When Mrs. Nancy returned from the vegetable garden to the house, she saw four majestic and beautiful Maine Coon cats and was very pleased.
During dinner, she turned to Tony and asked, "Where did you buy these four Maine Coon cats? They are so big and beautiful."
"I adopted them from the animal rescue center," Tony replied.
"Animal rescue center? And they have such beautiful cats?" Mrs. Nancy asked with a hint of disbelief.
"Yes, they were originally wild cats and used to be quite aggressive. After being kept in the center for over a year, they've become more friendly, which is why they were available for adoption," Tony explained.
Mrs. Nancy nodded in understanding, saying, "I see. They are so beautiful that if you were to buy them elsewhere, it would cost a few thousand dollars. By the way, our chicken coop has lost some chicks recently, probably due to mice. Tonight, I'll let the cats stay near the coop to see if they catch any mice trying to harm our chickens."
While Mrs. Nancy was speaking, Tony's father, Jack, joined the conversation.
"Tony, considering they were wild cats, will they catch and eat our chickens?" Jack asked, concerned about the inherent predatory nature of these cats.
"Rest assured, Dad. They are very obedient, and they won't catch our chickens," Tony reassured his father.
"Alright, then. Later, find a wooden crate as a temporary shelter for them near the chicken coop. Let them stay there temporarily. Once we catch some mice, we can let them sleep inside. With all the rain these days, it's a pity for them to live outdoors with such long and beautiful fur," Jack suggested.
"And Tony, you've been staying out late the past few days and not coming home early. You need to control yourself," Jack added.
Tony, upon hearing his father's advice, just smiled.
In the afternoon, Tony spent an hour building a wooden shelter for the cats, providing them with a place to take refuge in case of rain.
After that, he led his army of cornfield ants to hunt down and kill the cricket infestation until it was pitch dark.
At 11 PM, Tony's parents were already asleep, exhausted from their day's work in the fields.
However, Tony didn't have the habit of sleeping early.
Even if he wanted to sleep now, he couldn't because both Young and Anna were texting him.
Young expressed concern, asking about the condition of Tony's wounds.
Tony assured Young that he was fine and sent pictures of the Maine Coon cats, making Young really like them. However, unlike Anna, Young wasn't interested in keeping cats; she just admired their beauty.
Anna shared with Tony how her parents and brother had reacted when she returned home.
Her mother had hugged her and cried for hours, while her father and brother had angrily gathered a group of men and headed to the police station to confront the intruders.
This caused quite a commotion in the small town's police department.
While Tony was chatting with his two girlfriends, the chicken thief who had targeted Tony's house appeared.
A small, sleek black figure was stealthily approaching Tony's chicken coop.
Advancing towards the coop, it seemed to sense something abnormal, abruptly halting and casting its vigilant eyes, carefully surveying the surroundings.
Only after a few glances did it feel reassured to continue.
The intruder remained oblivious to the fact that four pairs of eyes in the darkness were observing its every move since it appeared.
The intruder used its claws to pry a piece of wood on the chicken coop wall, attempting to sneak inside.
At that moment, a Maine Coon cat pounced forward, its sharp claws striking at the intruder.
The intruder was taken by surprise but reacted promptly, leaping backward to evade the Maine Coon's attack.
Successfully dodging the strike, the intruder intended to escape immediately upon landing.
However, before it could touch the ground, another Maine Coon lunged at it, colliding forcefully and sending it crashing into the wooden wall of the chicken coop.
The intruder cried out in pain, issuing a threatening growl toward the assailants.
In response, the Maine Coons answered with defiant growls and four sets of sharp teeth directed menacingly at the intruder, instilling fear as it cowered against the coop wall.
Tony, engaged in conversation with his two girlfriends, suddenly heard the distressed meows of his cats and knew that his Maine Coon gang had caught the chicken thief.
Tony sprang up, grabbed a flashlight, and hurriedly ran to the chicken coop to see what was happening.
The chicken thief, now cornered by the Maine Coons, turned out to be a smaller cat.
It was significantly lighter than the smallest Maine Coon, with distinctive heterochromatic eyes—one blue and one amber.
This feature resembled the Turkish Angora cat Tony had encountered at the animal rescue center the other day.
The cat, its eyes filled with fear, glanced at Tony as he shone the light in its direction.
"A black cat with two different-colored eyes is quite rare. If I recall correctly, cats with two different-colored eyes usually have dominant white and spotted white genes. While other coat colors can have it, it's rarer, especially for black cats,"
Tony expressed a bit of surprise upon seeing the cat captured by his Maine Coon crew.