The idle musings of a former military man, former computer geek, medically retired pastor and now full-time writer. Contents guaranteed to offend the politically correct and anal-retentive from time to time. My approach to life is that it should be taken with a large helping of laughter, and sufficient firepower to keep it tamed!
Friday, January 16, 2009
This cat needs a lesson in felinity!
One of YouTube's featured videos this week is of a rat that's desperately trying to be friendly with a cat - and the cat's tolerating it!
All I can say is, one day that cat's going to recover its instincts - and then mousykins better watch out!
Cats do not have a natural hunter-killer instinct. Dogs do--with a terrier (for example) those mice, and the abovementioned squirrels, would have been dinner). Cats require a mentor to teach them to hunt and kill.
Some while back, the now ex- and I owned a house that acquired a family of mice in the attic. No problem, we thought--just leave the trap to the attic open, make sure there were steps up for the two cats, and problem solved. NOT!
Both cats had no comprehension of their role, and one was actually terrified of the mousies.
Then we acquired a stray that had learned to hunt or starve. She taught the other two what to do, and it was open season on mice! We would be lying in bed, and suddenly we would hear "ka-thump ka-thump ka thump" across the ceiling. Shortly there were no attic dwellers.
Only drawback: the cats kept getting worms from eating the mice. We had to worm them regularly. Once the mice were gone, no more worms. Then the cats started demanding to be fed more often. Oh, well...
That must be a sign of the Apocalypse or else the cat is wasted.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, I found my kitten (about 6 months or so) frolicking in the back yard with squirrels. He wasn't hunting them, they were playing as equals.
ReplyDeleteI bet they had the rats first, then got the cat (as a kitten). The cat grew up with the rats as part of the family, doesn't see them as prey/food.
ReplyDeleteCats do not have a natural hunter-killer instinct. Dogs do--with a terrier (for example) those mice, and the abovementioned squirrels, would have been dinner). Cats require a mentor to teach them to hunt and kill.
ReplyDeleteSome while back, the now ex- and I owned a house that acquired a family of mice in the attic. No problem, we thought--just leave the trap to the attic open, make sure there were steps up for the two cats, and problem solved. NOT!
Both cats had no comprehension of their role, and one was actually terrified of the mousies.
Then we acquired a stray that had learned to hunt or starve. She taught the other two what to do, and it was open season on mice! We would be lying in bed, and suddenly we would hear "ka-thump ka-thump ka thump" across the ceiling. Shortly there were no attic dwellers.
Only drawback: the cats kept getting worms from eating the mice. We had to worm them regularly. Once the mice were gone, no more worms. Then the cats started demanding to be fed more often. Oh, well...
Old Squid.