RHODE ISLAND

RHODE ISLAND

ARCHIVAL REPORTS FROM THE MID 1950S HAVE RESURFACED THIS WEEK DESCRIBING A LARGE GRAY CAT THAT TERRORIZED A QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD ON THE EDGE OF WARWICK FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS. RESIDENTS AT THE TIME CALLED IT THE BLOCK CAT OR SIMPLY THAT CAT. IT WAS DESCRIBED AS UNUSUALLY LARGE WITH TORN EARS AND A STEADY GAIT THAT MADE PEOPLE STEP ASIDE WHEN THEY SAW IT COMING DOWN THE SIDEWALK.

THE CAT WAS KNOWN FOR SYSTEMATICALLY RAIDING MILK BOTTLES LEFT ON PORCHES BEFORE DAWN. IT WOULD TIP THEM OVER AND DRINK WHAT IT COULD BEFORE MOVING TO THE NEXT HOUSE. SEVERAL DOGS THAT CHASED IT CAME HOME WITH SCRATCHES SERIOUS ENOUGH TO REQUIRE A VET VISIT. ONE LOCAL NEWSPAPER NOTE FROM 1954 MENTIONED THAT CHILDREN WERE WARNED NOT TO APPROACH IT AFTER SCHOOL.

POLICE LOGS FROM THE PERIOD SHOW MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS BUT NO CLEAR RESOLUTION. THE CAT SIMPLY STOPPED APPEARING IN THE SUMMER OF 1956. SOME RESIDENTS CLAIMED IT WAS FINALLY CAUGHT AND RELOCATED. OTHERS SAID IT MOVED ON TO ANOTHER STREET. NO PHOTOGRAPHS HAVE BEEN LOCATED AND THE STORY LIVED ON MAINLY THROUGH FAMILY RECOLLECTIONS PASSED DOWN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

A LOCAL HISTORIAN REVIEWING THE OLD CLIPPINGS SAID THE ACCOUNT FITS A PATTERN OF FERAL ANIMALS THAT BECAME TEMPORARY LEGENDS IN SMALL NEW ENGLAND COMMUNITIES DURING THAT ERA. THE DETAILS REMAIN CONSISTENT ACROSS SEVERAL INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTS FROM THE SAME FEW BLOCKS.

RESIDENTS OF THE OLD NEIGHBORHOOD ARE STILL ASKED FROM TIME TO TIME WHETHER THEY EVER HEARD OF THAT CAT. MOST WHO GREW UP THERE HAVE AT LEAST ONE STORY.