Strawbones Our Cats Name

by Deborah
(Minnesota, USA)

My husband was working in the barn late one night. All was quiet and he was concentrating on the motorcycle he was repairing. He had gone from the repair area into the tool shed under the loft ladder and opening. He bent down into a cardboard box to pick up a piece of wiring harness and, with no warning whatsoever, from a step above his bent over back, an animal "POUNCED" upon him. Not knowing if it was a raccoon or other unknown, he held stock still. The animal, without extending claws, moved toward the back of his neck as he stood there, and it started to purr. Having been around cats all of his life, my husband knew that he was in no danger, and whatever it looked like, it was friendly. He brought it to the house, still on his shoulder, and it was a creme-coloured Maine Coon. Our son, who was 1.5 years at the time, said he was skin and bones, and since he was straw-coloured and found in a barn, named him Strawbones. The vet aged him at about the same age as our son. Searching for owners proved fruitless, but one day I was headed up our road and saw "The Bones" far from our home. I stopped the car, put it in the car and headed home. All the way there was not a peep, and when I got home, I was greeted by Strawbones at the house. OOPS! Further checking revealed that this was a female, and older, so was probably a relative. That easy going personality was a family trait, as I put her back into the car and took her back to where I'd picked her up with no protest. She was well fed and cared for, and if she would have returned to us, would have been welcomed. My son has grown up with his cat, and just graduated from High School. Strawbones is still with us, and still likes to hike on people shoulders. An incredibly "People-Friendly" member of our family.

Comment from Kate
great story thank you so much for sharing it with us. I used to have a similar colored Maine coon cat myself and yes he was the biggest friendliest cat i have ever known.