Jack the Cat Chases Black Bear Up Tree

Associated Press ^ | June 09, 2006 | Unknown.

[decimon]

A black bear clings to a backyard tree in West Milford, N.J., Sunday, June 4, 2006. Jack, a 15-pound orange-and-white cat, chased the bear up another nearby tree after it climbed down from the one it first was in. SUZANNE GIOVANETTI

WEST MILFORD, N.J. - A black bear picked the wrong New Jersey yard for a jaunt earlier this week, running into a territorial tabby who ran the furry beast up a tree - twice.

Jack, a 15-pound orange-and-white cat, keeps a close vigil on his property, chasing small animals when he can, but his owners and neighbors say his latest escapade was surprising.

"We used to joke, 'Jack's on duty,' never knowing he'd go after a bear," cat owner Donna Dickey told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Friday's newspapers.

Neighbor Suzanne Giovanetti first spotted Jack's accomplishment after her husband saw a bear climb a tree on the edge of their northern New Jersey home's back yard on Sunday. Giovanetti thought Jack was simply looking up at the bear, but soon realized the much larger animal was afraid of the hissing cat.

After about 15 minutes peering down at the cat from the tree, the bear descended and tried to run away, only to have Jack chase it up another tree.

At this point Dickey, who feared for her cat, called Jack back home and the bear scurried back to the woods.

"He doesn't want anybody in his yard," Dickey said.

Bear sightings are not unusual in West Milford, which experts consider one of the state's most bear-populated areas.

[Paddlefish]

Yes, I had big tom that adopted me and I had the door open, and I was working one day when there were all these ripping sounds behind me. When I turned around, it was all about feathers.

[JRandomFreeper]

The nasty little barstids eat their own young enough that they might be considered omnivores. Pigs ARE omnivores.

/johnny

[Jet Jaguar]

Smokey was a tough ol' cat!

[digger48]

[COEXERJ145]

The kitty's last name is "Bauer".

[Psycho_Bunny]

Talk about begging to get your ass kicked.

[JRandomFreeper]

Old Randy (Rottie mix rescue) would eat birds when he could get them. I once walked out on the back porch, and found two irridecent green parakeet wings. Nothing else... no feathers... nada. Randy ate someone's Tweety. Probably in a single gulp.

/johnny

[JRandomFreeper]

Three keep or put down decisions during his tenure. His keep/putdown price (all the animals have that) was up to $750, when he passed away, in his sleep, under the neighbor's table. Neighbor and my family shared him for the last 4 years.

He was a tough old (loving) grumpy barstid.

/johnny

[Graymatter]

"Is it attitude---or is it rabies?"
Smart bears take this question upstairs.

[JRandomFreeper]

And since we're talking about rescue animals, here are some pix from a benefit that I cooked for to support Paws'NClaws, a no-kill shelter.

We raised over $2K with the raffle.

That feeds a lot of critters.

I'm the guy in the white jacket.

/johnny

[JRandomFreeper]

That's my kind of cat.

/johnny

[Graymatter]

...ran the furry beast up a tree - twice... Dickey, who feared for her cat, called Jack back home and the bear scurried back to the woods.

You mean you let him get away twice? That was real sloppy, Jack.

[Texas Songwriter]

Is that a mourning dove?

[seasaidh]

My Viking Kitty, Seasaidh, says he did stuff like this all the time when he was a stray. Well, I *did* see him scare away the evil liberal MassPIRG solicitor last week.

[digger48]

This is a helpful little guy, too....

[humblegunner]

Is that a mourning dove?

Yep, silly ground-nesting species that seems to fall right into the cat's mouth.

[curlewbird]

My son had a gerbil that thought it was a carnivore!! Tried to bite us (and did a couple of times)every time we had to catch the $*#&* thing when it got out!!

[JRandomFreeper]

How do you get a cat out of a fanbelt?

Drive 40 miles to the Ford dealership.

/johnny

[elcid1970]

Eagle: "WTF!!?"

Cat: "You on MY deck, dude!"

[Jet Jaguar]

Very cool!