The mighty huntress, how she shakes the earth.: seanan

The mighty huntress, how she shakes the earth.

Lilly caught her first mouse tonight. (This despite being almost four years old. My home-grown mighty huntress really isn't very good at her job.) I went into my room during a commercial break and found her half-under the dresser, chittering gleefully and shifting my portfolio all over the place. I got down on the floor to peer, and hey-presto, field mouse!

The poor thing was terrified, and quite tidily penned in by the collusion of 'closet door' and 'inexplicable old window screen' that lean up against the corner of my dresser. Lilly had herself a field day smacking at it and chittering before I was able to scoop it into a plastic container and dispatch my roommate to put it outdoors.

(I didn't spare the mouse because I have a soft heart. I understand that the whole 'circle of life' gig very much applies to mice stupid enough to enter cat-infested households. That said, Lilly is an indoor-only cat, and I'd really like to restrict her consumption of California's native wildlife to, I don't know, bugs and arachnids. Things that don't have warm blood and are thus less likely to give her interesting diseases. I know, I know, I'm a lousy excuse for a cat owner. I like my cats alive.)

Because Lilly is one of the most good-natured cats I've ever met, she's already completely over the fact that I took her mouse away, and is now devoting the bulk of her attention to loafing atop my open suitcase and giving me suspicious looks. Methinks the young miss has managed to figure out that I've packed a bit more heavily than is entirely essential for an overnight stay at Kate's.

Ah, cats. They remind us of the important things in life. And, when they're cats like Lilly, they remind me why I don't have children.

Indoor kitty!

snowcoma

October 23 2008, 05:42:50 UTC 8 years ago

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Oh thank gods. I am a huge advocate of indoor kitties, but so many of my friends (even the ones that live smack in the middle of the city) let their cats outside that I can't really express my feelings without upsetting someone.

So I'll just say that it makes me very happy that the wondrous Lilly is indoors and safe. Have a Dean icon in thanks!

Re: Indoor kitty!

seanan_mcguire

October 23 2008, 05:46:16 UTC 8 years ago

There are coyotes in my neighborhood. I adore coyotes, but not to the point of feeding them my cats.

Nyssa likes the outdoors, and will occasionally attempt escapes, although her age means that she no longer goes far (and will usually be found asleep on the porch inside of an hour or two). Lilly is...utterly perplexed by the actuality of outside. 'Kitty cable' is when I open my bedroom window and let her stare through the screen. She'll do that literally for hours before losing interest.

I'm very much anti-letting cats outdoors unless they're spayed/neutered former ferals who can't adjust to an indoor life. (I had one of those cats. Sarah Jane made her choice; she chose a shorter, more exciting, strictly outdoor life, and she was not willing to negotiate on the point. Since she started life in a dumpster, I figure she still got a better deal.)