Mouser mousing

Finally we got some rain. Quite refreshing. The lawn was begging for some drops, manifesting its will by turning a lightish brown/gingery colour.
I haven't had a peek at the water tank, but I imagine it will not turn to cement powder just yet.
Mouser has been out and about, surprisingly, during the intermittent showers.
Just before I headed out to bed I opened up the front door to see if Velvet Claws™ was going to join us.
There was a flash of fur and then it stopped mid-way down the hall.
I flicked on the light switch and lo and behold: It had rescued a fluffy friend from drowning.

I saw a mouse scurry round and head into the living room.
Of course it hid under the first available book shelf. Mouser was poking about trying to coo the rodent from under there, to no avail.
It ran into the study and I closed the door.
Dr Livingstone came out to help catch it and we moved some furniture about.
Mice tend to walk along walls and never straight across open spaces.
I had been in a similar situation a couple of years ago in the old house. To jog your memories: see my blog entries Cat & Mouse & Human Game and Got Him!
I though this was going to take hours.

But to my own surprise I caught the little bugger at the first attempt, although it did try to bite me. I had to hold the plastic container down because it just moved the whole thing across the floor while under it.
I relocated the mouse to the doorstep and it disappeared into the night.
Needless to say, teh Kitteh was still hovering around the bookcase looking for its playmate.

My life: an update

Tons of excuses.
I haz dem.

It's been a wild couple of months. I've been living according to following rhythm:
Sleep - get up - be amazing - sleep

Lot's of things have happened over here.
1) We had a digger in the garden to scrape away the paving around the house that was causing wet patches to emerge on the walls. It looks like a nuclear testing site now. They've not finished and they'll have to come back after their holidays.
We've worked out a scheme to remodel the garden. It will get rid of all the stupid things that have been planted by the people who lived here before and will reduce the maintenance work.
When the big digger was working in another part of the garden I heard little squeaky noises. I managed to trace the source: lo and behold: it was a little nest of mice!
They were entangled in a bush that had been removed. I replanted part of the bush and then covered them with some dry moss to shelter them from sun and Mouser.
Kitteh heard it too, but didn't seem to interested.
In the evening I did see mum or dad roaming around. The day after they were gone. This could mean two things: they were moved or they were eaten. The ground didn't look disturbed so I'm hoping for the former.

Anyway, I haven't been doing any weeding, raking or pruning as I thought they would clear away everything a little earlier.
It is now a complete and utter wilderness. It's very depressing.

2) We managed to find some people thought the intertubes that wanted to pay us to have the hideous electric blinds removed.
They needed to go because we're going to re-do the outer walls. So the ugly things have finally gone and we didn't have to do anything.

3) I finished up some exams in June, all went well, passed with flying colours. I'm still working on my paper. I managed to move the deadline forward. I need to take two exams in August/September because I wasn't able to take them the first time due to lack of time.
Work has been keeping Dr Livingstone and myself überbusy. With no time for fun and games.

4) We did manage to sneak away for two days. We visited the abbey of Himmerod in Germany.
I even bumped into a genuine Cistercian monk in the church, who greeted me on his way to prepare everything for mass.
It was a nice weekend full of Hefeweizenbeer, schnitzels and some very lovely abbey beer.
They're not trappists like the Cistercians here in Belgium, but they've got a trout farm, eco vegatables and honey.

5) The wasps nest in the spy hole in the front door had to be removed, alas. It was all hunky-dry when there was only four wasps there, building their little hive, minding their own business.
But then it was pretty warm for some weeks and I could see every hole was filled up with larvae.
Two weeks ago suddenly there were about twelve or more wasps there and every time I opened up the door they swarmed out protectively. But they were getting nervous and aggressive amongst themselves. So we decided to remove them.

6) We've got some gooseberries in the garden! Hurrah! Dr Livingstone: twenty of them in yoghurt would be very tasty. Alas the stalk is only yielding about ten berries at the moment. But still. The garden had brought forth something. Once the front has been cleared, I'm planting a whole row of the things. I want to walk through the garden and pick fruits of everything.
The cherry tree had some cherries on them, but most of them have been eaten by birds or the ones on them are not ripe yet. They do look a delicious kind of bright red already, but they were as sour as a lemon.

7) Mouser had some dealings with a weasel that it had brought in from god knows where. We managed to set it free two times so it could run away and escape. The darn thing didn't do much escaping. It just hid under a nearby bush and stayed put. We kept Mouser indoors for an hour or two, but once out it headed straight for the bush.

