Friday, September 9, 2011

Loud Squealing & Stubborness Abundant This Evening

This evening I thought the cats might enjoy an after dinner stroll in the back yard.  I watered a few plants and was contemplating on the oleander dilemma(should I move it or not?) and counting the dried up dead plants (there are only about 3 of those that need to be cleaned up).


All of a sudden I see Sam & Millie race like crazy and I hear squealing.  Then I see a little mouse/rat (don't know & don't care) and I'm squealing too.  Then it was the 3 M's squealing loudly (me, Millie, mouse/rat) and I'm sure glad the neighbors weren't around (or were they?).  I'm trying to get Sam & Millie out of the way when Sam grabs the poor little thing again and promptly and quickly runs to the back door to get in the house.  I get there about the same time - that mouse is NOT going to be in my house period.  Sam jumps up to push the door and I am holding on the door knob for dear life.  

So Sam sits and waits.  With a dead mouse/rat in his mouth.  And I stand defiantly by the door trying not to get sick, trying to sound grateful to Sam for his good deed and trying to convince him to drop the mouse/rat.  After about 5 minutes, he sets it down but doesn't move far enough away for me to grab with the towel (oh how glad I am that there was one outside within reach of the back door (an old one but it wouldn't have mattered at that point)).


My next maneuver is to get Sam to think about getting a treat.  Well, that isn't going to work because he picked up the mouse/rat again and goes back into his 'I'm the MAN' stance.  I am beginning to wonder how long I can stand there.  Are you beginning to notice the family trait of stubbornness? 


About 15 very long minutes into the ordeal, Millie decides to go chase something.  Thankfully, that gets Sams attention and he very carefully lays the now deceased mouse/rat down.  After looking back and forth a few times between Millie and his prize, he finally runs off.  I move quickly - and I do mean quickly while trying not to get sick - and pick up the prize, say a prayer over it and take it to it's burial ground in the garage garbage can.  gross. 


I am proud of Sam.  As indoor cats, I worry that he and Millie don't always get enough exercise (well, better count me in the lack of exercise category).  He was quick, optimized his strategy, out-witted Millie and claimed his prize.  I know cats chase mice/rats instinctively.  BUT I DON'T WANT THEM IN MY HOUSE (the mice/rat silly, the cats are house cats) AND I DON'T WANT EITHER SAM NOR MILLIE TO CATCH ANY MORE.  PERIOD.  END OF CONVERSATION.  YUCK.

And no, there are no pictures.  I was too busy protecting the back door. 

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