My cats hunt occasionally, and often they hunt as a team.
This morning I went into the garden to collect some lettuce and chickweed to take to the Allotmenteers, and the cats were nonchalantly Doing Nothing. Usually this means they are hunting and pretending not to, to lull wildlife into a false sense off security. Sure enough, when I got back to the house, Wash was no where to be seen.
In the kitchen I stuffed the lettuce into a carrier bag and I could hear a strangled squeaking sound. I stopped and strained to work out where it was coming from. It stopped. I walked towards the living room and it started again, but it wasn't getting any louder.
I stopped. Silence. Utility room - nothing. Went to the bottom of the stairs in the hall, and it was really loud and clear - I realised Wash must have a mouse (or worse, a Big Mouse) behind the sofa in the living room. I opened the connecting door, which is a bit of a feat as the sofa is wedged against it in the living room. I must have shocked Wash, as it was all quiet.
I waited. Nothing. I assumed that it was now too late to save the poor mouse (or the horrible Big Mouse, which was just as well as I would have had to deal with that one myself). But then I heard it again.
It must be upstairs. But it didn't sound like it. I turned round, and heard it again. Maybe it was outside the front door? No.
Was it the Japonica squeaking against the front window glass? No. I stood in the hall,, scratching my head. In the end, I couldn't solve it, I was running late, and I decided I'd have to leave the poor mouse to it.
I walked down the hall and heard it again. I stopped. It stopped. I turned round. It made a horrible long squeal. I stopped. It stopped.
"How bizarre!" I thought. The bloomin cat must be watching me. But I realised that was very unlikely. I looked along the floor as I turned and walked back to the kitchen.
And I saw it.
It was the hard sole of my moccassins, with some squishy wet leaves in the treads. I hadn't changed into my garden shoes when I went to get the lettuce, and I'd brought some lettuce in on my slippers.
Squeak squeak.
This morning I went into the garden to collect some lettuce and chickweed to take to the Allotmenteers, and the cats were nonchalantly Doing Nothing. Usually this means they are hunting and pretending not to, to lull wildlife into a false sense off security. Sure enough, when I got back to the house, Wash was no where to be seen.
In the kitchen I stuffed the lettuce into a carrier bag and I could hear a strangled squeaking sound. I stopped and strained to work out where it was coming from. It stopped. I walked towards the living room and it started again, but it wasn't getting any louder.
I stopped. Silence. Utility room - nothing. Went to the bottom of the stairs in the hall, and it was really loud and clear - I realised Wash must have a mouse (or worse, a Big Mouse) behind the sofa in the living room. I opened the connecting door, which is a bit of a feat as the sofa is wedged against it in the living room. I must have shocked Wash, as it was all quiet.
I waited. Nothing. I assumed that it was now too late to save the poor mouse (or the horrible Big Mouse, which was just as well as I would have had to deal with that one myself). But then I heard it again.
It must be upstairs. But it didn't sound like it. I turned round, and heard it again. Maybe it was outside the front door? No.
Was it the Japonica squeaking against the front window glass? No. I stood in the hall,, scratching my head. In the end, I couldn't solve it, I was running late, and I decided I'd have to leave the poor mouse to it.
I walked down the hall and heard it again. I stopped. It stopped. I turned round. It made a horrible long squeal. I stopped. It stopped.
"How bizarre!" I thought. The bloomin cat must be watching me. But I realised that was very unlikely. I looked along the floor as I turned and walked back to the kitchen.
And I saw it.
It was the hard sole of my moccassins, with some squishy wet leaves in the treads. I hadn't changed into my garden shoes when I went to get the lettuce, and I'd brought some lettuce in on my slippers.
Squeak squeak.
