Mon 28 Nov 2005
Caitie’s Catch of the Day
Our little Calico Diva caught a vole this afternoon. We were outside when I heard a familiar squeak from the far edge of the back yard. Caitie had a small grey something in her mouth and was carrying it toward the house.
But a few feet away, she dropped the rodent, which didn’t move. Right after we adopted her, Caitie caught a mouse in the back yard, but back then, she was still used to living and getting food on her own. By the time I saw her, she’d already applied a killing bite to that mouse.
Today, though, Caitie is more domesticated and much more well-fed. The vole was only stunned, and after a few seconds it turned over and ran toward the closest hiding place, a nearby bush. I was between it and the bush, but moved out of its way. Hey, it wasn’t my fight. Besides, the first thing I thought of was a quick vision of a rodent running up my pants leg.
Caitie, evidently wanting to extend the game of cat + mouse, didn’t pursue as fast as she could. But when the vole disappeared under the bush, she went back to hunting and stalking her prey.
I watched her circle the bush, reaching under it from time to time, until the vole made a dash for another hiding place and made it. It’s interesting to observe this cat hunting, and honestly, was glad she could pounce and make a capture, but at the same time was just as glad that today she played catch-and-release.
