The Unaccountable Story of the Cat in the Nighttime

The latest kill

It was a dark, overcast night - no moon or stars - and the rain that had provided a constant drumbeat on the tin roofing over the bathroom had finally let up.  Yet I was awake.  Swish - Rustle.  There it was again.  Glancing around my surroundings with a dim headlamp and groggy eyes I didn't see anything.  Maybe it was outside.  I switched off the light and tried to ignore the sound.  Swish - Rustle - Mrow.  "Hey Memphis."  I mummered still wanting to go back to sleep.  Then she made it clear that she'd caught something and was going to be playing with it under the bed.  The headlamp went back on so I could investigate.  "No birds!" I yelled at the cat as I smashed through the tangle of mosquito netting to grab Memphis' latest kill: a mynah bird.  "Good Memphis," I muttered before grabbing the bird and throwing it out the door to the bathroom which was slightly ajar.  I have no problem with the cat killing things - even birds - especially if they're Mynah birds - the rats of the winged world - but I thought I'd made it clear on previous occasions that captured birds - dead or alive - were not to be brought inside.  I HATE cleaning up feathers.  Memphis hadn't gotten the message though and ran to bring the bird back in.  I tried shutting her out - as if that had ever worked.  She climbed the woven bamboo walls and entered where the walls don't quite meet the thatched roof.  She's not as good at getting out of the house, though, and before she'd gotten to the ground I stole her prize (again) and tossed it out the front door and shut that and the side door.  This ensured that the bird would stay outside for a little while at least and I went back to sleep - about midnight.

Cat and Mouse

Later I heard little bones being crunched by vicious feline jaws.  I investigated but it wasn't the bird.  It was a small or medium sized rat - perfectly acceptable.  I'm not sure of the size as I could see only half of the rodent.  It looked like it had been chopped in half with only the hindquarters and tail remaining.  This part would be gone, too, by morning.  I went back to sleep.

Cat and Rat

At 5:30 I was woken again - not by the dawn - it gets light around six this time of year.  Headlamp lit, once again, I found the mynah bird has made another appearance.  Jumping up (again) I planted my foot right on the top of the rat nose.  For some reason this part doesn't appeal to feline tastes and I have to discover the noses and throw them out.  My least favorite method of discovery is by stepping on one.  Gross.  I grabbed a kleenex, scooped up the nose and the bird and tossed them out the door.  The trick, though, doesn't work twice.  As soon as I returned from the bathroom I found the bird back inside.  This sort of behavior calls for drastic measures.  I grabbed the bird by it's ugly yellow legs and marched down to the beach, Memphis running along beside me - wailing and attacking my feet.  I waded into the surf and threw the stupid, dead, ugly, nasty mynah as far from shore as I could.  I turned back to see an utterly shocked Memphis waiting by the patch to the house.  Maybe she's finally understanding the "NO BIRDS" rule.  Somehow I doubt it.

A rat nose

Well by then it was almost time to get up.  I put on the coffee.



NOTE:  Memphis is a hunter cat.  That's why I got her - to rid my house of rats.  And it worked.  Memphis kills mice, rats, birds, lizards, moths and even giant spiders the size of tarantulas but spindlier.  She doesn't kill geckos or frogs or chickens.  She has been known to attack cockroaches.  This is handy whenever I have any disgusting creatures as I can sick my attack cat on them.  It is, however, distressing when she brings home the baby rats - or maybe they're just some small kind of mouse - as they squeal and squeak as she plays with them.  Also kind of gross is when the lizards she brings in drop their tails under your feet.  They look like small wriggling worms.  Despite her vicious nature, I have become quite attached to my furball princess and am wondering what her fate will be when I leave Fiji in 14 months.  If you want a Fiji kitty, let me know and I'll bring her back for you.  Surely if I left her here she wouldn't starve - but who would cuddle with her?