Things cats drag in…

I have always held the firm belief that it is not we who have cats. Cats have us. According to Wikipedia the domesticated cat stems from no more than 5 self -domesticated desert cats. I wonder who the woman was who took the time and effort to befriend them. Did she live in a tent? A cave? a mudhouse? Did she just find herself with a litter of cats recently born, their mother disappeared, or was it the mothercat herself choosing to trust this strange biped?

Uh, oh, well… Who can resist a bunch of kittens? Suprise  party came up… whaddado but love them?

Mummy Snapper found an unconventional mate – a wild card, a wild cat: a bit unexpected, perhaps, but then, again, hey: I am not one to complain! There is space in the bush! And I like their company! She did a great job rising them.

Mummy Snapper enjoying the warm light of sunset.

Well, back to the unknown lady: She, whoever she was,  must have had a way around her husband as well to avoid him clubbing the dear little creatures for an easy meal when hunting was down. Did he strike a bargain with the darling little things to bring in surplus protein as a bribe in tolling time? Or is that just part of how cats are from natures side? That they share? I am starting to be inclined to believe the latter.

This is one of the newest additions to the things the cats brought in to their pet (me). Carried nicely into the studio, promptly put down and of course “played with” on my favourite Maroccan kelim carpet under the drawing table, I could not resist to promptly rescue the poor thing as it was still in relatively good health; so, here it is:

…it was just too cute, sorry girls…

This might be an African Zebra Mouse: they live in kinship groups and are quite social. It could, however, also be -  according to Jeannine McManus from Sout Africas Wildcliff foundation (big thank you for your friendly note to my request!) an African Field mouse. If this is the same specie only with a different common name  has not been entirely verified yet. No worries. This little darling looks very young: is it not something about the eye/head/ear dimensions that suggests it? Also it was quite without resistance when I took it up and it stayed in my hand for the photo session. More mature animals sometimes resist a bit if and need to be caught in a firmer yet gentle way.

Well, the cats need to be fed…

Oops, that was indeed a slightly larger relative of the ones in my house but even this one dragged her… well, meal at this time of the victims life, closer to and not away from us… 

Krhm… back a kilometer or so to my domestically blissed world…

As mentioned in the last post Kitamu is the hunting master (hunting madam?) of the family. Being half wild perhaps it goes with the type: I have been amazed by her snatching huge spiders, bugs and other protein- rich… well …things... I am certain her  larger relatives is not above that sort of addition to their diets either… However I never expected to find myself glimpsing up from my work at the easel at the studio to find this sight quickly moving towards my feet:

Mmmwhoops!…

Jumped a bit there but the photo opportunity was just too good to miss although the photo itself is not great…

I hoped it was a grass snake and had somehow thought of giving it a go for the outdoors but I could not entirely get my head around how to catch it safely if it was of one of the 42 poisonous types we have around… meaning, well, to put it blunt, with means of defense above what my kitcen kabinet could give as relief… and since no avaliable tools was ready at the moment: painting brushes and cameras are, after all, for other types of hunting… I kind of just, well, backed up a little bit…

No, no, no, sorry, me, I am  NOT mummy!!! sorry!!! can not help you right now!!

The poor thing was up at a fight to everything – or was it looking for relief? I dont know! I have to admit I just said to it: “Sorry! But you might be one of those things that just get so scared and all, that they bite regardless of my intention, so I think I will just stand on this step for a while and see how you manage to fend for yourself until I figure it all out better…”

Mmm. well.  It went as it had to. Cat got addition to dinner, self caught way that day… Nothing left than a small stain of blood on the studio floor… and I definitely got some of the closest to a snake I have ever been during my 6 years in the bush…

Thats all for today folks, and so the story ends… for now!

Thank you for reading!