This date in Slice history (1998)

Tough cats: After we asked what local house cat could go 15 rounds with a coyote, we heard from Sheri Hatley in Thornton, Wash. “We have a cat named Mama (not the nurturing kind) who likes to chase our dog, Curly, a cocker/shepherd mix,” she wrote.

Mama hisses and swats at Curly during the pursuit.

“She also won’t let any of the other cats eat until she is finished,” added Hatley. “She’s downright mean.”

Colville’s Phyllis Hyatt told about a battled-scarred cat named Big Al. He won’t back down from anything.

And Valleyford’s Ann Bowers reported  that her cat, Chip, has gone toe-to-toe with coyotes and lived to tell about it.