Dead Things...
... Keep appearing.
Yesterday Lucy (my cat, not my choice of name) was playing with a small bird of some kind when I woke up. This morning there is a very small dead mouse by my bedroom door. She hasn't said anything about it, but I know it wasn't me who left it there.
I'm trying to work out why she does it, so I can persuade her not to.
Sure, I could keep her in so she could get bored and meow all night and bother the Degus and destroy things, but cats like to explore and I think it's cruel to keep her locked up in a couple of rooms when she could wander about and climb things outside. She has a collar with a bell, which if nothing else should hopefully reduce her success rate.
She doesn't eat her kills. They are perfectly in tact. So I don't think it's a hunger thing. She gets a mix of dry food some nights and pouches. (Waitrose venison and heart no less.)
She doesn't seem to be bringing them to me as gifts. She doesn't tell me she's got them. She doesn't want to give the birds up as she's having such a good time batting them about.
This is the second night in a row it's happened and it's also the second night Stu has been away. He's gone north to see his family as his sister is about to have some kind of baby. So could it be that she's not liking the change? She misses him?
It's so easy to give an animal human emotions, to say "Oh look she's worried I'll be sad so she's trying to cheer me up!" When in fact she's thinking she can take leadership of the pride since I am weakened within the social status.
I have a horrible feeling she's just doing it for fun. She loves to play and pounce on things with us and would chase string all day. A real life creature has got to be more of a fun thing to jump on than us poking a plastic bag with a stick.
At least she is actually killing them. I wouldn't enjoy having to finish them off myself.
Stu is due home on Thursday night so we'll see what happens till then.
xx
Yesterday Lucy (my cat, not my choice of name) was playing with a small bird of some kind when I woke up. This morning there is a very small dead mouse by my bedroom door. She hasn't said anything about it, but I know it wasn't me who left it there.
I'm trying to work out why she does it, so I can persuade her not to.
Sure, I could keep her in so she could get bored and meow all night and bother the Degus and destroy things, but cats like to explore and I think it's cruel to keep her locked up in a couple of rooms when she could wander about and climb things outside. She has a collar with a bell, which if nothing else should hopefully reduce her success rate.
She doesn't eat her kills. They are perfectly in tact. So I don't think it's a hunger thing. She gets a mix of dry food some nights and pouches. (Waitrose venison and heart no less.)
She doesn't seem to be bringing them to me as gifts. She doesn't tell me she's got them. She doesn't want to give the birds up as she's having such a good time batting them about.
This is the second night in a row it's happened and it's also the second night Stu has been away. He's gone north to see his family as his sister is about to have some kind of baby. So could it be that she's not liking the change? She misses him?
It's so easy to give an animal human emotions, to say "Oh look she's worried I'll be sad so she's trying to cheer me up!" When in fact she's thinking she can take leadership of the pride since I am weakened within the social status.
I have a horrible feeling she's just doing it for fun. She loves to play and pounce on things with us and would chase string all day. A real life creature has got to be more of a fun thing to jump on than us poking a plastic bag with a stick.
At least she is actually killing them. I wouldn't enjoy having to finish them off myself.
Stu is due home on Thursday night so we'll see what happens till then.
xx