The Princess and the Pawper.

(Yes, pun, I know..)

Ding caught a mouse in our house the other day...  This actually amazed me a bit.  I hate to say it, she is not a hunter type kitty.  I have mentioned that she was raised by dogs, as well as being taken from her mom way too early... Well, her "cat" finally must have kicked in.  She kept checking around our fireplace, and since bugs tend to fly down the chimney, and flutter around the glass in the front, I didn't pay too much attention. 

Until she pounced on the back of the wood box.  Odd.  I still didn't get too excited, she does occasionally bat around bugs.   Poor thing managed to get a mouth full of stink bug, and hasn't quite been as excited about that since...

Anywho, I glanced over, and she had something in her mouth.  NOT a bug.  OH!! DING HAS A MOUSE*!!!  Husband trots over, and she sits up pretty, gurgling a meow.  Then she drops said mouse, which promptly tries to make the Great Escape.  Ding is purring, and then realizes the mouse is rapidly leaving.  She runs over, grabs it again, then repeats, gurgle mew, drop, and mouse run...  Finally, after my yelling at husband to grab something to catch said rodent, he does, and we get it outside. 

Ding seemed eminently satisfied with herself, and washed up, then looked around, well, where is my chin rub?  Uh.  Mighty rodent killer, no.

Then there is Buzz.  I have seen her sit and watch a hole for HOURS.  She doesn't move, barely twitches an ear.  Then WHAM, she darts in and grabs a mouse.  Generally, unlike some cats I have seen, she doesn't "play" with them much, she dispatches them, and has a meal.  And she will let me know if she's caught something, but until it has stopped moving, (usually with various disconcerting puncture wounds and things looking like they aren't bending the right way anymore), she growls and shakes, and impales with toenails.  She was around her mom for a bit, so I think she had a little more "cat training".  We feed her well, but she is most happy being outside, doing her hunting thing. 

So, I have one kitty that loves to play and find a nice spot to curl up in, and be the ambassador of goodwill for the house, and enjoys it a lot, another that is the pest patrol, and most excellent at her job. 

Guess it works out for both of them!  But, I sincerely don't think they should trade places like in the story...







*(Husband informed me it was a shrew, not a mouse.  However, she still caught it, fair and square...)