The Cat Hunt Is On (2 comments)
In the two years since we moved into this house, we've occasionally been visited by a wandering cat. It's been known to explore our garage, peer into screen doors and go on its way. After we got cats of our own, Mel talked about how nice it would be for the cat to stop by and make friends with ours. They'd sniff through the screen, look at each other, and be happier for the encounter. At the time, I figured it was best not to shoot down mel's pleasant fantasy with the reality of what happens when cats meet for the first time.
Yesterday, that reality made itself known. I'd opened the front and back doors to get a breeze moving through the house. That also allows the cats an easy view (and smell) of the front yard, so they gather to watch the rabbits, cars, chipmunks, birds, and people. I was on the couch watching the new episode of House (or maybe Veronica Mars) when I heard something cat-sized impact the front screen door. The impact was immediately followed by a stream of yowling from at least two cats. I paused the TiVo and got up to investigate. The aforementioned wandering cat was outside the door and Wash and Kaylee were going crazy. I shooed everyone away, closed the door, and went back to my television.
I thought that was the end of things, but our cats like to watch the outside world from other windows and doors. One of their favorites is just off the kitchen (not always featuring fake HDR):
Around midnight, I woke up to the sound of an angry cat. I went downstairs to find Wash sitting in that window with the other cat outside. I closed all of the first-floor windows and went back to bed. It wasn't until the morning that I noticed that the screen was torn up in paw-shaped patterns:
When Mel woke up this afternoon and saw the damage, she wasn't pleased:
Melanie: it was cute until he started trying to EAT MY KITTENS>
Melanie: now it's war.
She called animal control, and they've left us with a nice trap:
I'll be sure to update if we catch anything.