Kats & Kits: February 2011

Many of you will have seen Larry the four year old rescue cat being installed as chief mouser at No 10 Downing St. He is very handsome but is he a hunter much less a ratter, I have my doubts. Some cats are hunters some are not, some chase birds, some bring the odd mouse home as a present but very few domestic cats are rat catchers, even at Kats & Kits where we have 80 plus permanent cats with the freedom of the countryside put a rat in front of many of them and they would look at you with amazement,

“What am I suppose to do with this? I’m going back to bed; call me when the food is ready.”

Many years of cat owning has shown me that cats that do hunt have preferences; Thomas who has been the subject of many posts is the classic lean mean hunting machine. He was a farm kitten, ginger tabby with temperament to match. We have a railway embankment nearby and every morning the rats would be lined up on my neighbours’ patio. Unfortunately for them they are nearer the hunting ground and fortunately for Thomas they are cat lovers. I am sure they are relieved that now he is eighteen he has slowed down a little and they have fewer bodies to dispose of.

Fred on the other hand, (sadly he is no longer with us) would bring home live prey, squeezing his ample frame through the cat flap with a large toad in his mouth legs dangling, or maybe a mouse squeaking and very much alive, even on occasion a young rabbit. Several hours of curtain shaking and furniture moving would ensue before with Fred’s help we would find the frightened creature and put it outside, probably to be caught again the next night. Birds however did not fare so well and we learnt to keep him in at night so he was not outside when the birds were feeding in the early morning.

Larry however I think is a charmer and will smooth the difficulties of diplomatic discussion. Who could resist him? I think some practise with the catnip mouse might still be a good idea so he can at least pretend he knows how to hunt. I am sure the good folk at Battersea hope he will ingratiate himself with his new family before anybody calls his hunting abilities into question. It will be interesting to see how much white fur is clinging to those dark suits as they come out of No10.

The February Draw of the "100Club" has taken place and here are the winners:

J Hermon of Christchurch

L Young of Cardiff

T & L Johnston of Bristol

We recently received this email; it's a timely and important warning for all pet owners in the countryside..

To: katsandkits@btinternet.com
Sent: Monday, 31 January, 2011 8:42:37
Subject: The danger of snares

I would like to tell our tale of the weekend which happily seems to have had a happy outcome.

Tilly is one of 4 kittens, hand reared since 2 weeks old, she and her brother and sisters have become part of our family along with her grandmother LouLou who arrived uninvited on our doorstep about two years ago and decided to stay.

Our four youngsters Thomas, Crackle, Gergie and the unfortunate Tilly have the run of our large garden and fields and live a happy and somewhat sheltered life. Free of worries about cars, tractors and most dogs, apart from their foster mother Holly a very large hairy GSD.

This Saturday gone, Tilly went missing!! Used only to being in the big outside for two or three hours at a time we knew something was wrong when she didn’t appear with her siblings in the early afternoon. Having searched and searched, called and called we decided she must have wandered off and would be back when she was really hungry.

Taking Holly for a walk before dark Tilly had still not appeared and as I approached home I decided to call her again. Imagine my relief when I heard her crying in response – and horror when I found her well and truly tangled in a rabbit snare!! With the help of neighbours with wire cutters it took over 15 minutes to extract her. I can only imagine she had been trapped for hours and we all know how cold it was at the weekend.

It was a miracle I found her, she would not have survived the night and a miracle I was walking where I was. Happily, there appear to be no lasting injuries, very very shocked, very very cold, and very very sore – the wire was wrapped tightly around her stomach and hips. She is now back in the bosom of her loving family, Holly is over the moon and won’t stop licking her given half a chance, and after two days of almost constant sleep and chicken morsels on tap is almost back to normal.

While I accept that rabbits are a nuisance, indeed we are overrun in the Kings Road area, I cannot imagine a more horrific, barbaric way of killing any animal. The thought of what could have happened and undoubtedly has happened to numerous wild animals and loved pets does not bear thinking about.

Does anyone know if this practise is in fact still legal?

Linda

Kats & Kits

The Diary of a Rural Cat Sanctuary

Character Cats

27 February 2011

On His Best Behaviour

10 February 2011

February Draw

05 February 2011

The Danger of Snares

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