by Linda Kay

Original Air Date: October 31, 2004

Directed by: Allan Arkush

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this episode!

Synopsis: Woody (Jerry O’Connell) believes they have a serial killer in custody but is reluctant to work the case with the arresting officer while Detective Seeley’s (David Monahan) career may hinge on recovering a bullet which has been swallowed by a cat.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): Dr. Mahesh ‘Bug’ Vijayaraghavensa (Ravi Kapoor) prepares for an autopsy which Seeley is waiting on in hopes of retrieving a bullet from the man’s body. Seeley explains to Lily Lebowski (Kathryn Hahn) how the victim was a hoarder with a home filled with cats. As Bug unzips the body bag, a tuxedo cat leaps out with blood smeared on its mouth. The cat scurries off and it is soon discovered he had been eating from the owner’s deceased body, somehow swallowing the bullet in the process.

An X-ray reveals the bullet inside the cat’s stomach and Seeley suggests the cat be cut open to retrieve the projectile, but Lily will have none of it, saying they will wait for nature to take its course instead. Seeley says he has no intention of rooting around the cat’s litter box and Lily insists she’s not going to do it.

“Oh, it’s just a cat!” Seeley complains. “Cats are beautiful and affectionate,” Lily states. “When they want something,” Seeley counters, “Otherwise they make a bad roommate. They live in your house, they eat your food and try to get a ride to the airport out of them.” “We are not having this conversation,” Lily notes.

Later Lily has a variety of cat food laid out for the kitty who is not eating but comes to her whenever she sings the song Blue Moon. After a brief discussion with Seeley they both realize the cat is missing.

Seeley and Lily finally agree to take turns waiting for the cat who shows up near the end of the episode when Lily finds Seeley asleep on the couch.

She leaves the cat on Seeley with a can of cat food so her can find the kitty when he awakens. We never see them actually retrieve the swallowed bullet, which is just as well.

Final Mewsings: We’re supposed to believe a cat, who typically won’t even eat a pill in cream cheese, would eat a bullet?

Many thanks to Laurie Morrison for letting us know about the cat in this episode.

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