CataBlog

Rat has now been named "Einstein"

And seems to be thoroughly enjoying the bait it's been snaffling from the rat traps without managing to set them off!

I had high hopes for "The better rodent trap", but so far no go. Tho at least the bait's not disappeared from it. Perhaps Einstein's just waiting while it figures out how to disarm it.

As you can see, the boy's been hard at work trying to recapture his escaped prey (not).

Got to see the wonderful Lias twice this weekend. However I'm a bit disturbed after seeing photos at how inanely I seem to grin when I'm around him. Must work on a more butch and dignified demeanor - if that's possible to do around such a fabulous almost-one-year-old!

Rata-Phooey

Last night the Great White (and silver tabby) Hunter decided to present me with his latest prey - an enormous rat! Those of you who also live with the hunter/gatherer type will know that sinking feeling that occurs when the cat door goes bang and you hear that horrible squealing sound and just know that a teeny tiny mouse isn't capable of making that much noise.

Sure enough, into the lounge came himself, rat firmly grasped between his jaws. After a long and manful effort to squeeze the life out of it (while I waited at the ready to add more rat-brain to my carpet), he let go and the rat, not looking at all demoralised, fled to the bedroom and took refuge under the bed, himself in hot persuit, but a little too large to fit under said bed and finish the job.

Muttering (stuff) I raced off to don thigh length gumboots


and grab a large broom and a torch, then in my best brave butch manner checked out the state of play under the bed. I'm still not sure which was more scary, 7 years of dust bunnies or the lack of rat!




So, we searched. In the corner?

Nope. On the bed?


Nope. In the closet? Hell, haven't looked in there for years and not about to start now!




By now the boy had totally lost interest, so time to extend the search beyond the bedroom. Perhaps the study?



Hmmm - perhaps not. Time to admit defeat and give Le Rat a way out, should s/he choose to take it



So nothing for it now but to put the feet up and relax and watch Dancing with the Stars








Pick which one of us is more relaxed???

Postscript: La Rat did not have the good grace to die of shock. This morning at 5:30am, with the boy snuggled up with me, we heard a noise from the kitchen which turned out to be the bread knife hitting the floor. As the boy is not a big fan of bread (and had an alibi), I figure he'd not the one who knocked the knife off the bench or gnawed on the crust of bread left there overnight. No sign tonight, so not sure if I still have a house guest or not.

Latstly, and I don't want to trivialise this by putting it at the end of my rat-woes - it's just that I have walked away from the Cats Protection League, but there are some cats that just get to you and you can't help but think about them and wonder how they are. Fortunately I have people at CPL who know how I feel about certain cats who keep me in touch with what's happening. So it's with great sadness that I tell you of the death of the fabulous Jade.

Jade was an incredibly lovely cat, who totally grabbed the hearts of the volunteers for her character and her courage. She came to us with 3 legs and arthritis when her people moved to a house that had wooden floors and a sloping section that she found increasingly difficult to deal with. There were many inventive litter box experiments to see what she could best handle (thanks Anne!!) and I think after a time she was truely happy at the shelter - not phased by the other cats and basking in the attention of the volunteers.

With Jade's medical and toiletting issues it would have taken someone special to have taken her on, and it 's a real shame that they didn't meet each other before the tumour developed that resulted in her being euthanised.

Good bye little one. I know that so many people loved you and you will be very much missed.