Sunday, March 29, 2009

Eyeing the Intestines

A few nights ago I was amazed to discover a pile of viscera in the middle of my carpet. There were intestines, and a miniature liver, and other little bits and pieces all tucked inside that I couldn't really see.

My first thought was that Zsa Zsa had finally started vomiting up her own entrails, but these were far too small to have come from a cat. They were...mouse size.

As far as I know this is the sixth mouse that Zsa Zsa has caught. As though to express the changeability of her moods, every mouse is devoured in a totally different way; the first was left totally uneaten, the second was swallowed in a single gulp, the third was chewed and savoured in a leisurely way, the fourth was bitten into two pieces with only the top half eaten, the fifth was entirely devoured except for a tiny back foot...

...but this is the first time she's eaten everything BUT the entrails, which seems strange to me; why would she favour the fur and bones and tail, but leave the "choice bits" behind?

I wonder if there isn't some truth to that half-baked idea that cats sometimes treat humans as really useless kittens. Maybe Zsa Zsa left a pile of juicy mouse-organs for me because she thought I'd appreciate them, and she knows I could never catch a mouse if my life depended on it.

Even stranger, however, was how CLEAN and SELF-CONTAINED the viscera was. I've always assumed that such things were sticky and messy and gelatinous, but not THESE mouse guts; they were damp but coherent, a whole entity unto themselves, almost as though they could pull themselves back together and saunter off into the night.

I think it's wonderful that Zsa Zsa -- who now resembles Death's Own Pussycat -- still has the vigour to stalk, capture, and eat the resident mice.

5 comments:

Jody Dvorak said...

maybe zas zas sees you as a classically conservative kitten

Joshua said...

I've missed your tales of lore, Muffy! What a treat to return and find such a touching story of your feline friend ... and the gift she left behind.

On a separate note, I must ask if you've taken on the joys of tweeting via Twitter? As one who appreciates concise, witty banter, I would find your participation in this burgeoning microblog service completely natural.

Best wishes, and may your life continue to be blessed with surprise morsels!

Gary said...

Perhaps Zsa Zsa wanted you to read the entrails (like they did many centuries ago to predict the future).

She certainly keeps you on your toes, and is never boring. What a clever cat!

Adam Thornton said...

Joshua, there you are! Nice to hear from you again! It seemed like your blog gradually stopped being updated...

Hmmm, Twitter. I do like concise and witty banter, but I MUCH prefer a fleshed-out idea. Twitter is just too bite-sized to grab me, and I also don't have a cel phone or the joyful feeling of interconnectedness that Twitter seems to foster.

And thanks for the link! I hope all is well in the world of Minnesota...

Adam Thornton said...

The "entrail reading" did occur to me, but if that's what it takes to know the future then I'd rather NOT know. :)