A Kitty Named "Scat"

Scat

On Sunday, we were 'blessed' with a new cat. I had just finished my workout and was settling down with a Carlsberg beer and the New York Times, when my son came and informed me that a cat was caught in some bushes. I replied that I doubted the cat was actually caught. En-Uk then explained that the cat was a kitten and was crying to get out. I decided to go check, and I found the kitty pictured above. It was not trapped but frightened, and I could see that it had been a pet discarded. I reached down for it, and it came to my hand, so we brought it home, where we fed and washed it.

I told my son that because we already have two cats (Goya and Angi), we would have to give the tiny kitten to the Humane Society, or the Korean equivalent. En-Uk didn't protest, but his face said no. He called his big sister, Sa-Rah, who rushed home to play with the new feline, and I saw that we had a problem. I left a note for my wife -- who would be returning late in the evening from a meeting -- to explain the rescue and suggest that she call the Korean humane society the next day, Monday.

By Monday, the kids were in revolt over the kit, and my wife discovered that the animal rescuers won't rescue a rescued animal. We were stuck with the beast.

Tuesday, the kids were brainstorming about names. I insisted on "Scat." They didn't know what "scat" meant. En-Uk checked his smartphone dictionary, looked up, and asked, "poo"? I admitted that meaning as well, but told him to keep checking. He soon figured out the intended meaning.

"This way," I told the kids, "every time we call the kitty, we'll be ordering it to 'Run Away!' Eventually, it might get the message."