You remember Gus, of course. He's the one eyed, brain damaged, slack jawed, drooling, overly matted, schizophrenic cat that we can't get into the house. A couple of years ago, he provided us with an interesting watch-through-the-window show.
We were sitting at the dining room table when I noticed Gus go into cat-stalk mode. He crept along the side of the milkhouse and pounced on something behind a bush. I started screaming, because I thought he had caught a bird. That would have left me with a dead bird, and everyone knows how I feel about that. I began making somev ery unusual noises that combined relief with fresh horror when I saw that what he had was not a bird, but a mouse. This was quite a feat for a cat that can't close his jaw, and therein laid the problem.
Since he couldn't clamp his jaws down to kill it, he found himself with a dilemma. I think even he must have realized that he really beat the odds to just catch it. So, what does a one eyed, slack jawed, schizophrenic cat do with a mouse that he can't kill? He takes it for a ride.
He circled the yard at least ten times with the mouse in his mouth. On his first trip past the dining room windows, we could see the mouse's tail flicking and hear it squealing inwhat we were sure was fear. I was full of the heebie-jeebies and made all kinds of ghastly sounds, myself. Each trip past the window resulted in the mouse being calmer and quieter. We weren't sure that it wasn't actually dead until Gus finally got tired of parading his prize around his domain . At this time, he stopped and released the mouse. It sat there for a second or two looking at Gus, then trotted away, unharmed. Gus watched him leave without issue.
We've often conjectured about the stories he had to tell when he made it back to the mouse hole. Not many mice get to experience a cat ride and live to tell about it.
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Comments: 62
lynn ~ I was amazed that he caught anything at all! We won't know how the bed under the porch is working until spring when we pull it and the heated mat out. We think he has a friend that he's snuggling up with under there. We've seen another feral cat eating his food and going under the porch. He only has half a tail. At least, we HOPE they're friends. I'd be so upset if this cat took over Gus' domain and left him in the cold.
Lyndon ~ The Teacup Ride ain't got nothin' over on Gus.
Apparently a couple weeks ago, Monster wanted to show his appreciation for her letting him go outside to play in the ravine and started bringing her birds and mice. He leaves them at the back door.... So my sister got the roommates together to show them what a "good boy" Monster is.... She then got Monster and put him next to his "present" and gave him treats to show him how much she appreciated the "present."
: )
Dan ~ I don't think you're familiar with my Gus stories. He's severely brain damaged and we were all just amazed that he could even CATCH the mouse.
This is the first Gus story I've read. I look forward to more.
Ina, my cats have to be the best fed felines in the neighborhood and they still like to bring home "gifts" from time to time! Ishtar loves birds... but she is kind in that she will eat all but the feathers, leaving me with feathers to clean up but none of the gory bits! Ishtar's uncle Tigger, who is no longer in residence, used to love to bring home squirrels! On occasion he would 'forget' to kill them so we'd have quite an adventure trying to "rescue" the poor squirrel before it was too severely damaged... pissed poor old Tigger off to no end... maybe that's why he moved out.
My cats usually limit their activities to insects, spiders and the occasional gecko.
I personally have an indoor kill record of 3 mice. My human did not appreciate the chases or the gifts of the dead mice. One of them she covered up before she had someone take it away and I had to drag the cover off. Talk about ungrateful! I wish there were more mice to chase.
Kathleen ~ I couldn't handle it if Gus did that on a regular basis. It's one of the many reasons I don't approve of having outdoor cats. (That sounds funny coming from Gus' mother, doesn't it?)
John ~ I never thought of it that way. He probably ended up on the Jerry Springer show, rather than Dr. Phil. And if he gets a book deal, I can say "I knew him when..."
Stephanie ~ Believe me, this isn't a natural thing for Gus. I keep forgetting how many new friends I have here who don't know his whole story.
Sara ~ Knowing Gus, I'm sure he forgot about it two seconds later.
Lyndon ~ Eeeeewwwwwwwww!!
Tonia ~ Good point. Although, I'm sure the release only came because he was tired and didn't know what else to do.
El Gato ~ I'm not talking to you.
Will be back later to give this the attention it deserves.
Lady, I was talking to Gus, not you. Since you don't let him write his own articles or comments anymore this is the only way I know to communicate with him.
Sheesh. Humans.
I suppose now you'll remove this comment, like those other bitches did. The feline discrimination here on Gather is outrageous.
I'm glad that poor ole Gus let the little critter go - he probably was just being kind. Wonderful story - I always enjoy reading about Gus. Have you given him cat nip lately? Buy the fresh kind from the feed store. He'll go crazy! Salud.
Karen ~ Gus can't kill anything. He only has one eye and can't close his mouth. He really is brain damaged and schizy. He would never think to beat anything on the ground until it was dead, because he doesn't function like normal cats. I've watched him try to catch everything from butterflies to birds to ants, and he just can't get it. He's lovable, but just not right.
Sue ~ Oh, believe me. I was screaming. I don't see him all that often lately; just enough to know he's still alive. I mentioned in a comment above, that I think he has another feral friend that may be snuggling in his little den with him. At least I hope they're sharing. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure that Gus would be the one on the outside of the den because he doesn't fight.
