Crunch!

In the early 1990s I shared a house in East Van with my friend Rowan. Late one Saturday morning she was in my room chatting. She asked if she could borrow my slippers to go out on the deck for some reason. I said sure and she stuck her foot in one slipper, then the other. It was the other that made her shriek. Something had crunched under her bare foot which was quickly revealed to be a dead mouse. Clearly it had been intended as a “present” intended for me from my crazy cat Clancy. Rowan hopped on her uncontaminated foot into the bathroom, where she thoroughly washed all real or imagined dead mouse off her foot. And, yes, I did always check my slippers after that.

Obviously Clancy wasn’t the only cat who’s ever rewarded their human with tokens of appreciation like this. Stella, in her day, was a pretty good mouser who left me numerous gifts. (Unfortunately, Stella’s preference was to bring them in alive and chase them around the house, forcing me to attempt rescues.)

Yesterday morning, as I was heading to the dressing table to get some socks and knickers, I felt through my slippers (and heard) a crunch. Ah. Maisie’s first gift.

Poor bugger. I didn’t shriek. (Slippers already on.) Nor did I immediately do anything about the mouse. Instead I just carried on getting dressed. By the time I’d finished doing that, Maisie had remembered the dead mouse and was batting it around like one of her toys. So, yes, I did remove him. 

I suspect this will be the first of many.

The question for me is how will she be with birds? Stella, bless her, as keen as she was to bring in and play with mice (and occasionally small snakes), never once showed any interest in going after birds. What if Maisie does? Well, I guess if she does, then I shall have to stop putting food out for them, which would be a shame for them – and for me. Still, better they should have to search for food further afield than me being guilty of luring them to their death. 

Fingers crossed Maisie will leave the birds alone and the only presents she brings me are small, dead rodents.