Killer Cat vs Killer Hiking Boots

 

This is my cat, Chica, adopted when she was about 8 months old.  She had been living on the streets when she got trapped, spayed and then fostered for a short time before I ended up with her.  She looks like a sweet kitty, doesn't she?  She's very sweet and affectionate and usually well behaved.  The photo below makes you think she's about to attack that ball - she loves those balls.

 

She even plays fetch with the balls, if she's in the mood. 

You would think, with her background, she would be a great mouser and there would be no problems, right?  Well, maybe not.......  She's very considerate and doesn't wake me up with her night-time wandering, until a few nights ago.  I woke up about 3:30 to the sound of her banging into things in the living area of my RV.  So out of the ordinary, I had to get up and check it out. 

I went down there and saw her chasing a mouse around the room - a MOUSE!!  A tiny little thing, about 3-4 inches long.  I have never had one inside, although they have been in the storage area below.  After I got over freaking out, I decided to help her and picked up everything on the floor, her toys, water bowl, and other items we have sitting around.  This gave her more room without objects in the way.  During this time, the mouse was running around with Chica in hot pursuit, sometimes both of them running over my foot. 

The mouse got under the sofa, so I pulled the front off, which gives me a huge storage space underneath.  Everything had to come out of there and piled wherever I could put them - this is a small 5th wheel.  Chica was relentless, she kept after the mouse.  When the mouse disappeared for a time, she would run around the room looking for it.  Then it would appear again and the race continued.  When Chica had the mouse cornered, they would stare at each other - until the mouse ran off again.  The mouse would hide again and then Chica would sit there waiting, with her tail twitching. 

This went on for close to 2 hours - both of them racing around the room.  I was getting a bit annoyed and told Chica to wrap it up.  After all, she lived on the streets for months, she must have caught little critters to eat - she could not have forgotten how to do this, right? 

RVs usually have lots of upholstery - even edging the doors.  The mouse noticed this and zipped right up to the top of the door.  By that time, I was ready to end it, so I grabbed my hiking boot and whacked the mouse - he fell to the floor and continued running, but at a slower pace.  OK, now was the time that Chica could get him and get this over with!!  After another couple of loops around the room, I waited until the mouse was in a corner and went over with my killer hiking book and gave him another few whacks to finish him off. 

Chica wanted to go over and check him out, to see if he wanted to play again.  I kept her away and scooped him up and into a plastic bag.  What a relief!!  Chica kept roaming the area, sniffing to see if she could find her little friend, but thank goodness, there was only one of them!  I have no idea how long this would have taken if I had not intervened - and I don't want to know!  I like to think my sweet little kitty would be able to save me from one of these critters, but it could take days and she might become attached to her little friend.

 

I guess "Killer Cat" is not the appropriate word - but I do have some killer hiking boots!  Good thing she's a great little pet.  For those of you wondering, if she had caught this by herself, I would not have let her eat it - it would still have ended up in that plastic bag.  You never know where those critters have been or if they're diseased.

Chica | San Carlos | Mexico

 

This is Chica, my new roommate. She was a feral cat, living on the streets in San Carlos for the first 7 months of her life.  A friend was able to trap her and get her spayed at the SBPA Spay/Neuter Clinic in December.  My friend has 2 older cats, who didn't want to get along with the newcomer, so she kept Chica in her extra bedroom.  I went over to her house to take photos to put on the San Carlos bulletin board, hoping she would get adopted.

Meanwhile I was fostering 3 kittens who were about 2 months old.  They went north to get adopted and I've been told they got good homes - they really were sweet and sociable.  Chica was still trapped in the extra bedroom in my friend's house.  We didn't get any offers to adopt her and it wasn't fair to just keep her locked up, although it was a very nice location.

She is now a very spoiled cat who lives with me in my 27' 5th wheel.  She's happy, well fed and doesn't have to be worried about the dangers of living on the street.  She is one of the most gentle cats I've ever had, and she's got a great disposition.  She doesn't trust people she doesn't know, so she hides when someone comes in.  She is not tempted to go outside, which is understandable and actually is a good thing.

So, I will have a traveling companion from now on and I'm really enjoying her.

Cattitude Adjustment

 

 

 

My Trinidad cat is now 14 years old, feisty as ever and believes that I am here just to serve her.  For the most part, she’s been healthy and hasn’t had to see the vet much.  But when she does – watch out!   As soon as I put her in her carrier and in the car, she howls all the way to the vet – thankfully a very short trip!

Because we will be traveling in a 5^th wheel, she needs to be trained to sit up in the truck with me – without the vocalization.  So I have a cage for her now instead of the carrier, maybe that will make her happier.  I’m putting her in it every day and sitting outside with her to acclimatize her to the cage and different scenery.  She doesn’t seem to mind, she’s had a strong interest in “outside” since she’s lived in a house.  She loved “outside” when we were on the boat and sat in the cockpit and watched other boats, dinghies, birds and fish in the water.

Yesterday, after sitting outside with her, I put the cage in the truck passenger seat, where she will be traveling (hopefully silent).  She didn’t seem to mind that either.  I found the seatbelt will go around the cage nicely to hold her in.  The true test will be when I start the engine – we’ll just sit there in the truck in the driveway.  After a few days of that, we’ll take a little drive around the neighborhood.  I’m hoping that this gentle, slow introduction to RVing will enable her to be a pleasant traveling companion instead of a howling monster. 

I’ll let you know how it works……


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More blogs and photos coming as I prepare and go traveling.