Mike’s Cuthbert Cat Stories

The Case of the Missing Phone A Cuthbert Catwatch Society Mystery The morning air was thick with summer heat as the Cuthbert Catwatch Society lounged beneath the shade of a pecan tree behind the hardware store. Nosey, as usual, was pouncing at dust motes and shouting “AHA!” at nothing in particular. That’s when she bolted upright. “Fred’s lost his phone!” she yowled. “He was looking everywhere and even asked Pequeña if he ate it!” Willow, chewing on a twig, raised an eyebrow. “Did he?” Pequeña gave an offended snort from his spot in the shade. “No, but Fred’s getting frantic,” Nosey said. “He said all his stuff’s on that phone!” Boo narrowed her eyes. “Very well. We’ll help.” Midnight stretched and yawned. “A phone hunt? This’ll be thrilling.” “Wait!” Willow said, eyes lighting up. “I know someone who can help. She’s kind of… brilliant. And scary.” The cats followed Willow down Lumpkin Street, through hedges and fences, until they reached a tidy old house near Andrew Colle...

Officer Willie Mae A Cuthbert Catwatch Society Story It was a warm, muggy morning in Cuthbert, Georgia. The dew still clung to the grass, and the sun had only just begun peeking over the pine trees when Boo called an emergency meeting. Nosey arrived first, tumbling over a root and landing at Willie Mae’s paws. “Gator,” Willie Mae said flatly, eyes narrowed as she watched the horizon. Nosey blinked. “You mean… like, with teeth and a tail and—” “Yes,” Willie Mae interrupted. “Big. Green. Not friendly.” The rest of the Catwatch Society soon gathered under the old gazebo in the town square: Midnight, sleek and brooding; Willow, her short tail flicking with interest; Spot, who just said, “Oh no,” in his clearest voice; and Boo, perched high, eyes sharp and calm. “It’s in the lake,” Boo announced. “Lokey Lake. Probably came up through a storm drain. This is Florida-level business, so I’m putting Willie Mae in charge.” Willie Mae gave a curt nod. Her tuxedo fur gleamed in the morning...

“The Wind and the Watch” LP A Cuthbert Catwatch Society Story It started with a hiss—not from Willie Mae, but from the old box fan near the window, sputtering in the humidity. The retired patrol cat from Tampa sat on the worn armrest of her human’s recliner, eyes locked on the flickering television screen. “Track’s shifting west,” the weatherwoman warned. “Hurricane Elvira may take an unexpected turn inland.” Willie Mae’s ears twitched. Her tail curled tightly over her front paws. She had seen this pattern before. In Tampa, she’d once crouched in a storm drain while winds screamed through alleyways like banshees. She knew what was coming. She dropped to the floor with a grunt and trotted out the open screen door, ignoring the slap of warm air and the bark of Pequeña, who leapt nervously from her porch perch. Boo was on the back railing, watching fireflies rise like tiny lanterns in the dusk. Nosey was trying to catch them, leaping with kittenish joy while Willow offered half-heart...