article/2f7079cbaf/saving-the-european-wild-cat-in-germany.html?no_cache=1

The various sites seem to disagree on such things as it's endangered classification. I found one site that notes it's long thick fur and 12" tail. I can certainly see why it woud be mistaken for a housecat. I think one site mentioned it is about 1/3 again the size of a domestic cat, and another says it can range from 9 to 30 pounds. The picture you linked to is similar to my 'Precious Kitty', but she is darker.

Dear Abe,
What a beautiful animal you have in your family. Wild creatures do not tame easily and I consider that your family is as close to wild spirits as there is in human kind. I do say that with admiration.

Wild creatures know if you are lying or giving lip service.

In my experience with animals, (dogs, cats, coons, armadillo's or mice and any number of other mammals,) the slow advance is the key,

I never want them to depend on me for food or any thing else, but sometimes it is important that they are not afraid to death of me. It is a tricky thing to win trust.

You are one of a kind.

Love,
Betty

Abe,

The wild cat looks a bit like the one that followed my little brother home when it was just a kitten. It was a calico, though. My little brother called it Roy Rogers until she had her first litter. After that we just called her Momma Cat. She was mostly an outside cat, but whenever she had a new litter, she would bring them all inside and show them around the house. She always made them behave properly. If they got too close to the curtains, for instance, she would swat them away. After a while, she got a little "dotty," probably from too many litters. She wouldn't let her older children grow up. She continued to bathe them and corral them and keep them in her control. Gee, now that I think about it, she sounds a little like moi.

But my favorite thing she started doing about the same time, was to bait the neighborhood dogs. She would taunt them until they chased her, and then she would perch on a window ledge, just out of their reach, and calmly watch them go crazy trying to jump up to her. At those times, she looked a lot like the German wild cat in your picture. I'm not sure what finally happened to her. She lived a very long time for a cat, but finally wandered out of our lives, sort of like an old elephant, I would think. I wonder, Betty, what Wooffer would think of her.

This post is taking longer than it ought to get written. I keep getting distracted by the array of emoticons. I still don't see one for tongue-in-cheek, though. I will try very hard to stay out of trouble here.

Ann

Thanks Zada, Betty & Ann.
In the original post my daughter referred to her husband as "cat whispering" - a takeoff from the book, "The horse whisperer," where the person was able to communicate with horses in a special way - especially wild horses. There are people with that special gift and Guenter is one of them. Betty is also in that category of special people communicating with animals. It does require lots of patience and most people don't have that. The animal must feel safe and trust the person. Trusting within human relationships is a rare thing these days and where it exists, it is to be valued.

Yes, "Ernie" does look much like a domestic "Tabby" from the picture, however standing next to a domestic cat the difference is pronounced. The face can be deceiving giving an expression of meekness. That look changes dramatically when they are aroused, hair standing up, tail becoming very thick, and then they bare those sharp teeth. The claws are not so visible but are also a dangerous weapon.