Dot's unlucky playmate

Today, I heard a big commotion and a series of loud distressed squeals
coming from the kitchen. I thought that maybe a large bird had gotten
trapped in the range hood duct or something. I knew it wasn't another
cat, because the resident guard-cat, Buster, was cowering.

What I saw was Dot determinedly chasing something with a gray
fluffytale! I grabbed a towel and joined the chase, and what I caught
made my heart melt:

http://home.comcast.net/~Takayuki9z/squirrel.jpg

It was an overcurious yearling girl-squirrel that somehow managed to
find its way inside the house! I shut myself in a shower stall with
it, away from the cats, and checked it over. She remained docile and
put up almost no resistance, but she looked all right, and unwounded.
Dot has a very accurate kill-bite when it comes to mice and toys, but
she fortunately seemed to have been confounded in this case by the
agility, large size, and distracting bushy tail of this quarry.

When I was holding her inside, she seemed to have almost given up and
resigned herself to whatever fate or afterlife awaited captured
prey-squirrels. She knew now that she'd made the biggest mistake of
her life, and had entered a formidable den of death and despair.

When I carried her outside, the familiar sights and smells made her
immediately perk up and stir. I let her go, and watched her bound a
hundred feet away into the copse, barely touching the ground, like a
stone skipping on water. I hoped that I'd see her again, or perhaps
next year, a whole litter of her too-curious descendants.

"Takayuki" wrote in message
...
Today, I heard a big commotion and a series of loud distressed squeals
coming from the kitchen. I thought that maybe a large bird had gotten
trapped in the range hood duct or something. I knew it wasn't another
cat, because the resident guard-cat, Buster, was cowering.

What I saw was Dot determinedly chasing something with a gray
fluffytale! I grabbed a towel and joined the chase, and what I caught
made my heart melt:

http://home.comcast.net/~Takayuki9z/squirrel.jpg

It was an overcurious yearling girl-squirrel that somehow managed to
find its way inside the house! I shut myself in a shower stall with
it, away from the cats, and checked it over. She remained docile and
put up almost no resistance, but she looked all right, and unwounded.
Dot has a very accurate kill-bite when it comes to mice and toys, but
she fortunately seemed to have been confounded in this case by the
agility, large size, and distracting bushy tail of this quarry.

When I was holding her inside, she seemed to have almost given up and
resigned herself to whatever fate or afterlife awaited captured
prey-squirrels. She knew now that she'd made the biggest mistake of
her life, and had entered a formidable den of death and despair.

When I carried her outside, the familiar sights and smells made her
immediately perk up and stir. I let her go, and watched her bound a
hundred feet away into the copse, barely touching the ground, like a
stone skipping on water. I hoped that I'd see her again, or perhaps
next year, a whole litter of her too-curious descendants.

What a cutie! I'm glad you were able to rescue her.

Joy

"Takayuki" wrote in message
...
Today, I heard a big commotion and a series of loud distressed squeals
coming from the kitchen. I thought that maybe a large bird had gotten
trapped in the range hood duct or something. I knew it wasn't another
cat, because the resident guard-cat, Buster, was cowering.

What I saw was Dot determinedly chasing something with a gray
fluffytale! I grabbed a towel and joined the chase, and what I caught
made my heart melt:

http://home.comcast.net/~Takayuki9z/squirrel.jpg

It was an overcurious yearling girl-squirrel that somehow managed to
find its way inside the house! I shut myself in a shower stall with
it, away from the cats, and checked it over. She remained docile and
put up almost no resistance, but she looked all right, and unwounded.
Dot has a very accurate kill-bite when it comes to mice and toys, but
she fortunately seemed to have been confounded in this case by the
agility, large size, and distracting bushy tail of this quarry.

When I was holding her inside, she seemed to have almost given up and
resigned herself to whatever fate or afterlife awaited captured
prey-squirrels. She knew now that she'd made the biggest mistake of
her life, and had entered a formidable den of death and despair.

When I carried her outside, the familiar sights and smells made her
immediately perk up and stir. I let her go, and watched her bound a
hundred feet away into the copse, barely touching the ground, like a
stone skipping on water. I hoped that I'd see her again, or perhaps
next year, a whole litter of her too-curious descendants.


