March 17, 2012
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hunting parties
A few night’s ago I had a very strange dream. I know it was a dream because spouseman was wearing flannel Christmas boxers and who would do that in March. In the dream, spouseman sprang out of bed, “waking” me up saying something about imagining a mouse on the bed. Then there’s all these squeaking and more growling than could come out of a kitten and skittering and just general mayhem that happens when a kitten is chasing a mouse. So spouseman decided that indeed there had been a mouse on the bed (and it is surely a good thing that I did feel this mouse or there would be dead bats for miles.) Microninjapsychokitten is in hot pursuit of the mouse. But really she’s just playing or she stinks at this activity because she did not actually catch the mouse. Then I saw spouseman, arms crossed, legs akimbo, sporting the aforementioned flannel Christmas boxers and a ‘tude as he proclaims, “Can we get some more experienced help in here please!” Not a question in spite of the can. As if she was waiting for permission, Princess Buttercup (the one who spends all her time outside because we are just too freaking much for her- also the one who is the furry bodyguard on my late night saunters) strolls in,all nonchalant. Five seconds later, mouse claimed, she walks over to the front door, waits for spouseman to open it, and takes her prize out into the night. Like they have this system.
Next morning, microninjapsycholousymouserkitten finds the prize, reclaims it and brings it back in the house. I do not think so, cat. Oh. Yes, apparently some people would wear flannel Christmas boxers in March. Surreal, I know.
I bring this up because the hunting party was in action again last night. I’m sitting here at my computer, not writing- I forget what I was doing but it definitely didn’t have anything to do with putting words together- and there’s this crying outside the window. I can’t even describe this sound. Unpleasant, it was. Because I’m curious (ok, really because it was bothering me), I go out to investigate. Microninjapsychokitten is torturing a baby bunny. This bunny had been placed on a board (what the heck is that board doing there anyhow) like the present that it was. I never know who the present is for, but goodness it is fun to observe cat presents. And the kitten is playing with it as it cried. Ripped my heart out is what it did. And because it’s not my job to take care of the presents, I woke up spouseman (who wasn’t wearing flannel Christmas boxers last night) and made him fix it.
I’m angry with this kitten this morning. I know that she is just behaving as nature made her, but the torture thing bugs me. And I’m angry with the hunting squad (I’m assuming, probably correctly, that Pandora didn’t bring down the bunny), because bunnies are cute. And I’m angry with myself a little bit too, because apparently I believe that one life is better than another.
I was looking for the song the girls wrote about the cat queen and found this story LLO wrote with an excerpt from the song at the end. This is Trampoline, number 1 girl cat, sweet, soft, loving, probably the bunny slayer.
Trampoline by Littleloudone Second Grade
Trampoline lives in Pennsylvania. She lived in my back yard in an old groundhog hole. Trampoline is a tortoiseshell cat. We made sure that she had food, water, and shelter. My family and I took Trampoline in the house. She loved our home. So….. she moved in. She loves us.
The End
Writer’s note: This story is true.
Trampoline, great hunter of the wild. Trampoline. Bold and brave. Trampoline, great hunter of the wild. Trampoline. Bold and brave.
Comments (37)
I love the way you tell stories.
Poor bunny. The mouse was a home-invader. He brought it all on himself.
One of my clients used to have a cat who would catch things, bring them inside, and set them free in his bathroom. Yes, “his” bathroom, the one with a whirlpool tub instead of a shower. It is rather incredible the messes that can be made in a house when a cat brings in two mildly-wounded birds in one week.
@lanney - egads. cleaning up hunting party messes. that sounds… disgusting. can i have my own bathroom with a whirlpool tub? happy saturday to you, lanney. it is a gorgeous day.
@promisesunshine - Yes it is a gorgeous day, and I am proud of you for noticing despite your hassles!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
@lanney - you just reminded me that i think i saw forsythia blooming. i have to check that out. and the redbud looks like it’s tomorrow or monday. and a daffodil soon too. i’m going outside to read about vocabulary and/or fluency. life is good. (piddle on st. pat’s)
@promisesunshine - Those things are in riotous bloom here. I am working on getting pictures edited.
Don’t be rude! You just don’t like all the stupid irresponsible drinkers. We celebrate by going to a lovely old church (St. Patrick’s of Emerald, KS, no less) on a hill and eating traditional Irish fare while listening to live Irish music. It’s a wonderful day.
Poor bunny.
My uncle lives in the middle of nowhere with a number of barely domesticated cats. One summer we went out to visit him and he told stories if his cats bringing not just mice and rabbits into the house but one time an owl. Once he went into his bathroom to find that the cat had stuck the bunny in the bathtub so it couldn’t escape. Needless to say, the whole time we were there, I was somewhat hesitant to go into his bathroom. 0.o
@lanney - st. patrick’s of emerald, kansas. that makes me smile, bigtime. there was a sweet little irish accent in the tv show i watched last night. and maybe i’ll listen to my irish boys today. i heard a funny joke yesterday morning. i’m gonna mess it up. but something about irish don’t actually dance. they just stand still on the floor until they get mad at it. i did an irish step class last year with littleloudone. that was a hoot, i tell you. i was in my first ever dance recital. maybe it wasn’t last year. who knows. i’m old. it all blends together. ok. that was my long-winded tribute to ireland. oh, here, have this too.
have a loverly day.
