CRUELTY (14 july 2004)
Terrible atrocities are taking place at our home. No, please don't call the police.
We were still up by midnight, when we heard squeaking noises -- sounding like poorly oiled pram wheels.
Since about fifteen years we haven't had any babies about the house. So no prams can be expected to cross our living-room.
But suddenly I discovered where the noise came from: Siepie had caught a mouse!
Before you start believing there is a lot of blood in the picture above -- the red stuff is no more than a red shopping-bag.
But the greyish thing you see on it (its tail held by Siepie's paw) is definitely a mouse.
I don't know if you've ever seen a cat playing with a mouse. But if a dog is man's best friend, then a mouse is definitely the cat's best toy.
Sometimes, the cat behaves as if the mouse is not even there. Then the cat suddenly grabs its prey and plays with it in a passionate kind of enthusiasm, often tossing it up in the air.
Although this is not a sight to be expected in the average living-room, I don't like to end Siepie's play.
So as long as the mouse doesn't smear blood all over the floor, I'll allow Siepie to continue its play.
If you think this is cruel, then consider that for the last hour or so Siep has been playing with a dead mouse.
But please don't call the police.
