SOUTHWEST ASIA -- It’s the break of dawn here at The Rock. The sun is peering over the horizon as the smell of fresh coffee and dust fill the air. The last remnants of a relatively cool evening breeze evaporate, giving way to what promises to be another routinely hot day.
Below enemy radar, between an air conditioner unit and small shrub of inconsequential species, two dark-yellow eyes pierce through the early morning haze, with ears tuned to the slightest sound of movement. All is still … wait! Something’s amiss. Belly crawl … slowly ... target acquired … ready trigger claw … POUNCE!
Mission accomplished - target eaten!
“Bill,” a breath-taking spectacle, is one of the “military working cats” who guard The Rock from unwanted guests such as birds and mice, which attract other, more nefarious pests such as insects, scorpions and snakes.
“They’re our furry little sentries keeping us from harm,” said Capt. James Davis, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing flight safety officer. “Each cat has its own little area of responsibility.”
Fleet-of-foot and rippled with muscle, Bill patrols the corner of The Rock between the coffee shop and the Base Exchange. He is very friendly and affectionate towards humans, which could lead to his demise. Some residents can’t resist petting him. However, he is not a pet; and feeding or caring for any animal here is in direct violation of General Order number 1.
“This order prohibits adopting pets or mascots of any kind, caring for, or feeding any type of domestic or wild animal due to the elevated risk of zoonotic disease (rabies),” said Lt. Col. Trent Greenwell, 386th AEW inspector general. “Touching or handling these animals presents a health risk and is strongly discouraged.”
If an animal bites a human, the only way to test them for rabies is to kill them. The human victim will also have to undergo treatment for rabies, which according to sources in the 386th Expeditionary Medical Group is a very unpleasant process.
“The cats need not be touched,” said Davis. “The only personnel authorized to handle the animal population here are those of us in the safety office and the veterinary clinic.”
Capt. Crystal Lindaberry, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, is the officer-in-charge of veterinary services here. She claims that even though some of the cats here are vaccinated they still can carry diseases such as hook worms, round worms and pasteurella, a bacteria that lives in the mouths of most cats which can be transmitted through biting. She also warns that, in addition to violating General Order number 1, feeding these animals defeats the purpose of having them here.
“Cats are territorial, and having them here keeps other stray cats away,” she said. “They prey on birds and rodents as a food source. If they are fed by humans, they won’t hunt as much which allows the natural food supply to flourish which in turn will attract snakes and other predators. If a cat won’t hunt, we have to relocate them.”
Bottom line: leave the cats alone.
When asked for a comment, Bill simply said “mew.” He then blinked his eyes, licked his fangs, blinked his eyes again and moseyed off in typical feline demeanor, returning to his daily patrol.
Happy hunting Bill.