Trick: How to land a home on the farm

I was born on a neighboring farm (the Tricks). When I was about four months old, it became obvious that there wasn't room for another male cat on the farm. So I went wandering.

When I came across this barn, I thought I'd hit the jackpot. It had hay -- perfect for sleeping. It also had mice that made tasty meals. When I took a short walk, I found another barn and house that had corn -- and occasionally cat food.

The downside was that it had dogs.

It also had a reputation.

Stories around my birthplace told of male cats who got trapped in cages, went on a car ride, and woke up back at the farm with key parts of their anatomy missing.

But I was too smart for that.

I charmed the female resident of the farm. Once a day, I let her pet me.

But what really turned her on was when I paraded around with a mouse in my mouth. When I did that daily for a few weeks, she started reciprocating and offering cat food to me.

I knew I had a permanent home then.

One day, when I went for my daily petting, she reached down, grabbed me and put me in a cage. I went on a car ride and woke up back at the farm with key parts of my anatomy missing.

Unlike the other cats, though, I stayed.