Fragments 7

including
Oscar of Wingrave, Buckinghamshire
Lewis of Fairfield, Connecticut
Asbo of Wigan, Lancashire

Oscar Wingrave Buckinghamshire UK

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Oscar, from the Buckinghamshire village of Wingrave, was in trouble late in 2012 for allegedly terrorising his neighbourhood, attacking children and dogs and frightening other cats. Oscar, 5 years old at the time, weighed a hefty 16 pounds (over 7 kg) and was a Turkish Van, a powerful and intelligent breed of cat sometimes called 'dogs in cat suits'. He apparently attacked one neighbour, who found him on his bed and tried to move him off, putting the gentleman in hospital for treatment to injuries Oscar inflicted on his arm. Some people in the village took to arming themselves with water pistols to ward him off should he attack.

Then he went missing, and there was relief in much of the village, such was the cat's reputation, whether deserved or not. He was eventually found in a town some 30 miles (50 km) away, possibly having hitched a ride in a delivery van. Being very hungry, he found a house where there were other cats and therefore food, and muscled in — to the dismay of a cat-sitter who was looking after the resident cats while their owners were away. He started fighting the others and made himself so unpopular that the cat-sitter refused to return. Taken to the vet by the cats' owners when they got back, Oscar was found to be microchipped and was returned to Wingrave. Some inhabitants had been hoping he'd gone for good, but his human Caroline Hughes was delighted and relieved to have him back.

She admitted he was the dominant one (he lived with his two brothers) and that he probably regarded some of the neighbours' houses as his territory, but insisted that at home he was a normal, loving feline. She denied that he'd ever attacked children or dogs; however, Oscar was being given a herbal remedy to try to keep him calmer. It was suggested that he could be deaf, an ailment to which Van cats are prone, such that he could feel easily threatened and responded by being aggressive, but Caroline didn't think that was the case, saying he hated the vacuum cleaner, and could hear a food sachet being opened even when he was upstairs (like most cats?! —Ed.)

Whatever the reasons for his behaviour, Oscar was 'confined to barracks' while Caroline considered options. She thought she might move house to a different county and find a home with a large, secure garden where he would be safe and contained — and in due course that is what happened.

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Lewis Fairfield Connecticut USA

In Fairfield, Connecticut in March 2006, 5-year-old Lewis, a black-and-white longhair, attacked the residents of a quiet street. He would spring onto people's legs from behind, clinging on, biting and scratching and causing hospital visits for treatment in some cases. After one resident was targeted twice, and Lewis had also attacked a visiting Avon lady, the local animal control officer was called in. He said the errant feline could have limited freedom from his owner's home 'provided she gave him Prozac'!

Lewis apparently didn't think much of this idea, refused his medication — and attacked someone else. This resulted in his being 'confined to barracks'. Owner Ruth claimed the neighbours had been tormenting him by throwing eggs and spraying him with water. Meanwhile the Avon lady filed a lawsuit against owner Ruth Cisero . . .

A Fairfield, CT judge ruled that Lewis must be kept permanently indoors. His owner was granted 'accelerated rehabilitation', which meant that her record would be expunged after 2 years (presumably if Lewis didn't cause any more problems!).

By July 2008 a judge had dismissed the charge of 'reckless endangerment' against Cisero, concluding that she had met the terms required by her special probation for first-time offenders. The overall result was that Lewis was then an indoor pet, allowed outside only in a cat carrier. His case gained huge attention in the US and elsewhere — many press reports dubbed him the 'crazy cat'. Supporters created a page for him at MySpace, and a Wikipedia page is also devoted to him.

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Asbo

Wigan, Lancashire, UK

A similar situation occurred in Wigan, Lancashire, England, when a stray black tomcat suddenly arrived on a quiet residential street and in an anti-social manner. He 'beat up' any local cat that crossed his path, and left strong-smelling reminders of his presence. The human residents christened him Asbo (in the UK an ASBO is an Anti-Social Behaviour Order, normally applying to humans) and tried to befriend him — but he didn't want to know.

He then disappeared, only to return seven weeks later: but he was a changed cat, wanting fussing and titbits and clearly wishing to be friendly. It turned out that one person had become tired of having his own cats bullied and had called in Cats Protection, the UK cat-rescue organisation. They trapped Asbo, neutered him and returned him to the area. Another resident gave him a home and a new name, and he was said to be calm, friendly, sensible — and odourless.