Oliver!

August 31, 2025 • 2:38 pm

You may not like Jordan Peterson, but his advice to always pet a cat you come across is very good. And today I met Oliver, whose name was on his collar.  I know he is not lost because I encountered him once before on the sidewalk and called the number on his collar to see if he was lost. He was not; his owner lets him roam outside (but they thanked me for calling).

Today I saw him again, and of course I could not resist a hearty petting session. He especially enjoyed scritches on the chin and neck.

It is a beautiful day in Chicago: sunny and about 73° F, and an encounter with this lovely boy was just the ticket.

Oliver!

Getting his pets:

17 thoughts on “Oliver!”

  2. “Oliver!…Oliver!
    Lock him in gaol
    And then put him on sale,
    For the highest bid
    Glad to be rid
    Of
    O-li-ver!”

    (To be sung whilst scritching and petting Oliver.)

  3. Awwwww. I always pet cats when I have the chance.

    I don’t like to see cats wandering about outside. They are so vulnerable to cars, coyotes, poison. We had a cat once that was indoor/outdoor. He got hit by a car, which broke his pelvis, but we nurtured him back to health. We never let a cat outside again. And you know what? They didn’t care. They lived fine, long lives indoors.

      1. I feel the same way. In many municipalities (including Chicago) it is also illegal to let your cat (or any pet) to roam at large. It’s irresponsible to the cat, to wildlife, and to other humans who don’t want an unattended domestic animal on their property.

        1. +++1

          Especially the staff of these ‘klepto’ cats. Sure, it’s cute, but after a few months I bet the neighbors haz a mad.

          1. That too. And even if no klepto cats, spreading taxoplasmosis (among other things) is no good either. Last year I was able to contain the one who had been leaving waste in my backyard and turned him over to animal control and the staff had to retrieve him (they can impose a fine, but they really just want people to adhere to the ordinance so I think they’re lax about a first time offense). I’ve lost a couple adopted stray cats to FIV too. Rabies cases are on the rise in the US (I can only hope outdoor cats are vaccinated and spayed/neutered by their staff, but I worry about a correlation among the careless). Earlier this year in a neighboring town someone shot a roaming pet cat and now he’s paralyzed. Terrible. Wildlife rehabbers I know get angry about free-roaming cats; they do so much harm to other animals. The list can go on why to keep domestic cats indoors or closely supervised and controlled if outdoors.

  4. Next time, give Oliver a scritch for me. I always pet cats, as well. Then again, I was basically raised by cats.

    When I was young, in the sticks in New England, our cats were altered and indoor/outdoor (except for the outdoor one that lived in the garage> Showed up one day, stayed a couple years, then… Who knows?) with no problems except the occasional fight when a new cat came into the area. The dogs learned fast not to mess with them.

    No coyotes in the area, though there were foxes and trash pandas.

  5. Oliver is a lovely cat. His tail looks longer than what most cats have? Glad you had a friendly cat encounter, Jerry. All the best

  6. Oliver! Looks like a very good lad. I get nervous sometimes for cats living the outdoor life, I hope there is no twist in Oliver’s tale (or tail). There are couple of outdoor cats living near us, though, and I always enjoy greeting them whenever I pass them on the street.

    Our cats can only go outside if they are strictly chaperoned, which can be, yes, a challenge. But we have our methods.

    2. Tyler Fischer also does a great Jordan Peterson. Here he is with Ami Kozak:

      (Sorry about the dumb commercial at the end.)

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