Non-motoring > tooth and claw...	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Armel Coussine	Replies: 42

Tue 25 Jan 11 23:37   tooth and claw... - Armel Coussine

There are no mice in the house we are living in, which has just been gutted and rebuilt. But my daughter's cat has been staying. Ostensibly charming and friendly, as well as cute looking although no longer a kitten, this spayed black smallish female is what used to be called a 'good mouser'. It is in fact a criminal having snatched a long-eared bat out of the sky a few months ago. Day before yesterday I noticed it crashing about in the sitting room. It had caught some sort of naive country mouse or vole and brought it in through the cat flap. It kept it alive as an amusing toy - in fact the poor little brute moved exactly like a small mechanical toy - for something like 48 hours, chasing it, catching it, letting it go, watching its hiding places like a hawk, catching it again, and so on. I quite wanted to rescue it and chuck it outside, but the cat would only have brought it in again. Today I found it stiff as a board, cat bored too, RIP mousey. My daughter recently acquired a dog too. Some sort of black retriever, got a proper bit of bumf saying how classy it is, looks like a tall rangy spaniel, still a pup, charming beast with a sweet nature, keen to please. It's called dohc (double overhead camshaft) pronounced Doc, daughter's husband being a car freak like us. Trouble is Ms Coussine hates all dogs with a passion, nothing to be done about that, it's in the genes. Caused a lot of trouble. I'm thinking of trying to get a pangolin off ebay. Reply to this message | Report message

Tue 25 Jan 11 23:44   tooth and claw... - R.P.

Conjured up some pleasant imagery. Mint. This mutt of mine has all kinds of documentation most of his ancestors have 'FC' inscribed next to his/her official names. May go some way to explain his love of fireworks and of stalking birds, and possibly his evil temper towards certain members of the household.. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 00:01   tooth and claw... - bathtub tom

Daughter's got a rescue cat that takes great delight in winding up females by stalking imaginary prey - it lived for over a year on it's wits. It occasionally brings in 'toys' that are easily caught and disposed of. I once caught one and got rid of it over a fence, only to hear it 'clang' loudly off some piece of metal. We had a cat that proudly brought home its prey, a toad (live), a Christmas tree bauble and a potato (that I assume someone had chucked at it). I found a mummified frog under the washing machine when I replaced it. A springer spaniel we had (another rescue job) caught a blackbird in mid-air. I wouldn't have believed it unless I saw it. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 01:35   tooth and claw... - Cockle

We have many frogs and toads in our back gardens here, I'm told toads are now rare; not here they're not, about as common as a Ford, seems every time I lift a stone in the garden there's a toad. I consider myself lucky in that I actually find them fascinating creatures so they are more than welcome. We had a cat some years back that took great delight in bringing a frog or toad into the house as a little 'present'. Unfortunately its timing was perfect in that it was always in the morning about five minutes before I was due to leave for work and it always released its prey just in front of the sofa. Of course, frogs and toads are not that stupid and immediately dived under the said sofa. My boss at the time was a kindly sort of soul but after a while did mention that he thought the 'released frog' excuse for being 10-15 minutes late was wearing a little thin. Worst experience was lifting the hearth rug one day to vacuum and finding HALF a frog underneath....... Lovely, thank you so much, puss! Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 00:54   tooth and claw... - SteelSpark

>> I'm thinking of trying to get a pangolin off ebay. Strange way to end your post. Aren't you a bit long in the tooth to learn a new instrument? And, anyway, what on earth has that got to do with cats and dogs? Reply to this message | Report message       1

Wed 26 Jan 11 06:46   tooth and claw... - DeeW

Always fancied an Aardvark myself, just love the name.... Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 07:18   tooth and claw... - WillDeBeest

Our previous Feline Family Unit used to bring in frogs. I think they would hop about amusingly outside, but when he picked them up to carry them in, they'd play dead and he'd lose interest. He used to abandon them on the bottom stair, and I'd come home from work and find one looking at me. How easy it was to remove depended on whether it was still shocked into immobility, or had had time to regain its froggy faculties. I got quite adept with an empty ice cream box. Current FFU would struggle to an E in CSE Elementary Felinity. In four years with us he's caught precisely one rodent, which he brought in to play with, because he knew he ought to, and promptly lost. It spent three cosy weeks nibbling carrots in our larder cupboard until it ventured out once too often and met my ice cream tub. That's right: I keep a cat and catch the mice myself. Pangolins are wonderful. They walk on their hind legs, you know. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 08:20   tooth and claw... - Cliff Pope

There is nothing more disgusting than treading bare-footed on a beheaded and disembowled rat kindly left on the stairs by one of our cats. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 08:20   tooth and claw... - R.P.