@leaflesstree - yea. i prefer the presents outside. once had a present by my computer. that was nice. (not.)
@promisesunshine - I like you; you make me laugh in a good way.
There you go, bringing smiles to Xangaland! Poor little bunny. I hope your day gets better. Jealous of the blooming forsythia, ours haven’t popped out yet here, even with all this crazy warm weather.
Hate this. But I drink a lot.
@songoftheheart - false alarm on the forsythia. almost. not quite. it’s my very favorite. in-laws buying lunch. i’m starving, i’ll even eat the standard chinese. i’m in my happy place now. (there’s no place like them going home.
eventually)
@lanney - i like you too. joy and sap. really. getting on with my day now. i mean it this time.
@Bricker59 - let’s talk about this later. ‘kay?
@promisesunshine - Enjoy!
This is the group we go see. They’re really good; they just have crappy recordings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSY8nPwsvRU&feature=related
i rarely remember my dreams so i dont know if they are weird or not.
my dogs chase after the wild bunnies (note that is plural as there are lots and lots of them around my place) and sometimes they catch them. i wish they would only play with them, but no. they leave the headless bodies laying about for me to find.
i really do wish they could catch the squirrels and leave the bunnies to me and my live trap and relocation project.
@buddy71 - it wasn’t a dream.
it was what passes for reality in my land.
yes. our pets and their beastly natures are sometimes less than ideal.
did you say you were a dragon?
@promisesunshine - yes a dragon.
@buddy71 - your horoscope says you should marry late in life. a something or a something. we had chinese for lunch. rat. maybe.
@promisesunshine - ahhhh…i see. i guess one needs to define “late in life”. lol
@buddy71 - i’m just reporting. the rest is up to you.
(and don’t worry, i’m a snake)
My daughter wanted a bunny when she was little. Her dad told her she could have one, so long as he could name it “Stew”. She was about 9 or 10 and understood exactly what “Stew” meant.
@armnatmom - that’s cruelly amusing. i like it.
we had all kinds of bunnies as kids. i had one in college too. i’d forgotten about him. he was against the rules. i was such a wild thing. ha.
“Can we get some more experienced help in here please!” I absolutely love the story, but all the way through it my mind kept going back to this one point. I’m not sure exactly why it struck me so funny, but I have been laughing like a maniac. Perhaps I have gone mad like the Mad Hatter in Alice. “Totally around the bend, even.” It was bound to happen at some point. Oh dear…
@MzSilver - made me laugh too. guess we’re both around the bend.
@promisesunshine - Then I am in wonderful company and that is most delightful…
@MzSilver - i’m glad you’re feeling better.
@promisesunshine - Thank you. Much to much life to enjoy. Can’t stay down for long.
I could not get beyond flannel Christmas boxers in March! Were they plaid? Solid color? By Christmas do you mean red and green with little lights on them? Need more detail. Seriously, you have some seriously weird dreams! I don’t know how you remember such detail. Enjoy your day.
@vexations - i’m awfully sorry for laughing, but it wasn’t a dream. i will not photograph the boxers, because nobody needs that kind of daytime nightmare. however. donald duck, mickey mouse in santa garb each holding a wreath with berries (snort) and goofy attired same but holding a bag with presents (snort again) all on a white background with little trees. yes, flannel. yes, march. and we wonder why i’m nuts. (snort again)
Thanks!. Oh, by the way. I had changed “trudge” from tromp at the last min. Is tromp a better word? Also, Me like Monsters…@promisesunshine -
@vexations - hmm.. tromp has better connotation and has nice sounding with tramp. but does it trivialize? she could travail another trail. traipse, traffic, tiptoe, tread. now i’m just tripping. don’t you know monsters are scary?
This is why I keep saying no when Littlest OBL begs for a bunny. We have a bunny-slaying machine. It’s also a hamster-slaying machine, but the hamster is securely locked behind bars in solitary, so it remains safe. A bunny wouldn’t stand a chance around here. Thanks to the bird feeders and the dove eggs we get all kinds of hunting parties in our backyard.
@ordinarybutloud - hamster in solitary confinement. that made me laugh.
natural born killers is what these loving pets of ours are. maybe i should get some fish so the bunnies are safe. then again, kitten loudly killed a spider last night while i wanted to be sleeping.
@promisesunshine - I think cats hunt fish too. At least they do in the Cat in the Hat, don’t they? Or maybe I’m thinking of Tom and Jerry.
@ordinarybutloud - that was my idea. if i give them easy access to fish, then they’ll leave the itty bitty cutie pie bunnies alone.
@promisesunshine - you value bunnies above fish? That’s so invertebratist.
@ordinarybutloud - i know!! isn’t it awful? and i value bunnies above mice. what is the next step for me? today it’s bunnies, tomorrow it’s blondes with blue eyes. (oh wait, my daughters are blue-eyed blondes)