I have very much missed you posting recently. You are so gentle and
insightful (is that a word?)
That squirrel nearly got the Darwin award.
We do have grey squirrels here in UK, but I have never heard of one being so
stupid as to enter a house - especially when there are cats in there!
Tweed

Christina Websell wrote:
"Takayuki" wrote in message
...
Today, I heard a big commotion and a series of loud distressed squeals
coming from the kitchen. I thought that maybe a large bird had gotten
trapped in the range hood duct or something. I knew it wasn't another
cat, because the resident guard-cat, Buster, was cowering.

What I saw was Dot determinedly chasing something with a gray
fluffytale! I grabbed a towel and joined the chase, and what I caught
made my heart melt:

http://home.comcast.net/~Takayuki9z/squirrel.jpg

It was an overcurious yearling girl-squirrel that somehow managed to
find its way inside the house! I shut myself in a shower stall with
it, away from the cats, and checked it over. She remained docile and
put up almost no resistance, but she looked all right, and unwounded.
Dot has a very accurate kill-bite when it comes to mice and toys, but
she fortunately seemed to have been confounded in this case by the
agility, large size, and distracting bushy tail of this quarry.

When I was holding her inside, she seemed to have almost given up and
resigned herself to whatever fate or afterlife awaited captured
prey-squirrels. She knew now that she'd made the biggest mistake of
her life, and had entered a formidable den of death and despair.

When I carried her outside, the familiar sights and smells made her
immediately perk up and stir. I let her go, and watched her bound a
hundred feet away into the copse, barely touching the ground, like a
stone skipping on water. I hoped that I'd see her again, or perhaps
next year, a whole litter of her too-curious descendants.


I have very much missed you posting recently. You are so gentle and
insightful (is that a word?)
That squirrel nearly got the Darwin award.
We do have grey squirrels here in UK, but I have never heard of one being so
stupid as to enter a house - especially when there are cats in there!
Tweed

I frequently leave my front door open (with the screendoor locked, of
course). It's true there is a gap between the screen and the doorjamb
plenty large enough to admit mice, but it would take an exceptionally
suicidal rodent to creep in under the noses of two active and alert cats!

"Christina Websell" wrote:
I have very much missed you posting recently. You are so gentle and
insightful (is that a word?)
That squirrel nearly got the Darwin award.
We do have grey squirrels here in UK, but I have never heard of one being so
stupid as to enter a house - especially when there are cats in there!

I'm still not even sure how she managed to get inside. Their curiosity
is as great as that of the kitties, and they're always getting into
mischief.

I'm just glad that I was home when they had the encounter, because the
odds are pretty bad for a squirrel when the only trees it has to climb
are cat trees.

Takayuki wrote:

Today, I heard a big commotion and a series of loud distressed squeals
coming from the kitchen. I thought that maybe a large bird had gotten
trapped in the range hood duct or something. I knew it wasn't another
cat, because the resident guard-cat, Buster, was cowering.

What I saw was Dot determinedly chasing something with a gray
fluffytale! I grabbed a towel and joined the chase, and what I caught
made my heart melt:

http://home.comcast.net/~Takayuki9z/squirrel.jpg

It was an overcurious yearling girl-squirrel that somehow managed to
find its way inside the house! I shut myself in a shower stall with
it, away from the cats, and checked it over. She remained docile and
put up almost no resistance, but she looked all right, and unwounded.
Dot has a very accurate kill-bite when it comes to mice and toys, but
she fortunately seemed to have been confounded in this case by the
agility, large size, and distracting bushy tail of this quarry.

When I was holding her inside, she seemed to have almost given up and
resigned herself to whatever fate or afterlife awaited captured
prey-squirrels. She knew now that she'd made the biggest mistake of
her life, and had entered a formidable den of death and despair.

When I carried her outside, the familiar sights and smells made her
immediately perk up and stir. I let her go, and watched her bound a
hundred feet away into the copse, barely touching the ground, like a
stone skipping on water. I hoped that I'd see her again, or perhaps
next year, a whole litter of her too-curious descendants.

What a great post. I'm glad you rescued the little squirrel from the
den of death and despair. I love the image of her skipping away back to
freedom. And what a sweet picture.

Joyce

--
The problem with cats is that they get the exact same look on their
face whether they see a moth or an axe-murderer.
-- Paula Poundstone

On May 16, 7:25*pm, Takayuki wrote:
"Christina Websell" wrote:
I have very much missed you posting recently. *You are so gentle and
insightful (is that a word?)
That squirrel nearly got the Darwin award.
We do have grey squirrels here in UK, but I have never heard of one being so
stupid as to enter a house - especially when there are cats in there!

