Animals

the count keeps rising year after year

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  • May 4, 2025 (courtesy u/MrMischiefVIP): 47 year old Florida Man (Cape Coral) comes in as the first reported incident of a person injured by a bison in 2025. He came in with a Goring Score of May 4, 2025 @ 3:15 PM near Lake Village. He sustained minor injuries and was treated by emergency personnel. No video has surfaced of this incident, downgrading the score slightly. Press Release (May 7, 2025). Good Morning America (May 8, 2025). The Fluffy Cows strike first and are in the lead with 1 point!
  • June 10, 2025 (courtesy u/TheSilverNail and u/BozoTheTown): Park officials stated in a news release that at about 9:45 a.m. in the Upper Geyser Basin at Old Faithful, the man [30 years old, Randolph, NJ], was gored by a bison after a large group of visitors approached it too closely. The man, who was visiting from New Jersey, had minor injuries. He was treated and taken from the scene by emergency medical personnel…This is the second reported incident of a person injured by a bison at Yellowstone in 2025. Press Release (June 10, 2025); NBC Montana. The Fluffy Cows continue to “run-down” their competition! They have scored another point!
  • August 6, 2025 (courtesy u/jimbozak): A man was caught on camera [July 24, 2025] taunting a full-sized bison at Yellowstone National Park in the hopes of getting its reaction. NPS spokesperson Linda Veress stated in an email to USA TODAY on Aug. 7 that, while she “cannot confirm this video,” it has been “forwarded to rangers for investigation.” “It was really close, man. I think it liked me, actually,” he could be heard telling someone off-camera.” New York Post Moderator Note: While this is not a “goring” incident, this is being included here because the guy in the video is quite clearly a moron. For being a moron, taunting the Fluffy Cow, being able to escape with no injuries, and the fact I cannot find any information on him other than him being a ‘”bozo” tourist’ (NY Posts words, not mine), he earns a half score* for the Tourists.

Friday Firesmith – the continuing adventures of Aqaba

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(Dateline Saturday, May 17th, 1914hrs)

Yesterday, for the first time since he’s been here, I let Aqaba’s food bowl get empty. He proceeded to bat it around loudly and I instantly realized the message. When Aqaba was first brought in, I said to hell with it, and got a large bowl and filled it, and kept it filled. He would eat straight down in a cone shaped pattern. He got up to thirteen pounds up from seven, and then stabilized around eleven. I haven’t weighed Aqaba in a while, but he’s a thin kitty. I do not think he’s ever had food available when he was hungry, and I think he was used to being hungry.

Jessica has a sore shoulder from trying to get to an armadillo under the shed, and Aqaba has been staying close to her, much like he did with Lilith Anne in her last days. Aqaba seems to know when someone needs someone.

For a young cat, only three years old, there isn’t much kitten left in him, but I don’t know if there ever was. I suspect he’s spent most of his life in survival mode, and hungry.

A house close to the road as I am going to Valdosta has lost three cats in the last year to traffic. I hit one of them, a black cat with a reflective collar. I’ve seen two dead cats in front of that house since then. Aqaba’s feet will never touch the ground again.

I know people who cannot have potted plants, or fresh cut flowers in vases around their cats but Aqaba isn’t prone to batting things off edges. He doesn’t tear stuff up or eat food on the counter tops. It took three months for Aqaba to decide to come in, and honestly, he wasn’t going to make it out in the wild. I think he saw me as his last best hope, and he made up his mind to make the most of it. This might be a lot of anthropomorphism on my part, but Aqaba hasn’t done bad cat stuff like Abbigale The Cat from Hell.

Giving Abbi meds was like injecting a great white shark with a toothpick at 100 meters of ocean during a hurricane. Aqaba scarfed down his meds without hesitation.

Taking Abbi to the vet was an adventure. Aqaba didn’t so much as meow.

I’ve always wanted a cat, but never thought I would have one, and never dreamed of having a cat like Aqaba Thomas, truly, The Cat Unexpected.

Take Care,

Mike