Charlie had a huge adjustment to make with his move from Hollidaysburg town cat to West Virginia country kitty. In Hollidaysburg, he caught on average about 2 birds a day plus numerous other small mammals such as baby rabbits, chipmonks, shrews, mice and moles. We had a pet door and he would often bring the animals alive into the house for the final kill. It drove Anna and I completely nuts. On two different occasions we came home to a bird flying around the kitchen. The first time, we were unable to catch the small brown bird so we had to leave the house until Charlie made the final kill. We came home to a pile of feathers. The second time, we didn't notice that a bird was in the house for a few days. It had been nesting (pooping) in Anna's converse high tops. It was a startling. Which is a horrible, yucky bird which often eats other baby birds. Anna and I hate them. They are large birds. Charlie was in over his head so he gave up on catching the darn thing. It was living on cat food and nesting in Anna's shoe. Anna calls me at Ballet class and says: "Mom - There's a bird in the house! " in a hysterical voice. I told her to quit yelling and catch the thing and finish cooking dinner. (Anna would often cook dinner for the 3 of us while Mary was at Ballet.) She had no success and was not happy when we got home. I was kinda put out - told her to give me the butterfly net (our bird catching apparatus). The silly bird scared me half to death. It would charge at me. I had no idea how to catch it. Anna, Mary and I are hysterical with a combination of tears, laughter and fear. Stupid bird! Finally, I came up with a plan - call Roy. I knew that he was on his way home to Scotch Valley. We let him catch the bird. It wasn't easy for him either but he didn't scream like we did. We hung a blanket over the door way so that the bird had to stay in one room and he somehow caught it. I don't remember how - I was too hysterical laughing. Then the four of us, sat down to dinner. Anna did a great job. I miss her terribly now that she is in college. ; (
Back to Charlie Cat in West Virginia. He hasn't caught a bird since our move the last weekend in July. At first, country life scared the cajeebees out of him. He would stare at the deer in the yard and have a sheer look of terror. As if to say - how in the heck am I going to catch one of those. He is bolder now and actually tries to stalk them in the forbidden field. I have a funny feeling that he will be catching something soon. Since the weather has warmed up - he has lived outside. In and out constantly - I have the funny feeling he is stalking a young family waiting for the perfect opportunity to catch their young and destroy their lives.
His favorite pass time is to stare into the corner trying to catch a bird at the bird feeder. He has had no success. Occasionally, I have even seen a bird land on the feeder while he sits there. I'm attaching a picture of Charlie's Bird Quest. Notice Charlie Cat in the shadow in the corner. He will sit like that forever!
The purple tulips are from Bonnie and Dean for Easter. I love them! I'm not sure where I'm going to plant them but I'll figure something out. I also have a bucket of bulbs for Miss Bonnie.
