About 12years ago Sara Parker heard a neighbor yelling at a stray cat. The animal was following and talking to the neighbor and Parker decided "I want that cat!"

She took the black and white female cat home and her teenage son asked to name it Klaus. She asked him 'Why a girl cat named Klaus?' but he has never given a reason. Klaus talks to Parker incessantly, but won't make a sound for days at a time if left with a house sitter or anyone else.

Klaus is both lovable and annoying, once she disappeared for nine days, only to reappear at 6:30 one morning, never telling her secret. Another time she spent three days in a neighbors basement, the neighbors thought they had a large rat and sought Parker's assistance in removing it.

Most cats like to stay around the house or their extended territories, not Klaus. When Parker heads out of the house with Loba, her female Siberian Husky, for her morning walk Klaus springs into action. There is really no stopping her. She has a cat door that lets her into the fenced yard and she easily slips between the gate and fence.

Parker recalled the first time she caught a glimpse of Klaus following her some years ago. She had walked about four blocks south of home and crossed a very busy street when she saw this very fluffy Klaus scared for her life dodging cars to keep up. She says that cats raise their fur to look larger when they are threatened and poor little Klaus was all puffed up to almost twice her size. She carried her part way home and led her the rest.

Now she is very careful to see if she is being followed.

Parker, Loba and Klaus can be seen walking the same block almost every morning, so if the cat veers off her normal route she will find her way home. Occasionally Klaus encounters cats that think she is crossing their space and although Loba pretty much keeps them a bay, she is not a cat chaser and once one even chased Klaus up a tree, then sat at the bottom licking its paws.

Sara helped Klaus down and there was no harm done.

How to nominate your pet for Pet of the Week:

Want to nominate your pet for Pet of the Week? Stop by the VCA West Seattle Veterinary Hospital at 5261 California Ave. S.W. and just ask for a form. A nomination is not a guarantee of appearance and your name and photo may appear in our newspaper and online.

Photos may or may not be used and our "Pet Reporter" may be in touch with you to arrange to take a photo. Pets nominated will be chosen on the basis of uniqueness of the pet and the quality of the story and information submitted.