That cat on Four Mile Run trail

[consularrider]

On Four Mile Run or W&OD? There is a large orange tabby that hangs out alongside the trail in the western part of Glencarlyn Park. He’s been there on and off for about a year now and lately it seems lots of the trail users are stopping to socialize.

[Dirt]

Trail kitty

[JustinW]

Yup, tend to see him (?) most frequently during the AM commute. Trying to decipher his glare – am I friend or foe? So far he has not moved as I go by, so I suspect he’s looking for something else like field mice….

[StopMeansStop]

Yup, that’s the one!

Glad to see others notice this little feller too.

[baiskeli]

This kitty needs a name.

I vote for Glenn Carlyn.

[StopMeansStop]

Any recent sightings?

[JustinW]

Saw him / her a couple of weeks ago. As usually, he/she was not impressed as I rode past…

[consularrider]

Also saw last week at the Glencarlyn trails split. Very calm kitty.

[Dirt]

Hobo doing what he does best.

Hobo and another trail cat.

[mstone]

I hate seeing feral cats, they are hell on native wildlife.

[KLizotte]

Hobo isn’t feral. Someone posted on another thread that he has an owner who lets him hang out by the W&OD.

[mstone]

@KLizotte 98675 wrote:

Hobo isn’t feral. Someone posted on another thread that he has an owner who lets him hang out by the W&OD.

That’s not really an improvement, it just means the cat can kill wildlife idly, while its actual survival needs are taken care of.

[Supermau]

I like parking off-trail and bike watching. I think kitty digs bike watching too.

[wheelswings]

I agree with mstone. Feral or not, letting cats outdoors is bad news unless you use a harness or an enclosure.

In the U.S., free-roaming domestic cats each year kill an estimated 1.4 to 3.7 billion birds and 6.9 to 20.7 billion mammals. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists domestic cats as one of the world’s worst non-native invasive species because they’ve contributed to so many extinctions. Life outdoors is dangerous for the kitties themselves… outdoor cats generally live 2 to 5 years, while indoor cats can surpass 15. Also cats spread illnesses like toxoplasmosis (via feces — linked to birth defects, Alzheimer’s, etc.), rabies, and parasites. It’s better to keep cats indoors.
http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/cats/index.html

[bobco85]

I sometimes see an orange tabby (probably the same one) at the intersection of the Bluemont Junction Trail/W&OD. He’s nice and friendly, and I pet him whenever I see him (I can’t help but pet a kitty when I see one).

That said, I do agree that he should be on a leash or indoors due to the effects on the surrounding wildlife that cats can have. I adopted my cat when she was feral about 7 years ago, and I have kept her strictly indoors (save for 2 times when she got outside, sneaky kitty).

[Author]

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