Cat the Hunter

For all your feline miscellany - any interesting stories, news or subjects that do not fit in the other sections.
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Judy Barnett
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Cat the Hunter

Post by Judy Barnett »

I was sitting on the bed this morning, fully clothed in my gardening stuff, waiting for the frost to lift enough for me not to develop frostbite. We have mirrored wardrobes in our bedroom so I could see Georgia sneak in and scuttle under the bed. I bent down and peered under and there she was with a fledgling in her mouth. She was pulled out very unceremoniously and I managed to make her drop the poor little bird that turned out to be a Goldcrest. It was still alive and looked uninjured. While Jim shut Georgia in the living room with him, I got a little Tupperware box and kitchen roll, some warm sugar water, a few tiny worms, some mashed up peanut and some tiny chunks of Apple. I put the bird and his banquet on the warm windowsill and proceeded to feed and water him. Then, leaving him for nature to make up her mind I left him to do a bit of gardening. After about an hour and a half I went back and was overjoyed to see him fluttering round the room twittering his head off. I opened the window, and he shot out and made it to the hedge, where I hope he finds him mum again.
Now I know what you're going to say, its only nature, Georgia was only bringing you a little present, but, Georgia, really next time, a bottle of Prosecco would be much nicer!!!
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Lilith
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Re: Cat the Hunter

Post by Lilith »

Ouch! Where do you live? I thought it was pretty cold here, what with the Wakefield mistral blowing.

Glad you managed to save the little guy, but he wouldn't be a fledgling at this time of year, but goldcrests are one of the smallest UK birds, it's a miracle he didn't die of shock ... cats eh? Naughty Georgia, growl. But it's their nature.

I'm reminded of the huge dragonfly Molly nearly got this summer; it had got itself trapped under the cat mesh that secures their garden; it was too big to squeeze through. It bit me. Nice manners. And a few years back when a cluster of small houses in the middle of town were condemned and their gardens overgrown, and I saw a flock of goldfinches feeding on thistle-seeds, quite enchanting. There's a block of horrible grey flats there now :(

I've never seen a goldcrest though, so brilliant when you see wildlife thriving despite 'progress' - IS it 'progress'?

As Gerard Manley Hopkins put it, 'long live the weeds and the wilderness yet!'
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bobbys girl
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Re: Cat the Hunter

Post by bobbys girl »

Naughty Georgia! :roll: Lilith is right Jude, you shouldn't get baby ones now. But they are SO small it's easy to think they are babys. I often see them when I'm in the caravan. They sit in the Leylandii and hop over to the window looking for spiders. They are so intent on what they are doing they don't notice me OR the cats just on the other side of the glass.

We kept mum's budgie cage for such occasions and the tweezers out of Dave's fishing box come in handy for feeding baby birds (they look like a beak). It's amazing how much I have learned about birds, mice and lizards since I became a cat owner (servant).

Has Georgia forgiven you for rejecting her gift? :lol:

You think you have problems, I had JUST posted the above when Purdy decided it would be a good idea to throw up all over the back of the sofa - she'd just had biscuits on top of a lick-e-lix. :roll: Still, it's Dave's turn to clean up. :D

BTW I remember how cold it got in Stoke. We don't have seasons here - just weather!
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Ruth B
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Re: Cat the Hunter

Post by Ruth B »

I'm thankful that my current hunter is very much a mouser and kills his prey, but it does mean i have to be careful what I tread on when i have to use the bathroom in the night.

The other night I did have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and i could seem Saturn staring intently at something on the stairs. I called his name and he came tearing up the stairs and tossed a dead mouse in my direction, not just put it at my feet but threw it at me. It was obvious he hadn't finished playing with it so I sat and waited for about 5 minutes while he threw it around the landing, then he just got bored and wandered off, leaving me to pick up the remains.