Aardvarks can do quantity surveying can't they ? Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 10:18   tooth and claw... - Tooslow

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me3f7rI9AOk A bit slow sometimes aren't they PU? 3:40 in. John Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 08:34   tooth and claw... - CGNorwich

>> Always fancied an Aardvark myself, just love the name.... >> And we all know that aardvark never hurt anybody Last edited by: CGNorwich on Wed 26 Jan 11 at 08:34 Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 08:51   tooth and claw... - Pat

WilldeB, we keep three cats and CAN'T catch the mice ourselves either. We discovered last week that we have mice in the shed where the bird food is stored. It's never happened in previous years but I suppose it was inevitable. We left the shed door open over the weekend but none of the cats even ventured in there so we bought two mouse traps and set them with butter a number of times. The mice ate the butter at one or more sittings and the traps remained set. We decided to get tough and went to buy some poison and cat proof containers but then read the instructions on the packet which said that it takes 12-24 hours for the mice to die......... A long look at each other and not a word spoken, but we both started to look at the complicated maze mouse traps where the mouse it trapped alive and have to be deposited at least a kilometer from where they're living. At a cost of 12.99 each we bought two of these and placed them in the shed. Four days later and there are still no mice caught, and the cats may or may not look in the shed when it gets a bit warmer outside. I suspect that by then it will be just too hot to hunt and lying under a shady plant will be the order of the day. Pat Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 09:33   tooth and claw... - madf

Had a problem with mice in garage eating bird food. Mouse traps # set at the side of a wall (where mice love to scurry under cover).. under a chair - and baited with bread..(held down with a rubber band courtesy of the Post Office) .. caught 8 mice in 2 weeks.. Not seen any since in garage - but lots more in garden/fields. # Little Nipper style but better built and plastic c £2.50 for two... Last edited by: madf on Wed 26 Jan 11 at 09:34 Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 09:36   tooth and claw... - R.P.

e but better built and plastic Or is that aircraft grade polypropylene ? Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 10:30   tooth and claw... - MD

Chocolate works on mice. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 10:46   tooth and claw... - WillDeBeest

So does pink sugar, Martin. But Pat'll get cross if we turn this into another food thread. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 12:45   tooth and claw... - Armel Coussine

I wondered how Pat would take this thread. In a way it's a contradiction to be soft-hearted about all creatures but a cat lover. At least her cats are too spoiled to torture mice though. London house mice which leave their excreta on the breadboard are one thing - one feels sorry for them but that's life, as it were - but these chubby brown short-tailed country jobs seem more innocent somehow, and they don't come into the house by themselves. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 12:50   tooth and claw... - R.P.

Aesop had them sussed. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 15:43   tooth and claw... - hobby

>> Four days later and there are still no mice caught, and the cats may or >> may not look in the shed when it gets a bit warmer outside. >> I suspect that by then it will be just too hot to hunt and lying >> under a shady plant will be the order of the day. >> Stop feeding the lazy beasts, Pat... hunger will soon concentrate their little minds... Or you could borrow ours, mice, sparrows, backbirds, woodpigeons, grey pigeons, you name it, she's caught it... and brought it through the catflap, feathers all over the damn place! Last edited by: hobby on Wed 26 Jan 11 at 15:43 Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 16:21   tooth and claw... - Pat

No I'm quite happy with this humane trap that means the mice can be released, alive after a nice ride in the CRV. I know just where to release them too....:) Pat Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 16:24   tooth and claw... - R.P.

I know just where to release them too....:) How far is leafy north Yorkshire ? Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 16:28   tooth and claw... - Iffy

....How far is leafy north Yorkshire ?... Far enough, I hope. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 16:33   tooth and claw... - Pat

Some 30 years ago I had an 'altercation' with a boss as to what was legal and what wasn't. He sacked me and told me he'd see I would never work in the Fen as a lorry driver again. Women have memories like elephants. Pat Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 16:49   tooth and claw... - Iffy

...Women have memories like elephants... Oo 'eck, I suspect some grumpy old transport boss will soon be getting some unwelcome little visitors to his yard. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 16:51   tooth and claw... - R.P.

A plague on his houses.... Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 16:59   tooth and claw... - Bellboy

i was going to put a blue plague on my house something like in 1927 nothing happened here at this spot Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 17:51   tooth and claw... - Armel Coussine

>> i was going to put a blue plague on my house >> something like in 1927 nothing happened here at this spot Very funny bb... a vintage post... Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 17:11   tooth and claw... - WillDeBeest

Women have memories like elephants. How true! I've never seen an elephant remember to have its key ready to open the front door. };---) Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 17:58   tooth and claw... - Armel Coussine

>> never seen an elephant remember to have its key ready to open the front door. ... or indeed get its card out of its card-stuffed, multi-compartmented purse after getting the purse out of its handbag after getting the handbag out of its shopping bag until the supermarket cashier has read out the necessary sum from his or her till; or indeed sod off out of the way until the card has been placed carefully in the right compartment of the purse, the purse carefully back into the handbag and the handbag back in the shopping bag. In London I often noticed that black women and old women were the worst at this sort of thing. Am I about to be banned from this website for sexism, racism and ageism? It could easily happen but would be completely unjust as I am not especially any of these things. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 09:06   tooth and claw... - Crankcase

>> Always fancied an Aardvark myself, just love the name.... >> I had one once, but I left it on the bedside table overnight and it went soft. Last edited by: Crankcase on Wed 26 Jan 11 at 09:06 Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 10:18   tooth and claw... - Alanovich

