Call Me Mr. Cats

Recently we have had serious cat problems in my neighborhood. So much so that people have joked about actually going out and killing them. Anyway, one night about a month ago I was bringing the trash cans up to the front of my house when I noticed that there was a cat inside. I yelled "Go away cat," and chased it out of the can. The cat jumped up, screamed, and in the process of running away it squeezed an open ketchup bottle at me, staining me from head to toe with red gook! Some neighbors, hearing the commotion, ran to check if everything was all right; embarrassed, I nodded politely.

The next day, my co-worker, who also lives in the neighborhood, commented how he was grateful that someone had finally taken some serious initiative in destroying the cats. Turns out one of the neighbors had spread a nasty rumor that I had violently bashed a cat's head in. Even though I have repeatedly denied this and explained the situation several times, some people in my neighborhood still insist on calling me "Cat-the-Ripper," which not only does not make sense but has made this awkward incident all the more uncomfortable. If only they would have assumed correctly that the red gook on me was ketchup. Please inform your readers of how to properly judge people.

If you know negative information about someone, you are not allowed to "let the cat out of the bag" except under the strict conditions set forth in the sefer Chafetz Chaim. All the more so when your information is based on mere hearsay or circumstantial evidence.

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