Hero Cat Throws Ceremonial First Pitch At Baseball Game

SuperCat To The Rescue!

Every once in a while I come across a, ‘OMG, that’s so awesome!’ story, such as one about an honor being given to a heroic cat. And not just any cat, a ferocious feline family ‘guard cat’. Now don’t get me wrong, I think it’d be great if the kitty got the keys to the city, had a day proclaimed in it’s honor, or was given an official citation for bravery. And in fact, the Cat Fanciers Association reportedly plans to honor the fearless feline with its first ever “Cat Hero Award”. However, as you will read not all honors given are well thought out.

The super cat in question is seen below saving a little boy from a serious mauling, or worse, when he was attacked in his family’s driveway in southwest Bakersfield, California.

Four Footed Hero

The remarkable surveillance video shows the boy playing on his bicycle when a neighbor’s Labrador-Chow mix sneaks up behind him, chomps down on his leg and starts trying to drag him away. Furious, the family’s cat Tara ferociously attacked the dog and chased it back to its own yard. The boy’s mother told 23ABC that the boy needed a few stitches, but otherwise was fine. Bakersfield police Sgt. Joe Grubbs told media that the dog was surrendered voluntarily by its owner and will be quarantined for 10 days before it’s put down (presumably to watch for signs of rabies), noting that “it’s not adoptable for obvious reasons”.

Invitation To Throw The First Ball

Now to the honor that makes me give my head a shake. The Bakersfield Blaze baseball team (the Class A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds) reached out to the cat’s owners hoping to get Tara to make the ceremonial first pitch at their next game. Yep, you read that right! Okay, I reckon that cats are capable of many amazing things (I know our two sure as heck are), but even picking up a baseball would be an act worthy of winning America’s Got Talent. However, cocking one back and chucking it sixty feet with any degree of accuracy – well now, that’d be just downright miraculous!

Seriously? What the heck were they thinking? Just to get a cat to come within a week when its called is a feat worthy of praise and recognition. Teaching it to throw a baseball in a week would make you a modern day Dr. Dolittle. A spokesperson for the team told TMZ.COM that the owner of the cat accepted the offer and Tara (along with the boy she saved) took the mound and symbolically threw the first pitch.

Click on the picture below to watch Tara in action saving the boy.