Fertilehealthy

The Afrikaans word for “mischief” is kattekwaad, which literally means “cat naughtiness”.  After last night, I can tell you all about that!

We were watching a movie on TV when we heard a squeeking sound.  Craig got up to investigate. 

He came back saying that the cats had brought a mouse into our bedroom.  I told him to handle it.

Right.  If only it were that simple.

He tried, but Lavis saw him coming and ran outside with the mouse.  Only to return around bedtime. 

So, once again we chased the mouse, chased the cats, moved the furniture and killed ourselves laughing.  This time Pepper fled with the mouse and we went to sleep.

I’m quite a deep sleeper.  Craig will hear the things that go bump in the night and investigate while I will snore away in sweet oblivion.  But let me tell you, when a terrified mouse and two inept, but determined, cats takes over the bedroom, even I bolt out of bed.

Who would have thought that such a small mouse could squeek so loudly?  It’s like nails on a blackboard.  And who would have thought that two cats, animals that are generally thought of as quite graceful and stealthy, could sound like two stampeding buffalo?

Thus the comedy of errors resumed.  One of the cats would get hold of the mouse, we would get hold of the cat and try to get her outside, tripping over the other cat in the process.  But she would meaow with indignation, dropping the mouse, who’d promptly find a nook or cranny to hide in.

I have to make it clear that I’m not afraid of mice.  I have nothing against them.  But I don’t want one running around my bedroom, exciting my cats.  And I certainly don’t want to wake up with a bloody and mangled mouse corps on my white bed linen, which I’m sure would have been the logical conclusion of this game.  Or on my chest when I woke up.

Back to bed we went again to try and sleep.  This was some mouse.  By that time the cats had been at it for about 5 hours and it was still holding on to dear life. 

The next time I awoke was when the waste bin was knocked over.  The mouse had taken refuge in there and the cats were tearing at the papers, water bottles and plastic packaging in there.  I jumped up again, grabbed the bin and tried to find the mouse. It escaped and ran into the bathroom.  I tried to hit it with my shoes.  It escaped and hid behind the bath.  I went back to bed.

This morning when I got up, the cats were still playing with it.  It was still alive.  I eventually managed to chase the cats, with mouse and all, outside and closed the window on them.  They were furious!  I had never shut them out before.

An hour later I checked on them.  Lavis was sitting in front of the door with her paw on the now dead mouse, patiently waiting for me to come and admire her prey.  She’s a killer!  Only took her 12 hours, with a lot of help from Pepper.

The mouse is now entombed in my compost bin.

Craig phoned from work earlier and told me that under no circumstances should I allow the cats to sleep during the day today.  I have to keep them awake so that they can sleep tonight.  And for revenge.

Right.  That’ll work.  I have nothing else to do.  Might as well do some kattekwaad.

This is what they should have been doing last night!