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Where We Left Off:

Gus, Oliver, and the team had another investigation into a mysterious blue jay death.

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Who’s That Cat?:

Big Baby Pudding Snatcher and her daughter Diamond Doris are a pair of raccoons that still love to visit. They aren’t the only bandits, but they are leading outlaws in the critter community. The cat detectives, Ollie and Gus, suspect it was one of them who selected certain items from the trash bin and threw refuse to the ground before the collectors arrived. It was a small mess compared to what bears do.

This case file also involves a relative newcomer to the estate, a free-roaming stray tabby. He looks healthy and is likely “in tact,” meaning not neutered. Based on the surveillance footage, this cat appears to be young, but I can never be sure. It could be a small cat. I’m basing his youth on the fact that I think there are two tabbies—and because people in this town don’t believe in spaying and neutering.

Cameras on the outside of the house are frequently triggered by the roaming cats (I know some have homes so they technically aren’t strays). Checking the cameras is part of our daily duties at the Winchester-Nabu Detective Agency. When I downloaded the May 5th files from the camera on Fort Winchester-Nabu, I showed the boys a peculiar set of images.

 

On the screen was a closeup of a tabby (or tiger cat some people call them) who looked extremely comfortable at the fort. This cat, however, was staring at someone. We watched the video with anticipation.

“What’s he looking at?” Gus said.

“I bet it’s another cat.” I shook my head at the frustration of how many of them have humans who do not care about them making themselves at home here. To be fair, it’s fine if they don’t upset Oliver and Gus, but frequently, they do.

We were glued to the monitor. It took a mere 33 seconds for Diamond Doris to saunter by the cat and the camera. She sashayed with the body language of someone who owned her domain.

“That cat looked shocked like he was surprised to see her there,” Ollie said. “Those roaming cats should know after a couple of visits here who they’re bound to encounter.”

“We need to identify that intruder. The cat, not Doris,” Gus insisted.

I agreed with him. “Our records should have as much information as possible.”

“I know his scent, obviously,” Gus said. “But, we need a name and background check.”

Subject Identification

Ruling Out the Known Visitors

According to our records, MamaCat Marsh is a tabby-tux combo. She’s easily recognizable because she’s the only one who wears a collar. She’s also a grey tabby with white which doesn’t match the others. We actually haven’t seen her in a while.

Then there was a tabby first seen in 2024 and noted as still around today. This is the bigger one who looks like a tough tom cat.

The next one was Ringo and we’re not quite sure where he fits in today. He was recorded by his ringed tail showed up on cameras, but the rest of him seemed to be a mystery.

“Gus,” I said, “you picked up this cat’s scent from where he marked. What does that tell us about him?”

Gus circled in place and sat down on my desk chair following the cat rule that every surface belongs to him. “He’s a Pisces who loves vanilla pudding and walks on the beach.”

“What?” My brows furrowed and I tilted my head. “Really?”

“No, you ridiculous human.” He gave his front paw a few licks before continuing.

“I like vanilla pudding,” I mumbled.

“Besides the powerful scent of Felinine and ammonia, his signature smelled like old barn wood, grass, dust, and chickens.” Gus flipped his paw towards Oliver signaling it was his turn to impart some knowledge.

Ollie was in his secured spot under a different chair next to his elaborate cardboard office which he rarely uses. The chair is where his favorite sits for her short visits to the investigative office suite. He loves being under that chair.

“I’ve picked up those notes as well even though I am not allowed to walk around like my cousin.” Ollie’s snark oozed. The whole conversation about why he is not harnessed-trained is a big thing. It boils down to him being too difficult to handle. He finished with, “There are certainly chickens on the Back 39, but let’s not forget the residents down the road by the park where you and Gus have been.”

“Hrmmm. I didn’t realize chickens were still kept down there,” I said. “Maybe this tabby comes from the community that keeps having black and white kittens.”

“That makes perfect sense,” Gus said. “The Lord and Lady of the Back 39 estate are not cat people. They’re dog people. They don’t even see the value of working cats around farms like most people do.”

Ollie, Gus, and I came up with an alias for this tabby: Mercury. Mercury, or Hermes, is the god known for speedy travel between Heaven and Earth; he delivered messages; his was also associated with commerce. Mercury can even cross into the Underworld. Mercury, though small, has a lot of power in the Roman pantheon.

If we find out his real name, we’ll update our records. For now, we’ll keep our eyes (and noses) out for signs of Mercury.

Case Findings:

A strange striped kitty was caught on the Fort Winchester-Nabu surveillance system. What was more interesting was how this cat reacted to one of the regular residents of the neighborhood, Diamond Doris, a well-known and respected bandit. After studying the footage and using knowledge from Gus and Ollie’s observations, we had a “signature” for this stray. We gave him the alias Mercury for his ability to travel across the town.

Case Status: Closed

The Short