Cats Article

I was doing a search to see if fruit was okay for cats (new kitten loves it) and found this article from http://www.james-barber.com

It's even funnier to me because I had a cat that did the same thing. Enjoy!

THOUGHTS FROM JAMES BARBER

James Barber's Duncan Diary
Installment #3 – Mice

If you live in the country you have mice. Unless you get a cat. "That'll scare them off." say the neighbours "They move on." We moved here a just over a year ago. Me and the cat. House full of mice, cat full of energy. Cat heaven. Theoretically. I have a large collection of things in paper bags, stuff I buy in markets - pasta, beans, 10 different kinds of flour, lavender, nuts, spices and dried fruits. The mice ate them all, they nibbled the corners of everything. They can't get the lids off jars, or open cans, but everything else they sampled. It was a mouse buffet, and I think they invited all their friends. They even ate the cat food.

The cat didn't do anything. Just looked at them. "City cat,", said the neighbours, "mother never taught it." We got more mice, more leaking bags. One enterprising mother built a nest in my go to town boots. Shredded paper, rice, and some wool nibbled out of my fancy arctic socks. Another did the same thing in the fax machine. Nice little nests. For mice. "Get some traps”, said the neighbours, "Cheese is good bait.”

They sell mousetraps by the dozen in the local store. Mousetraps are not funny, except in the comic strips. You need Band-Aids. One night, I loaded the whole dozen, under the sink, in the closets, behind the sofa and in the pantry. Cheese isn't easy to put on spikes, and the traps are trigger-happy - they even go off while you're placing them. More band-Aids.

Before bed, we all watched the news together - me, the cat, and the mice. The cat is very fond of the bed. She snugs up to my feet and purrs, gets up in the night for a snack (with the mice), then back to bed. I'd forgotten that she (being a City cat) likes cheese. I'd used Gorgonzola, nice and smelly, easy to find. She set off three traps, and got her paw stuck in the last one. Cats with paws in mousetraps are neither reasonable nor cooperative. More Band-Aids.

Neighbours recommended peanut butter, and putting cat out at night. So she can learn about life. She howls at the window. Very sad, very plaintive. The country Vet suggests cat door, “She can come and go as she pleases.” City cat liked it but so did the neighbours' big ginger cat who came in and ate my cat's food. 3 a.m. cat fights are worse than mousetraps. Vet suggests a special cat door, with electronics – a little transmitter on the collar opens the flap like her own front door key. Very nice. $150. It needs a carpenter to install it. $75.

Life settles down. Mice don't seem to like peanut butter. Dried fruit is better. Cat comes and goes, on bed, off bed, on and off. All night. Discovering life. "She finds some wild things, she'll start catching mice." say the neighbours. Well, she found some wild things. Baby rabbits. Very proud, "See what I've caught, see them run about, see me chase them!" She brings them through the cat door, holds them by the scruff of the neck like a mother cat and her kittens, and then goes out to find some more. She catches them, and she licks them. I put them out. "Bad cat!" She brings more in, and now hides them so I can't put them out. Most people in the country have mice. We used to have mice, now we have rabbits.

James Barber