Garage door plays Calvinball with Hobbes

Meet Hobbes, a snuggly (and stripy) tabby sidekick living in Arizona.

Self-professed animal lovers and Nationwide members Corissa and Tom D. have been pet parents to a wide range of companions, including dogs, rabbits, pigs, chickens and chinchillas. But when they added a new kitty to the mix, they got more purr-sonality than they expected.

“Hobbes is just pretty much ruling the roost,” Tom says.

“He runs the show,” Corissa adds.

Like his namesake comic strip tiger, Hobbes is the perfect sidekick for his humans. So much so he even turned dog guy Tom into an unapologetic cat dad. Tom says, “I’m not a cat guy, but this cat has won me over. He just slowly pulls at your heart strings.” Channeling his funny-pages feline further, he’s also a real chatterbox. Corissa says, “He is very talkative. He likes to meow pretty much anytime he’s around you.”

“I swear he has said words before,” Tom says. “It literally sounds like he says, ‘Hello.’”

Hobbes has a knack for adventure, to the degree that it borders on mischief at times. “Being Hobbes’s parent brings a lot of excitement,” Corissa reports. “He definitely keeps us on our toes. He’s a troublemaker.”

Like many adopted kittens—and beloved comic strip tigers—Hobbes refuses to settle into easygoing indoor cat life, despite all attempts to keep him safe. That led to a serious situation when one mistimed Spaceman Spiff launch under the garage sensor inspired this Hambone Award nomination.

What happened?

Tom went out to his truck one evening, then realized he’d left his keys inside. Having noticed his mistake, he closed the garage door and returned inside. Little did he know that as soon as he hit the garage door button, his stripey companion was on the move.

“Now, Hobbes is the type of cat where, if he hears the door, he’s darting for it, whether he’s coming in or out,” says Tom.

Coming back to the garage, Tom heard a banging noise outside. He followed the sound and was shocked to find Hobbes trapped under the door. It turns out Hobbes had managed to dodge the safety sensor on the garage door, but not the door itself.

Alarmed, Tom opened the door and called out to Corissa. “We jumped in the truck, and I drove about as fast as I could,” he remembers. The emergency veterinarians met Hobbes at the door to give him immediate care. He was stabilized and kept overnight for observation. Amazingly, Hobbes escaped his garage door gaffe without serious injury. Corissa says, “They called me the next day and they were like, ‘He’s doing great! He’s up and around, meowing at us, talking to everybody.’”

After the incident, the family keeps a close watch when closing the garage doors. That’s especially important because Hobbes, on the other hand, seems totally unfazed. “He still darts at the garage door. I don't think he’s learned,” Tom says.

How Nationwide helped

“We’re the type of pet owners that if something’s wrong, we take them to the vet. There’s not a question about it,” Corissa says. “But you know, it can get expensive.”

Fortunately, Tom and Corissa have Nationwide pet insurance to help manage expenses. Corissa continues, “We have that safety net of knowing that wherever we take them, we can get them the care that they need.”

“With four dogs and two cats, it’s been a lifesaver,” Tom adds. “As animal lovers, I don’t know if we can have too many pets. And the more you get, the more issues you run into. When you’ve got insurance, it’s that peace of mind that you know they’re all going to be taken care of and taken care of well. I think it allows just to spread the love a little bit more.”