Impedicat

There are two types in the world, and Hector was the dangerous kind. We didn't know that when we adopted him, of course - the shelter merely told us that his previous owner had died.

"Bit of a hoarder, that one," she said as she was filling out the paperwork.

I exchanged a look with my girlfriend. "The cat?" I asked, half joking.

The volunteer was not amused. "His owner. We had to dig through stacks of newspapers to even get into the place. Imagine what the cat had to live on to survive..." She shook her head. "Well, the smell didn't get any better after a few days."

Okay. Man-eating feline. Not what I'd wanted to add to my home.

But Felicia couldn't be dissuaded from the adoption. "He needs us." She smoothed back the fur from his cheeks and got a loud purr in return.

That night, I woke up to use the bathroom. I'd barely gone two steps when I came crashing down to the ground. A loud growl emerged from what I'd tripped on.

The next day, coming down the stairs, I nearly fell when a fur bundle got underfoot. The day after, putting away the dishes resulted in two broken plates when I turned. He was right behind me.

"We got an impedicat," I argued with Felicia. "It's only a matter of time before we end up like his previous owner!"

I couldn't convince her. So, I returned the ring and kicked them both out.