Cats have to learn to kill their prey. It's not instinctive. Our inside cats from a long line of inside cats are puzzled by live prey. They bat at bugs but, AFAIK, haven't eaten any. It's interesting to watch a confused cat watching a semi-stunned bug.
We did have one cat who knew how to hunt. He liked to drop birds on the bed at 4AM. He had a favorite window for fly catching, a small bay window with a wide sill. He'd scoop a fly into his mouth and let it buzz around for a while before swallowing it.
"I suppose now you'll remove this comment, like those other bitches did." So, what is it that you're saying about me? ;o) I only refer to our one conversation where you refused to reveal yourself. Nosy bitches need to know.
Mariana ~ If I gave Gus catnip, I'd have every feral cat for 5 blocks eating from his dish. We have to be very careful about when we give it to him, so we don't attract the masses. A lot of people think the beach is a great place to dump cats, so we have an abundance of them around here.
Hey, you're talking to me again! :-)
I will let nosy bitches know if and when I think the time is right. It's takes me a while to warm up to people.
John ~ Now, see? This is why I love you. You could have said he went after anything else, but you knew chicken pot pie was funnier.
El Gato ~ Hmmph.
EGG, don't listen to the negative humans. You're doing the right thing.
If I have to pick up the occassional roach exoskeleton or dump a gecko carcass, I appreciate that I don't have to face the alternative.
An indoor carcass would only result in me screaming, throwing a sheet over it and then waiting for Kevin to come home and do away with it for me.
Otis will sometimes play fetch, the cat rules version. He'll carry a toy mouse in his mouth and drop it on the couch. The human has to throw it for him. Then he'll play with it for a while and, if he feels like it, he'll bring it back to the couch. I think his record is 5 cycles. Sometimes he hops up on the couch thinking that he has a mouse and gets annoyed when the human doesn't throw it for him.
Nippy ~ I never realized that was the gift of prey from cats. Probably because my cat doesn't do it. That's okay. The d-o-g does it enough for both of them. She's really quite annoying with it.
The mice treated the former Gus-captive the same way we treat rednecks who claim they were abducted by UFOs. They just rolled their eyes and said, "Oh yeah, sure. That happened."
Still laughing about that - and John O's other comments.
I had a cat when my kids were young enough to need a babysitter. Meow (wasn't my choice of names!) was a very good hunter....and very, very determined to go outside... she ripped screens right out of windows and sorts scrabbled down the wall to get out....
StOOpid cat cost me a couple of good babysitters... one of them stepped on a dead - something or other ... last time we saw her! The other was a total wuss... Meow only brought her prezzies... least she didn't step on them!
This is what my human did (except she didn't wait for Kevin, she waited for another human). She also told me I was a good boy. I was confused.
I didn't like when she covered up the gift I left her so I dragged the cover off.
Like Nippy's cat, I used to fetch for my humans. My favorite thing to fetch when I was a kitten was a white plastic fork. The humans thought it looked like a bone in my mouth. They thought I was awesome. I got tired of amusing them and now only do it once in a while, with my sparkly puffy things. They are lazy, and if I don't bring it right to them, they don't throw it again.
I came from a shelter. I was the craziest kitten there. I have mellowed out.
Spike hasn't had anything to kill in years except the occasional moth. Sometimes I think I should bring a critter into the house as an enrichment activity, except I don't want to step on mouse guts with my bare feet in the middle of the night.
I now pledge to never take a day away from Gather again. No, that won't work. Ina must pledge to call me on the phone and alert me when she posts a Gus story in the future.
I love Gus. I love him as surely as I love my own.
El ~ Hmmph.
Kris ~ See how well you two are matched?
Bob ~ No, but if you hum a few bars...
Vicky ~ A NASCAR victory lap! I never thought about that. They both needed little jackets with stuff printed all over them.
Andrea ~ OK, that creeped me out. (I'll call you, but you have to call and remind me to, OK?)
Stephanie ~ I hear ya.
Apparently, a mouse has been teasing the heck out of her. It would appear while she watched TV and stand there making faces at her. Since she has bad knees, she could never get up fast enough to swing a broom at it. As soon as she moved from her chair, the mouse would walk slowly towards the wall, stop, look back at her as if saying "haha, can't catch me" and then disappear.
Anyway, as usual we did not stop at just one store. 14 bags later ( not including HERS) we went home just in time for dinner. I bought a bunch of post Christmas sale items, clothes (SIX new silk pairs of pajamas, I'm all set to Gather in my Pajamas, Vicky!), gift items, exotic food items... Same with my friend, she bought more than I did! .......but no mouse traps.
We used to have a mouse at work that was like that. (Yes, a mouse in the hospital.) We even had a contest to name it.
I went shopping today, too. I had a gift certificate for Kohl's and I needed a new purse. I spent tons. I bought new silverware, a pair of pants, 2 tops, new glassware, a dish drainer, lotion, Oil of Olay, some cards, a clock, a plant, some decorative doo dads, some picture frames...
Yeah. I was just going for a purse.
Ina, the question is... did you find a purse???
Duckie ~ Yes! I actually found about 8, but narrowed the choice down to 1.
Keep taking your meds. I'm looking forward to you being all that you can be again.