I'm still not even sure how she managed to get inside. Their curiosity
is as great as that of the kitties, and they're always getting into
mischief.

I'm just glad that I was home when they had the encounter, because the
odds are pretty bad for a squirrel when the only trees it has to climb
are cat trees.

Awwwww, what a cutie! Thank goodness you rescued it.

but what did Dot think when you ROBBED her of her prey and then LET IT
GO???!!!

Kristi

On May 19, 4:28*pm, Mischief wrote:
On May 16, 7:25*pm, Takayuki wrote:

"Christina Websell" wrote:
I have very much missed you posting recently. *You are so gentle and
insightful (is that a word?)
That squirrel nearly got the Darwin award.
We do have grey squirrels here in UK, but I have never heard of one being so
stupid as to enter a house - especially when there are cats in there!

I'm still not even sure how she managed to get inside. Their curiosity
is as great as that of the kitties, and they're always getting into
mischief.

I'm just glad that I was home when they had the encounter, because the
odds are pretty bad for a squirrel when the only trees it has to climb
are cat trees.

Awwwww, what a cutie! *Thank goodness you rescued it.

but what did Dot think when you ROBBED her of her prey and then LET IT
GO???!!!

Kristi

Maybe Dot has a whole new respect for Tak. Now she sees him as a Great
Hunter --
even better than her. :-)

Sherry

On May 15, 12:24*am, Takayuki wrote:
Today, I heard a big commotion and a series of loud distressed squeals
coming from the kitchen. I thought that maybe a large bird had gotten
trapped in the range hood duct or something. I knew it wasn't another
cat, because the resident guard-cat, Buster, was cowering.

What I saw was Dot determinedly chasing something with a gray
fluffytale! I grabbed a towel and joined the chase, and what I caught
made my heart melt:

http://home.comcast.net/~Takayuki9z/squirrel.jpg

It was an overcurious yearling girl-squirrel that somehow managed to
find its way inside the house! I shut myself in a shower stall with
it, away from the cats, and checked it over. She remained docile and
put up almost no resistance, but she looked all right, and unwounded.
Dot has a very accurate kill-bite when it comes to mice and toys, but
she fortunately seemed to have been confounded in this case by the
agility, large size, and distracting bushy tail of this quarry.

When I was holding her inside, she seemed to have almost given up and
resigned herself to whatever fate or afterlife awaited captured
prey-squirrels. She knew now that she'd made the biggest mistake of
her life, and had entered a formidable den of death and despair.

When I carried her outside, the familiar sights and smells made her
immediately perk up and stir. I let her go, and watched her bound a
hundred feet away into the copse, barely touching the ground, like a
stone skipping on water. I hoped that I'd see her again, or perhaps
next year, a whole litter of her too-curious descendants.

So cute! (and so lucky). I hope she learned something!

Sherry

"Mischief" wrote in message
...
On May 16, 7:25 pm, Takayuki wrote:
"Christina Websell" wrote:
I have very much missed you posting recently. You are so gentle and
insightful (is that a word?)
That squirrel nearly got the Darwin award.
We do have grey squirrels here in UK, but I have never heard of one being
so
stupid as to enter a house - especially when there are cats in there!

I'm still not even sure how she managed to get inside. Their curiosity
is as great as that of the kitties, and they're always getting into
mischief.

I'm just glad that I was home when they had the encounter, because the
odds are pretty bad for a squirrel when the only trees it has to climb
are cat trees.

Awwwww, what a cutie! Thank goodness you rescued it.

but what did Dot think when you ROBBED her of her prey and then LET IT
GO???!!!
_______
She was probably relieved not to have to go for the killing bite as grey
squirrels have a big bite if they are threatened.
Sensible girl!
Although Boyfriend shows off about his ratting prowess he only gets the baby
ones secret that are not that much bigger than mice.
*Because* the big rats have teeth like chisels and he is not daft. I've
seen him outside watch a very big rat go past, he saw it for sure and just
washed himself like "I did not see that one.."
KFC used to do that too and as he was her apprentice maybe she taught him
the size of rat that was sensible to attack. She was a very small cat, so
maybe he could do a bit bigger one ;-)
Tweed