That Felix is largely nocturnal explains his very early morning interruptions of my sleep, I’ve decided. Generally he is shut out of the bedrooms for this reason. Sometimes he just wants to party and sometimes he brings in a rat.
Awoken this morning by the sound of angry blackbirds, I looked out the window to see him under attack, cringing and dodging as two blackbirds flew at him squawking angrily. I knew they had a nest in a nearby tree. I called him inside, thinking the birds had done a good job of defending their chicks.
Later, I found two little fledglings under the tree, dead; a cause of distress all day, for me and the blackbirds. “This is why I didn’t want a cat,” I grumbled to Mum. I manoeuvered the two little bodies onto a dustpan, disturbed by little movements they made and the presence of ants, and put them on the outdoor table so the watching, keening parent blackbirds could see they were beyond help – if they needed reminding. Then I buried the tiny bodies under the tree.
All day I thought of the months the blackbirds had spent setting up their territory, courting, building a nest, sitting on the eggs, feeding the chicks. I put pieces of fruit on the bird feeder to help them along and I enjoy their company in the garden – even when they scatter leaves over the drive. They are good at clearing out the guttering. This afternoon one was having a bath in the bird bath, along with some sparrows. And one sat in the kōwhai tree, looking accusingly through the window, I imagined.
Cats are obligatory carnivores according to the vet. And the instinct to hunt is strong. Perhaps that makes life simpler for them. Humans make life complicated and, probably, we are the only animals who can ‘change our stripes’ by reinventing ourselves. Stereotyping might work for cats, but humans – not so much. For example, I was surprised how gossipy boys are when I began working at a co-ed high school. Recently I was amused to be startled out of my prejudices on seeing some tough tattooed men glide into the shopping centre car park in an electric vehicle then walk up to the salad bar to order their lunch. But I can’t see Felix changing his ways. He is what he is and I just have to live with it. There’s a lot to like, of course, but the raw instincts can get you down.
Anne-O-tations 