Diamondhead duel: Cat 1, coyote 0

Sylvester is one tough cat.

He has an eye infection and a broken tooth, but otherwise survived having his head in a coyote's mouth Saturday morning.

Virginia Simons had no idea what became of her feline buddy after she chased off the coyote with rocks. Sylvester bolted from Simons' suburban yard as soon as the coyote turned him loose.

Simons put out word that the cat, a 20-pound Maine Coon, was gone. She found out just how many friends Sylvester had made. Joggers stopped by to ask after the cat. Boys on bikes searched the neighborhood for Sylvester, a familiar sight as he watched the world go by from Simons' front porch.

She first met Sylvester in Shreveport, where he lived with an elderly man and she would see them sitting outside. After the man died, Sylvester was on his own. For two years, Simons tried to befriend him with food. On cold nights, she snatched him up and took him in her house.

After she retired, she decided in 2011 to move to Diamondhead, a wooded golfing community that is home to many retirees.

"When I moved here," she said, "I kidnapped him from living on the street."

He has his own kitty door for going outside. He and Simons both happened to be in the back yard when the coyote wandered up. So when Sylvester disappeared, at least she knew what had happened.

She did not know if she would see him again, but was determined to search.

She had been out looking for him all day Monday and was at home with friends when another friend stopped by. This friend had a feeling Sylvester might just be at an empty house only a few doors down, but back in the woods. Simons had searched at the house Sunday, without luck.

Even so, said the friend, she was going to drive by. The friend was back in a few minutes, saying her headlights had flashed on Sylvester's eyes. Simons and the friend returned to the house. They found Sylvester on the second-floor deck.

Once home, he ate a little, bathed, ate a little more, bathed a little more, then sauntered to the back bedroom. There he lay undisturbed until 1 p.m. Tuesday, when Simons awoke him for an appointment with the veterinarian.

No broken bones. No puncture wounds. Just the eye infection. And that broken tooth. Simons hopes Sylvester's tooth is in the coyote's hide.

Sylvester is on antibiotics, she said, but might lose his eye.

For the time being, he's staying inside. He has to be at least 8 or 9 years old, so Simons hopes Sylvester can adjust to a more sedate lifestyle. He went back to bed after the vet visit.

He is an exceptional cat, although his qualities are a difficult to define.

"He's my buddy," Simons said. "He's the cat of the neighborhood and he's very independent. He says he's not a pet. He's an independent contractor. He lets me feed him and make places for him to sleep. He's just himself."

This story was originally published December 22, 2015 at 5:20 PM with the headline "Diamondhead duel: Cat 1, coyote 0 ."