I have a female short legged, short haired ginger and white Jack Russell. She is now approaching 12 years old, and still as spritely as a pup. At our old house, the neighbours children started telling tales on it. They said that she was catching small birds in the garden and killing them. Knowing that they had 5 (yes, 5) flaming, miserable, wretched, garden destroying cats (they used to defecate in my herb pots, so I simply had to give up growing), I was reticent to believe them, having never seen a dog catch a small bird. However, one summer's afternoon I was sitting in the garden and I saw the dog do it. Sneaky little swine. I would never have beleived it if I hadn't seen it, she just slunk up from behind and pounced. Once, she managed to catch a rather plump wood pigeon. I discovered her on its back, ripping feathers out. The bird was still alive and the dog let it go, and retreated when she saw me. Look master, I have done well. So I had to fetch a shovel and despatch the poor thing to its maker's care. When we moved in to our new house, for the first month or so I would regularly have to clear up beheaded wood pigeons from the lawn, as we are now living in a much more heavily wooded area and they are all over the place. After the initial month, either she had seen to a whole colony of the poor things, or they had wised up. We never, ever see any birds whatsoever on our lawn now. Dead or alive. Robins dare to enter the garden but remain steadfastly on the bushes. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 11:38   tooth and claw... - Zero

Friend of mine has a gypsy rescue, you know the type half lurcher and half anything else. I watched in amazement as 15 kilos of silver haired hound chased a small grey Squizzer 15 feet UP a tree Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 12:03   tooth and claw... - madf

>> Friend of mine has a gypsy rescue, you know the type half lurcher and half >> anything else. >> I watched in amazement as 15 kilos of silver haired hound chased a small grey >> Squizzer 15 feet UP a tree >> The "anything else " being leopard I presume... Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 12:15   tooth and claw... - Mapmaker

Friend of mine had a lurcher which - owing to a dodgy leg (broken leg when a pup) - was not allowed off the lead. Didn't stop it killing cats though. And as for the labrador-sized and shapedish cross that kills squirrels daily in the park... Last edited by: Mapmaker on Wed 26 Jan 11 at 12:16 Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 27 Jan 11 14:14   tooth and claw... - DeeW

Zero, my blue merle collie loves climbing trees, discovered years ago when my son was climbing a tree and realised Merlin was with him. When he absconds I will get a call from a perplexed person saying they cannot understand how he got in their back garden - their dogs cannot get out. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 18:03   tooth and claw... - teabelly

Jack Russells are much better ratters than cats. More likely to do what you ask them to too... Mine don't usually bring anything in. One brought me a mouse once. They do go after spiders which is nice. My parents cat brings them leaves as presents. She has brought in birds and mice and gets told off. I'm sure I heard somewhere that squirrels were great bird killers and it is their rising population which is picking off the birds as well as the loss of habitat. Cats aren't tormenting their prey for fun. They're checking it is properly dead and won't hurt them which is why they paw at it. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 19:22   tooth and claw... - hobby

Have you seen a British Blue? Bred as ratters they were! I thought that the "tormenting" was more to do with hunting practice? Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Jan 11 19:29   tooth and claw... - MD

>> I have a female short legged, short haired ginger and white Jack Russell. She is >> now approaching 12 years old, and still as spritely as a pup. >> I WANT one. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 27 Jan 11 09:40   tooth and claw... - Alanovich

She's a delight, Martin. If ever she gets in the family way, I'll post it up on here as we'd be looking for nice homes to give them away to. But maybe she's getting a bit long in the tooth for that game now. Should really have had some pups years back, but her prime has coincided with busy years with new children of our own. Shame. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 27 Jan 11 10:24   tooth and claw... - Pat

>>I have a female short legged, short haired GINGER and white Jack Russell.<< Am I the only one thinking about the old saying that owners often look like their pets? :) Pat Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 27 Jan 11 13:42   tooth and claw... - Alanovich

Pat, the resemblance is more in the temperament than the looks. Although our markings are strangely similar, I will admit. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 27 Jan 11 16:16   tooth and claw... - Roger.

Our daughter, when she lived in Spain,around 10 years ago, had a rescued female black cat who used to love catching cockroaches, bringing them in the flat, letting them go and chasing them all over again. This happened at night, mostly, and the sound of scrabbling roach feet on a marble floor is guaranteed to wake most people from their slumbers. We stayed there before our flat was ready and a roach hunt under beds at 3 AM is no fun, believe me. Said black cat is now much travelled, from Spain to UK and now to Germany! Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 27 Jan 11 16:42   tooth and claw... - Armel Coussine

Not sure I buy teabelly's theory that cats don't do this for fun. They are predators after all and can easily kill a mouse with a single bite. Instead they pick them up as if they were kittens. You can tell they enjoy it from the way they go about it. That doesn't mean they are nasty (although you might think they were if you were a mouse). It's their nature. And of course after millennia of domestication their nature has been distorted somewhat... by the company they keep. Reply to this message | Report message