Saturday, November 29, 2008

Catch and Release

Dear Mary and the obviously too fatty kitty,
Alice has started a new mouse control program which she calls 'catch and release'. She has released a mouse at her release site four times in the last three days. Yes, I did mean to say four times because last night she released two mice, one at four a.m. and one at seven a.m.
This is a picture of Alice at her catch and release site. Yes it is my bed. She is such a loving cat. Always giving me treats. However two treats in one night are too many treats.
Alice can not understand what happens to all the treats she brings me. According to her they should stay on the bed and play with her. Usually they immediately leap off the bed. Treat number two did this by running between Jim and me, up the bed and off the top or pillow end. Needless to say Alice followed and head butted the wall between us. For some reason this woke both Jim and myself.
(It was 4 a.m. again. Alice seems to like that time. She must be wide awake then. Jim and I are not.)
Treat number two then disappeared. Alice seemed sure he (or she) was still in the release area. Jim and I searched through all the bedclothes. No treat. Alice was insistent but we were a little sleepy and decided that there was no treat left on the bed and straightened up the bed and went back to sleep. Alice kept patrolling the release area. After a while I began to believe in her. I got up once more and pulled off the blankets. (Jim objected) I decided to search the bottom of the bed where the sheet was tucked under the mattress. Alice really liked this idea. I went along the bottom patting and smoothing until I came to the corner. The sheet was not tucked in past the corner and as I patted up to it something small and grey lept for freedom. Alice was in hot pursuit. Under the bed, thumpty thumpety thump thump thump. Over to the bookcase and under the chair. More thumping. It is quite invigorating for those of us who are sleep deprived.
I do not have a picture of any treats. Somehow I am not alert enough to grab my camera. This picture is post treat. Treat number four has been removed and Alice persists in looking for it in its last seen area. Four treats in 16 days in Minneapolis.
What next? I am sure I don't know but I will keep you informed.
Love,
Nancy

3 comments:

  1. Oh god. You bring back a vivid memory of living in the tipi: Jim with our cast-iron skillet in one hand and pulling the blankets off the bed one by one with the other hand. When the final blanket came off, there was a big gray mouse, which Jim promptly thumped with the skillet. Luckily it imploded instead of exploding. And then, back to sleep. Ahhh, the good old days :)

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  2. Alice brought us treat number five last night. She was a little late, didn't arrive until 4:30. Jim didn't even wake up until it was all over. I had to poke him to get him to remove the evidence. Alice sat there purring away the whole time.
    She is mighty proud of herself.
    NC

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  3. Number six just walked across the kitchen counter and then tried to hide underneath the drainboard. I caught him under a 'Turtle' Soup container. No help from Alice at all.

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