Cat Calls

Our cat Rocky can sit for hours with eyes like slits as he dozes and watches the backyard at the same time. He is used to seeing the birds at the feeders and he will rise on occasion if he spots one of his own kind trespassing and let out what I have come to believe is his "hi, I'm a cat too" meow, as if the other cat can hear him. (Who knows, maybe there is some frequency we can't hear?).

So, as I was watching TV this evening, I was surprised to hear a new cat call from Rocky. This one was more defensive rather than friendly. Kind of half excited, half scared. We usually keep the motion detector lights off on the back deck so as not to offend our neighbors, but I turned them both on to see what Rocky might be so excited about. Nothing. I didn't see a thing. I went back to watch the end of Numbers and here came Rocky on a fast trot to the kitchen patio door with that same meow of "Alert!  I see something".

I got up again and this time I could just make out a form in the backyard. It was the biggest mouse Rocky has ever seen! That's because it was an opossum! Wish I could have gotten a picture, but it trundled off before I could do so. I believe this one was eating seeds dropped from the bird feeders. Did you know there is a National Opossum Society? Neither did I.