It isn't helped by the fact that with my contact lenses in I'm partially sighted, without them my focal point is about the end of my nose, which means that i end up crawling around on the landing trying to make sure there are no bits left, and for any wondering, when I said i could see him staring intently at something, I could make out his silhouette and that was enough to tell me he had something down there.
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Judy Barnett
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Re: Cat the Hunter

Post by Judy Barnett »

I think Georgia knew how upset I was with her. She spent the rest of yesterday sucking up to me and acting all kittenish. Come to think of it I didn't notice the gape on the sides of the bird's mouth so you're all correct, it couldn't have been a baby; I didn't know they were so tiny. My little rat bag and I are friends again this morning; cuddles as usual. ;)
alanc
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Re: Cat the Hunter

Post by alanc »

Glad Georgia is your friend again. Tilly also blotted her copy book yesterday, one small dead bird, dead when she brought it in. Not that I am always too late - see attached photo of Badger captioned "but you let my bird escape Daddy!"
P1060746vs.jpg
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bobbys girl
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Re: Cat the Hunter

Post by bobbys girl »

I knew I had some pictures somewhere. I was looking for something else and found these. They really are tiny, ducky (as in sweet!) little birds.
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Lilith
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Re: Cat the Hunter

Post by Lilith »

Aww, they're amazing! I don't suppose your Tommy would have thought them ducky though - not after that duck he once hunted up in your kitchen - worth washing his whiskers for!

That little thing would have been more like a dolly-mixture to the likes of him, bless him :lol:
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Ruth B
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Re: Cat the Hunter

Post by Ruth B »

What is is about cats and duck, mine are bad enough as far as chicken is concerned, but get a duck out of the oven and they go bonkers for it.

I picked one up on Saturday in the cheap section of Asda, cooked it on Sunday for lunch and cold meat and was stripping the carcase down in the evening. Saturn was climbing the drawers in the kitchen so he could get his nose over the side and then there would be the stealthy paw trying to swipe something off. I got very good at doing a quick sideways shuffle to knock him off the drawers, but that just meant he would come back on the other side of me. If anyone could have seen in the window they would wonder what on earth I was doing, this odd shuffling dance while stood at the work top.
alanc
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Re: Cat the Hunter

Post by alanc »

Yes indeed - Tilly is very fond of Duck!
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bobbys girl
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Re: Cat the Hunter

Post by bobbys girl »

Lilith wrote:Aww, they're amazing! I don't suppose your Tommy would have thought them ducky though - not after that duck he once hunted up in your kitchen - worth washing his whiskers for!

That little thing would have been more like a dolly-mixture to the likes of him, bless him :lol:
Yes indeed! :D Funny thing is although they like 'real' duck, none of them like sachets. On that point has anyone noticed that it is getting harder to find beef flavour food? It seems to have been replaced by duck and turkey.
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MarySkater
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Re: Cat the Hunter

Post by MarySkater »

None of my cats have been keen on beef flavour, preferring the poultry types. I always assumed it was because cow is not a natural prey for a domestic cat... :shock:
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bobbys girl
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Re: Cat the Hunter

Post by bobbys girl »

Try telling that to Bob! :lol:
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Re: Cat the Hunter

Post by MarySkater »

bobbys girl wrote:Try telling that to Bob! :lol:
You mean he eats beef, or he kills cows?! :) (That would make an unholy mess on the doorstep in the morning!)
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Lilith
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Re: Cat the Hunter

Post by Lilith »

MarySkater wrote:
bobbys girl wrote:Try telling that to Bob! :lol:
You mean he eats beef, or he kills cows?! :) (That would make an unholy mess on the doorstep in the morning!)
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Ewww (no sorry, not a ewe!) Horns and hoofs and bits of things ... :o

Perhaps you should rename him Dan, after Desperate Dan and the cow pie! :lol:
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bobbys girl
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Re: Cat the Hunter

Post by bobbys girl »

Bob thinks you are all very silly! :lol: Of COURSE he doesn't kill cows. He's got a well trained mummy to shop for him.
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Lilith
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Re: Cat the Hunter

Post by Lilith »

bobbys girl wrote:Bob thinks you are all very silly! :lol: Of COURSE he doesn't kill cows. He's got a well trained mummy to shop for him.
:lol: :lol: :lol:

And he ain't beefing about it! :lol:
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