Molly McNab Herds Cats and Saves the Day!

Copyright © 2014 MJ Miller
Shotgun Willie, Escape Artist Extraordinaire

The first time I heard the expression "like trying to herd cats" was many years (okay, a couple of decades) ago when a city manager described the sitting city council.  It's a term for something that's extremely difficult or even impossible.  It wasn't until I got my own two cats, just a year ago, that I truly understood and appreciated that witty simile.   The independent (yet affectionate) nature of Shotgun Willie and Froggy Isabella, our two cats, has taught me many things -- among them, that herding cats is indeed nigh impossible.

But then … Molly McNab came along.  This morning, as my husband stepped outside, Shotgun Willie shot out the door.  I figured we'd be in for a couple of hours of cat-wrangling -- sometimes it takes two to three hours to catch the ornery, independent critters.  I went inside to grab Froggy Isabella, thinking it would be easier to catch Willie if Froggy was in their outdoors cat-run enclosure.  When I came out, minutes later, Russ was laughing and couldn't wait to tell me what had happened.

"Molly HERDED Willie!" he said.  "He was completely out of sight when he bolted.  The next thing I knew, Molly had chased him back into sight.  Willie did all his zig-zags and maneuvers but Molly turned him back three times and finally knocked him over.  She got on top of him long enough I could grab his tail!"  (It's not the first time we've had to use the tail-handle to catch William.  He doesn't object, either -- he just realizes he's been caught.)

Molly chases Willie around the house several times a day.  It's a game they play.  The other day I called her off, thinking Willie needed a break -- and darned if he didn't curl his tail again, taunt her with a look, and start the game all over.  When Molly chases him, Willie likes to race down the hallway, bank off one wall on the corner and then bounce off the next wall.  He'll usually end up flying across the dining area and onto the kitchen island to temporarily end the pursuit.

This morning, though, Russ said Molly had clearly herded Willie, cutting him like a maverick calf until she could bump him.  We were thrilled.  Here, we have a hostile environment for cats.  Coyotes, an on-site bobcat, aggressive dogs, rattlesnakes and neighbors who like to set leg-hold traps are just some of the local threats.  Daily, the coyotes come through the ranch -- usually several times a day.  It is unusual to see a loose cat anywhere in the zip code -- and those that do survive are generally feral, fearful and cautious.  We live with the constant fear that our sweet kitties, unafraid and naive as they are, will perish promptly if they get loose.

Thanks to Molly, the occasions they've escaped have been reduced.  The cats hang out next to the front door, hiding to the side, and when we enter, they try to make a dash for it -- especially if our hands are full.  If Molly is with us, though, she has the habit of bowling the cats right over as she bolts indoors.  That has helped.  Going out, though, is still a hazard.

It doesn't surprise me that Molly's herding instinct saved the day (and nabbed Shotgun Willie).  It's going to come in very, very handy in the future, I think.  And leave it to a McNab to actually prove that you CAN herd cats.

Could she herd city council members?  That might just be the ultimate challenge -- and not to mention, rewarding to watch!

Copyright © 2014 MJ Miller
Molly McNab, Dog of the Hour, and the Ever-Patient Earl the McNab