Peculiar Friday Post: Who...Lewis?
If you've not heard, residents in Fairfield, Conn. have been living in fear of Lewis the cat—a black and white feline with extra toes and "formidable" claws.
His razor sharp claws, in combination with his "catlike stealth" has earned him a restraining order, reports Boston.com, after using his skills to attack half a dozen people and ambush an Avon lady as she got out of her car.
According to Boston.com, most of Lewis' victims received bite wounds and scratches, which had to be treated at area hospitals. And, after receiving his restraining order, Lewis was placed on house arrest—forbidden from leaving his home.
This makes me laugh for a couple reasons, but mostly because some friends of ours had a similar experience with a Katrina cat they recently tried to adopt.
Like Lewis, "Tanner" had extra toes on every paw, which I can only assume was a major source of his angst. When my friends went to meet Tanner at his foster home, they were surprised to see that the foster "parent" had covered her entire apartment with sheets and towels—including one large spot in the middle of the floor.
And just like Lewis, Tanner had aggression problems. As my friend S engaged the feline in a little play, he soon found his hand and arm torn apart from Tanner's aggressive biting and scratching. Trying not to give up on the adoption, S asked the temp owner a few more questions about the cat, and watched in horror as Tanner sprinted around the apartment and destroyed everything in his path.
"Does he scratch a lot?" S asked the foster parent.
"Who...Tanner?" she replied nervously.
And, as if on cue, Tanner ran over to the towel in the middle of the floor and started tearing away at it—revealing a gaping hole in the carpet underneath.
Needless today, my friends opted not to adopt Tanner, a decision Lewis' owner probably wishes she'd have made.
My question to you agents, however, is this: has anyone ever had to cancel a homeowner's insurance policy because of a cat? I'll be interested to see if insurers expand their criteria for pets beyond the typical canine breeds that prevent homeowners from getting insurance. Because people could have filed many a claim on my household back in the day, all on account of my little rabid hamster, Ginger. :)
Have a good weekend, everyone.