8) Our neighbour (the one who believes in UFO's) had been giving us lots of vegetables from his garden. We've been showered with salad, beetroot, fennel, some kind of cabbage, a couple of kilograms of big potatoes and a weekly box of freshly laid eggs.
We don't really know what to give him in return.

There's loads more, but back to work for now!

Book worms mice

I made my way to yet another faculty library to get some books -well, duh- for my paper. Looks like they haven't been read much at all over the past 100 years. They're the type that has pages that had to be sliced open before you could start readig.
The sides look like there have been mice at it.

Mousermind

I wonder what Mouser is dreaming about in her Mastermind Chair. Is it thinking of green pastures where we used to live? Is it dreaming about that other black cat it saw out of the window yesterday evening?

Moving (7)

We're still in the progress of moving. This seems to be taking for ever. We're both nackered. Dr Livingstone is working his fingers to the bone on jobs around the country (and further beyond) and I'm still struggling to get a paper finished by the Monday deadline.
We've shifted most of our stuff, yesterday one truckload of my books arrived here.
That was a fine back breaker.
Here's a 'before' picture when they were still in our old place.

This is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
The bookcase arrived yesterday as well, it is still in an embryonic phase at the moment.
First it needs to be fixed to the wall before we can start assembling the sliding doors and I can start re-organizing my books.
Luckily I labeled all the boxes, but some books got mixed in with others when one or two boxes gave way under the weight of the contents. I hope not too many of them got scratched or torn.

Mouser seems to be doing OK. It's quite a change since kitteh usually goes on long unescorted hunts for hours on end. Now I have to feed her a couple of times a day and go on exploring runs with Mouser on a leash.
The cat toilet I bought has been used frequently, so that is going swell.
Mouser even staged a little Houdini-scèance earlier in the week. It was dark and we were out next to the stables, when I felt the leash going upwards. It had climbed a tree (not unusual), but the four-legged feline had gotten the leash caught behind a branch and had fallen and was hanging in the cat harness. I had to let go of the leash and kitteh darted off into the darkness. Panic seized me.

Dr Livingstone arrived home and flipped on all the lights in the garden. I was searching frantically for Mouser, calling, I thought it'd sped off to god knows where. Then suddenly Dr Livingstone called out: She's here! She's waiting outside the door to get in!
Just fancy that! Good kitteh! I'm so proud. It is a good start if Mouser recognizes where we live and flees to the house for safety.

Adventures in Cat Sitting (Finale)

My adventures in cat sitting came to an end on Wednesday evening as the Bartman and Shanghai Lilly returned from La Douce France.
They showed up on the doorstep to collect the key for the back door. I got a little present for my troubles. Two heart shaped smooth stones with Chinese inscriptions on them. One translates into 'Love' and the other 'Friendship'.
More tat but a nice gesture. A bottle of French plonk would have gone down nicely too.
So a quick update on how the rest of the cat sitting went:
* I ran out of cat food on day six. This could only mean either of two things: 1) I'd been feeding them too much. 2) They didn't buy enough before they went. I was quickly reassured when our Chinese friend reprimanded the Bartman by letting out a short but sharp 'See!'.
* I had to tell them about the big dead rat I had to clear away. The cats had been gnawing on it for a day or two, but it became nauseating, so I got rid of it and chucked it somewhere in their garden. I hope it has fully decomposed before they start looking for it.
* They were surprised at the fact that the two kittens have switched to solids. And I very clearly told them they need to take the mother kitteh to the vet to have it treated, because they'll have another bunch of kittens if they don't.
* The two little'ns were very active the last couple of days and had gotten used to me, my voice and my shoes. The specled one even tried to crawl up my leg to reach my lap. Which was rather painful, as I was wearing shorts at the time.
Dr Livingstone is glad I don't have to give them noms any more. He has a thing with cats. Can't stand them. Knee jerk reaction. I suspect trauma from a previous marriage.
But he loves Mouser. And Mouser loves him. Kitteh even brings him fresh hare straight from the field. And puts it right in front of the workshop. As a treat. Very thoughtfull, but very scary to find a decapitated hare on your doorstep.
Well, better than finding a decapitated horse in your bed anyway.

Doorstep delivery

Mouser is going out hunting again. I haven't given it the fancy tinned cat food it has been enjoying the past two weeks. Kitteh turned up sporting a fresh field mouse. The butcher delivering fresh meat on the doorstep is not something of times long past.

