Cat-and-Mouse

In many ways, Cammie is my most interesting cat. I think that may be due to her initial reluctance to trust me. I believe that has been overcome - and was, some time ago - but it has made hers a character that has been revealed only gradually. My other beasts are pretty much what you see.

Cammie has started to talk to her toys. I should clarify that she talks to one toy, the white and yellow fuzzy mouse. I first heard her one night while I was in the bedroom. She was making a moaning sound that began at medium pitch and descended; this was repeated numerous times. I thought it might be the first stage of throwing up; though it did not sound like Josie’s ‘wow-wow-wow-wow’ that presages vomiting, I could not think what else it may have been. I walked into the sitting room and found the princess crouched in front of the mouse. She ceased speaking to it when I entered.

This incident was replicated another evening. And then on a third, I found Cammie talking in a corner. This mildly concerned me, as I thought she may have retreated to isolation to be sick. I tested her by immediately lying down on my back, and patting my chest. She trotted over and crouched on my chest and started purring. She clearly was not feeling ill. After fifteen minutes or so, she left; that’s when I saw the fuzzy mouse, in the corner. She had trapped it and was taunting it.

Now when I hear the princess talking in such a way, I don’t disturb her. She is obviously carrying out some phase of her hunt, telling the mouse just what its role is in life. Tungsten taught me long ago that cats can pretend, even using their imaginations to conjure up prey, so it is hardly surprising that a cat can see a real mouse in a toy, and give it what-for. I was rather surprised that it was Cammie who did this, but then, in many ways, as I have written, she is my most interesting cat, and more surprises no doubt await me.