For several months now there have been reports of a loose dog in the neighborhood attacking and killing cats. That’s probably what got Tommy.

Tommy was one of a pair of almost identical-looking plain gray short-haired cats who came to live in our back garden. We referred to them collectively as “the Tommies.” Actually if you knew them they were not identical. One Tommy was older and seemed to be a little hard of hearing. He was the first to arrive several years ago. The other arrived about six months later. She is smaller and livelier and we call her Thomasina when we refer to her individually. To say Tricia has a weak spot for stray animals would be an understatement. Naturally she started putting food out. In the winter she even built them a shelter out of cardboard boxes with an electric heating pad to keep them warm. One cold winter we were sheltering both Tommies and an injured raccoon on the back porch - but that’s a story for another day.

Both of them were probably pets of someone at one time because they were not wild and were apparently neutered. Tommy never would let us touch him but he rarely left our yard. Thomasina will rub against you when you leave food in her bowl by the back door and will even come into the kitchen and eat from the indoor cats food bowl if she gets a chance. She’s more adventurous and roams the neighborhood a little but is always at the back door at breakfast and dinner.

When we came outside they watched us warily but didn’t run unless we got too close. Our indoor females tolerated them but Sam seemed to enjoy their company. He especially liked to follow Tommy around. I think Tommy was sort of a role model for him since Sam never seems exactly sure how to act like a cat.

One evening they didn’t show up, but we were so busy and the weather was so bad that we didn’t look for them that much. It wasn’t until Saturday morning that I started searching the backyard and calling to see if I could find them. I gave up and went back in but later from the window I saw him lying in the grass. I guess he heard me and tried to get to the back porch for his meal. But he wasn’t strong enough to make it. There were nasty bite marks in his underbelly and neck. We found a shady spot under some trees and buried him and put a paving stone over the spot.

It was a couple more days before Thomasina showed back up. She was not injured in any way, just frightened that her security had been threatened. She’s not quite as trusting as before and still doesn’t seem to spend as much time in the yard, but she’s starting to calm down.