Wildcats: Crazy Cora & Quigley Down Under

Since cats are all the rage on the interwebs, I thought I would dedicate one blog post to my cats back home.

We have two cats that are both named after one of my favorite Australian flicks: Quigley Down Under.

Quigley and I get along swell.

The legend of our cats starts with a little black kitten who wandered into my dad's grain truck. A day after my dad hauled some cleaned barley back from the mill he was greeted by the site of this black speck darting across the floorboard. Upon further inspection he found that it was a black kitten who had either been left in the truck by its mother or dumped off by its former owner. Nevertheless, my dad took a shine to the new kitten and decided to bring him home.

After hearing the story of this tough cat surviving a ride under the seat of our grain trunk, the family decided to anoint him the title of Quigley Down Under. The cat is known simply as Quigley and he has certainly lived up to his name sake. Much like Tom Selleck's character he doesn't take gruff from anyone or anything. Quigley will jump you from the shadows just to get a rise out of you. He loves to fight our dogs even though they are five times his size.

Much like the story of his arrival on the Bechtel Ranch there was another time he stowed away on the back of our feed truck during pasture burning. Luckily we heard Quigley meowing under the cake feeder and got him thrown in the cab of the truck before he decided to jump off into the flames.

To say the least ole Quigley is quite the little scamp.

Cora wasn't too keen about having her photograph taken.

Then there is Quigley's partner in crime: Crazy Cora.

Cora showed up at our ranch during the height of hunting season. We would see her coming and going from our property for a year. Then Cora decided to take up with our family in the garage for a few months. Eventually, my mom was able to coax her into the house.

For the past year she has been a bit of a recluse. Cora will skirt by my family members in an effort not to get pet and at night she loves to run amuck, making as much clatter as possible.

Our Quigley and Cora can't stand each other this much.

She also lives up to her name by tormenting Quigley and by being a bit of loon. Recently, Cora decided to go on an Australian style "walkabout" when she fell out of my parent's bedroom window during a fight with Quigley. The next few days my mom worried if her dear, sweet Cora had been eaten by dingos (a.k.a. coyotes).

Well as the song says "the cat came back. She wouldn't stay away. She was sitting on the porch the very next day."

Both Quigley and Cora are safe and sound at my folks house, but it's a crying shame I can't take them on an outback adventure to Australia. I'm sure they could tell a whale of a tale if the made it to the Land Down Under.

Until we meet again, happy trails!