I just wanted to wish all you lovebirds out there a happy Valentine’s Day. And speaking of lovebirds, here’s a cute video involving a cat and an actual lovebird. The two of them look like they’re getting along famously. Personally, I don’t think I could trust a creature with fixed pupils, but if it happens to work for you, I’m all for it.
There are lots of other YouTube videos out there involving friendships between cats and birds. Maybe there’s hope for world peace after all!
Well yesterday was my first post without a photo, and today might very well be my first post without a point! I figured you needed a break after all that talk of death and destruction.
And now we return you to your regularly scheduled programming …
Which channel is Animal Planet again?
Welcome to my first photo-less post. Mama G didn’t think I should tarnish my “brand” with a gruesome crime scene photo, even though she was both the perpetrator and the photographer.
As a follow-up to my last post, I just wanted to let you know that Mama G reported this morning that she had notched victim number 7. I found that figure startling, and it got me to questioning the intelligence of mice. You would think that after the first couple of days, the mouse family would catch on. I mean, c’mon! First they hear the sharp snap of a trap, then they have to traipse around the body of their dead relative. How many bodies will it take before they get it?
I guess to mice the peanut butter Mama G uses in the traps is as alluring as deadly drugs are to humans, and they are supposed to be the brightest creatures of them all. Many human lives have been ruined by temptation.
So if any of you mice happen to be reading this, consider it a public service announcement brought to you by yours truly.
It seems Those Two have a bit of a problem: mice have invaded the cabinet of their outdoor hot tub, using the insulation for nesting material and doing whatever else it is that mice do for kicks. I guess for mice, an outdoor hot tub is like the Ritz Carlton during a cold winter.
So Mama G has been going out there and setting traps every day. Now I’ve inspected the model of trap she’s using, and it seems adequate enough, but I have to say, I think she’s overlooking the obvious. Why not put me to work out there? I haven’t been tested since I moved to my current house, but I think I’d make a pretty good mouser.
Before you react with disgust and label me a cold-blooded killer, just remember that it’s in my genes. When things run from me, I chase them. It’s hard to resist the thrill of the hunt. Why even Mama G, who hates to kill things and routinely rescues indoor insects before Mama C can get to them with her shoe in hand, gets excited each time she finds a new victim in one of those traps.
I’ve heard that humans have an expression that goes something like this: “Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door.” I’d just like to say, I’m here! But if you decide to come to our door, please don’t ring the bell — that really scares the $&!# out of me!
The Human says …
You snooze, you lose.
Oxbow says …
So what did I miss? Yeah, that’s what I thought.
I’m a firm believer in the power of contrasts: We need the darkness to appreciate the light, the cold to embrace the warmth, and sometimes sadness to know happiness.
You may recall that I was born in a shelter and was returned there two years later when my first family hit some hard times. My rough start left me with an overblown fear of abandonment, so whenever my mamas go on one of their trips, I become perhaps a little more nervous than the average cat.
Those Two just returned from another jaunt and I was, as usual, lonely in their absence, despite daily visits from my wonderful pet sitter, Bobbie. But I realized that with every trip they take, I become less vulnerable. That’s the good thing about adversity: it challenges us, but we learn more about ourselves and can grow from it. I’m becoming a stronger cat every day.
It sure is nice to have them back, though.
I have to say, I’m pretty proud of myself for thinking of a workaround to my new dietary restrictions. Now when Mama C or Mama G transfers a cup of my dry food from the canister in which it is stored to my dish, I get a head start. I think it’s sheer genius on my part, although one has to be careful about claiming to be a genius these days, since the bar has been set pretty low.
And to think Those Two thought I wasn’t very bright when they adopted me!
Does my butt look big? OK, I guess a fella shouldn’t ask that question unless he’s prepared to hear the brutal truth. I never used to worry about such things, but as you may recall, I recently had a visit to the doctor in which my mamas were told I was gaining too much weight.
Ever since then, life has been a little different here. The days of just blinking longingly and looking cute and having the all-you-can-eat buffet promptly restocked are apparently over. Now my food is rationed. A couple of days ago, Those Two even made me participate in a weigh-in. Are you kidding me?
Maybe I should start exercising more. Say, that reminds me: how are your New Year’s resolutions going?
So there I was yesterday, just chilling on the bed, when a loud noise startled me to attention. A large tree limb that had been dangling precariously since last week’s snowstorm was finally liberated by the wind and went crashing through our neighbor’s fence.
Is it just me, or does Mother Nature seem especially angry lately?
I sure am glad that recent cold snap is over with. There, I said it, and while no doubt completely agreeing with the sentiment, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “What the heck does he care? He’s an indoor cat!”
I have to tell you, it’s not always as easy as it looks. During that brutal cold, things inside changed, and not for the better. Every time Those Two touched me, which was often, it was, quite literally, a shocking experience! They might as well have changed my nickname to “Sparky”!
So I’m glad that’s done with, at least for the time being. And already I’m dreaming of the windborne scent of flowers and the chorus of the birds.
Oxbow's World 