When Stripey is successful at hunting, he always returns home with a particular sort of cry. It's not a meow. It's guttural and strange and immediately captures my attention because it means one thing and one thing only - his mouth is full of whatever poor hapless creature he's captured and he wants to share his victory with oh, yes, lucky, lucky me. I look, I shudder, I tell him I'm not hungry, and I tell him to go ahead without me.
We've all learned to identify this cry and under NO circumstances do we open the door to let him in. Actually, the house rule is to never open the door to Stripey at night without turning on the outside lights because of an incident many years ago involving Stripey and a rabbit. No one wants to chase wounded animals around the house at three in the morning with two cats and two dogs hot on the trail.
So on one of the first warm nights this year, the cry rang out once more...
and this time I took a quick shot through the sliding glass door before he was banished.
10 comments:
Great photo. We have two cats that live indoors. One of them an orphaned feral we hand raised has a pet toy animal that sometimes at night she luggs around in her mouth making that noise. I thought she was talking to the toy, some sort of mothering thing or something, really cute. Now I'm thinking, she's saying I've just killed it. I've bought you a present. I'll never feel the same about her and her toy again.
Just a little update. I arrived home this afternoon to my own little present. Check my blog post :)
Wow- great pic! I know that gutteral meowly-grrh sound well. Mischief, sometimes called Miss Mousey got one herself just a couple weeks ago- I think the critter climbed up the pipes from downstairs because of theloud people-
I just love bloody trail cleaning, n the regurgited furry-boney lumps on the carpet, too...
Wow I had a visual of the animal chase parade at 3 am, n it doesn't sound like fun! (except for the kitty, of course)!
What a photo! Cats all seem to get that same "look" in this instance, and you caught it on film. Clicked over from Briget's blog, enjoyed browsing.
Brigit, that is too funny and coincidental andy both have the same seriously intently fierce expression in the eyes. You got a great shot. I'm sorry I disillusioned you about the toy kitty pet!
Snaggle Tooth, that doesn't sound like any fun :( But I have to confess I'm glad I have the cats keeping the rodent population under control.
Hi, Joanne, thanks for dropping in. I had to make a mad dash to get the camera because Stripey knows his chances of getting inside with his "kill" is zilch and when he's denied access he disappears with it pretty quickly.
That is a great picture.
OUr kitty's a pretty good hunter too. Cockroaches mostly.
And rats!
I stopped coposting because it rew rats. Yes rats. And those can draw snakes.
Jannie, thanks. And now I'm gonna be scared of my compost! I know you'll remember, "I don't like spiders and snakes, but that ain't what it takes to love me..." and I know you can name that artist!
My cats always did this, too.
Look what I did, Mommy!
Shoot, that guy who sang
"The Streak?"
Only took me 2 months to come up with that.
:)
So true, Mama Zen - they're loud and proud!
Jannie, I don't know if it was Jim Stafford who sang "The Streak", but I know he sang "Spiders and Snakes" and you know it's better late than never :)
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