Quiet as a Mouse

I had the weekend alone and took full advantage of it. I spent most of today and Friday curled up at home, reading, knitting, and watching episode after episode of the Big Bang Theory. I bought Season One at Half Price Books and spent most of today catching up on the episodes that I'd missed. On Saturday I met my parents out at the park for a very, very chilly walk (think 3 degrees) and then went to the home show in the afternoon. After a very nice dinner with my dad I went home and curled up for more reading. I hardly had time to miss Jeff (although I did).

Jeff came home today and took a nap shortly after getting home. The cat had been pestering me wanting to go out into the garage. Normally I'll let her out into the garage and just leave the door cracked. She can come in when she's ready. It drives Jeff crazy but it gives me some peace and quiet time when I don't have to feel guilty for not playing with her constantly. I opened the door, grabbed a glass of water and went back to my knitting and Big Bang. I heard the door push open and saw the cat run upstairs. Then she ran back down and stopped in front of me. I glanced at her and noticed that she had one of her mouse toys in her mouth. I went back to knitting. She sat in front of me patiently. And like it is in so many sitcoms, the truth slowly came to me.

It was only a minute or two that I realized that none of her mouse toys have legs and most of them have lost their tails by now. What the cat actually had was a mouse. A living breathing mouse. I sat up and looked at her. She sprang up. The moment I started towards her she booked it upstairs. Ohh game time, she must have thought. I just thought about getting her back into the garage. Or at least into a spot where I could catch the mouse and take it back outside. She went upstairs and immediately lost the mouse on our bedroom floor. I was just in time to see it run away and hide in a pair of shoes that were left on the floor. I started picking up the shoes gingerly and the mouse made a break for it, with the cat right on it heels. Jeff, who had woken with the noise, caught it in a bucket. I took it back outside and released it down by the creek. I watched it hop away toward the creek, undamaged but frightened. It'll live to fight another day. The cat was shocked that we had taken out its toy but was placated with treats. She is after all just trying to provide us with food. I petted her and told her that she's a good kitty. But I don't think she'll get to go out in the garage again. I don't want anymore animal surprises.