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.

Intruder!!

A few nights ago I heard some strange noises in the very quiet forest camp I was in.  It sounded like it was coming from the fridge.  Then it sounded like it was coming from further forward in my fifth wheel.  I got my flashlight, then went out to open my basement doors.  I flashed the light around - didn't see any movement, didn't see anything out of place, nothing out of the ordinary.

 

That night I woke up about 2 o'clock in the morning and heard more noises.  I decided that I needed to do some real investigation the next day.

 

The next morning I got up early as usual, had my breakfast, then went out and  opened up all my hatches in the basement.  I started at one side and took everything out, I found what looked like a nest.  Luckily there were no babies in the nest.  What was in the next was bristles from my expensive, very soft brush that I use to clean the RV. 

 

 

I emptied out the rest of the basement to make sure that he/she wasn't hiding anywhere.  I will be listening very carefully for the next few nights to make sure that he's not anywhere around.

I guess that's the downside of boondocking.  But at least I caught it in time so there was not much damage done except for my brush.  It is funny that the critter took the bristles from the middle of the brush and left all the bristles on each side - she/he just took the middle third of it.