✅ Jail Cat ✅

Guilty

"-And by the power vested in me, I pronounce you guilty," the judge, a lion with streaks of gray flecked in his mane announced, banging the gavel down.

Razz, a tabby cat handcuffed to a table, snarled. He had gotten a crappy lawyer anyway. Not as if he could afford an actually decent one. He turned to the mammal he had hired, and grudgingly shook paw and hoof. Besides being a lousy lawyer, he was a good mammal at heart. The deer nodded and left.

"And now, to address your sentence." The judge continued. Razz took a tense inhale. The lion adjusted the glasses that had fallen down his muzzle before going on, "It seems that you have to choose one of two options, Mr. Bennet." He looked down at Razz. The cat nodded.

"The first is, naturally, a life sentence in jail for fighting and killing Mr. Underwood." He read.

Razz's posture stiffened as his breathing suddenly stopped. He hadn't expected it to be that bad.

"And the second," the lion continued, "Is...erm, a rehabilitation program. For two years."

Razz perked his ears. That sounded better than a life sentence.

"What do you mean, your honor?"

"It's called 'Tender Smiles Rehabilitation Center For Troubled Furs." He raised an eyebrow. "It says here that you'll be taken into custody to be...re-raised. Of course, you'll be provided with lodging, food, and the proper...supplies...that are necessary for the process."

Now it was Razz's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"What do you mean by, re-raised?"

The lion shrugged, "Personally, I have no idea. I'd assume they'd just teach you the proper principles necessary in life along with some life lessons. Much better than going to jail if you'd ask me."

A horse from the jury raised his hoof. The lion nodded, giving him permission to speak.

"I sent my son there after he was sentenced to juvenile detention, and when he came back he was better behaved, got good grades in school, and ended up going to Harvard." He said, a tone of pride clearly being pronounced in his voice. "I don't know what they did to him though," he frowned. "He's been acting kind of strange ever since."

The horse's neighbor, a black jaguar in a suit, spoke, "What kind of strange?"

The horse shook his head,

"Just...strange...kind of like a colt again. He played with soft toys a lot more often and he's..." He hesitated. "he's been wetting the bed, too."

"He's not living on his own?" Razz spoke up.

"We can't let him. He'll either make a big mess or cry because we aren't there." The horse sighed.

The judge cleared his throat, and the attention snapped back to him. He spoke,

"You will also be required to sign a waiver and some paperwork regarding an injection that you will receive to lower your age as well as your physical and mental state." He raised an eyebrow again, and put the paper down, clasping his paws together. "Well, Mr. Bennet? Jail, or re-habilitation?"

Jazz sat there for a moment, pondering the options. Going to jail for life definitely wasn't going to happen. He didn't deserve it. At least, in his mind. And besides, re-habilitation was only going to be for two years. How hard could it be?

He looked up at the old lion.

"I'll do the re-habilitation, your honor," he announced firmly. The lion nodded.

"Yes, Mr. Bennet. I'll arrange to have you driven there tonight. I'd suggest packing your things."

Razz nodded, and the lion banged the gavel once more.

"Case dismissed."

That night, a white van pulled up in front of Razz's apartment. The tabby cat tightly clutched his ratty black backpack, wearing the orange jumpsuit that the authorities had given him to wear. The van had the re-habilitation center's logo plastered on the side. The letters were displayed inside building blocks, and a smiling sun rested in the corner.

Razz frowned at the sight of the childish logo as the van's door slid open. A buffalo sat in the driver's seat, wearing a white outfit and a nametag. Razz took a deep breath and began to step inside before he noticed that there was a huge baby seat on the only seat in the car. What he especially didn't like the look of was the plastic child restraints that were chained to the floor.

"Get in, kitty." The buffalo ordered, not taking his eyes from the windshield. Razz glared at him.

"In that piece of crap? What do you take me for? A freaking kitten?" He snarked. The buffalo turned in his seat, fixing the tabby with a glare so cold that it chilled his spine.

"Get. In." He growled. "You signed up for this, criminal."

Razz lowered his eyes, tail lashing back and forth angrily, and he slowly climbed into the padded children's seat. Before he could buckle it himself, the buffalo did it for him, strapping in his chest and crotch. Razz's fur bristled.

Unexpectedly, the buffalo went for the child restraints, taking the plastic chains and cuffing Razz's paws to the seat. He squirmed uncomfortably.

Finally finished, the buffalo returned to the driver's seat and started the car, pressing a button that closed the car door with the push of a button. The car clicked as the lock activated. Razz's eyes widened, and the car took off down the road.

He was on his way.