Tomouser

So Mouser had been moonlighting across the road. And now it seems our Little Rodent Terror has given Mr Moleslayer's™ wife a bit of a fright. They have a greenhouse bordering on one side of our garden. As she was inside the glass paned shelter, Mouser emerged from underneath her tomatoes and it freaked her out.
Apparently Mouser'd made a cosy little corner there for kitteh afternoon naps. I'd often wondered on rainy days when it'd been out all day and then turn up on our doorstep feeling all dry, warm and fluffy.
They needn't complain, it's been doing overtime on rodent control now.
I think we are entitled to at least half of the crops in that veg shed.

Wink wink nudge nudge

I've never had a mouse wink at me.
I suppose there has to be a first time for everything.

The Other Boleyn Bird

Mouser has been beheading quite a few birds.
For no reason.
Historic or other.
And then leaving them for us to admire and praise.
Leave the wrens alone, Mouser.
Get with the mice!
Sick 'em, Mouser! Sick!

Red Bats with Teeth

Not exactly red bats with teeth. More of a soft reddish-brown with a black snub nose. But I always think of the Angelo Badalamenti track from Lost Highway if I think of bats. So I had to slip in the movie reference.

Holy reference, Batman!

I couldn't sleep as the sun was just about to rise and I saw an awful lot of bats out and about when I looked out the window. There are at least five (that is the highest number of critters I managed to fit in 1 picture, but I'm sure there's a lot more of them. They don't exactly keep still to have their picture taken in mid flight. Mouser was outside too and saw them fluttering in the early dawn. Kitteh stared and looked puzzeled: "Flying mice? Whatever next?"

Holy puzzle, Batman!

I made a small collage of some bats I managed to snap. Me thinkst they are all Pipistrellus pipistrellus.
They are those small, dark shapes fluttering about around dusk all year round. They have a quick, rather jerky flight pattern that makes the bat's small size (3.5-5 cm and 27-30 cm wingspan) very obvious. So these are the guys you'll most probably see when you're washing down those nicely grilled sausages with a beer on the patio when the charcoal is already cooling down and the sun has just set but there is still enough light not to trip over the parasol stand.

Holy barbecue, Batman!

My little garden book says:
Breeding takes place between August and November. A male has up to 10 females to breed with, but fertilization is put on hold until the following April. The female them gives birth to one youngster in June or July.

That is amazing.

When Dr Livingstone gets back I want to go and have a look at the attic. Maybe we can see them hanging in the rafters or something while they're asleep.

To the batcave!

Panic Stations

I woke up yesterday and Mouser was still fast asleep on top of the dresser. I went over for a little cuddle. Velvet Claws stirred and then I saw its poor little eye. He held it fast and it was all watery around the edges . It'd been indoors all night so if anything had happened it would have been just before Kitteh came in for the night and its eye had gotten worse during.
Rang the local vet, but he'd only be in after seven in the evening. That was too long a wait. I called round and found a vet in the nearby city and they were open for busines. Good. Mr Mole Slayer™ was out and about trimming his hedges and I asked him if he had a carrier case of some kind I could use. He didn't. Their dog barely fits in the boot of a car. I don't think they make carrier cases that big.
So now a problem stared me in the face: How do I get Mouser there? It's never been in a box, in a car or to a vet.
I had to prepare this very carefully. Cat was still asleep so I could slip into my clothes, get the car door, fold one of those removal boxes and get some heavy duty tape ready.
Getting the cat in the box was easy. He thought I wanted to play a game. Before Mouser could snap out of his amazement I folded down the sides and taped it shut. A few times. It didn't hold very well. Kitteh was not amused. I had laid down it's blanket, so it had something familiar smelling with it in the box, but that didn't seem to keep it calm.
He started clawing at the holes where you usually put your hands to carry the box. I could see some whiskers and claws poking out at times, poor thing was in a desperate struggle to break out of its cardboard prison.
I put the box on the passenger seat. Wails of terror arose. It was only a ten minute drive, but long enough for me and Mouser. On the drive over there the Escape From Alcatraz acts ensued, at one time it'd managed to sneak a paw out of the top of the box.
The very friendly doctor saw Mouser straight away. It was time to open Pandora's box. Mouser didn't budge. Cat looked up in amazement when the top was folded open.
Who was that?
Where am I?
Do I smell dog wee?
Why are my paws sweaty?
A drop of sedative in the eye, some yellow colouring, an observant vet: I'm afraid it's got a tear in its cornea.
Mouser didn't like the sound of that, nore the goo that was being rubbed into it.
She then went on to examine Kitteh. I don't know why Mouser looked so weird. Was it the eye drops or the sight of the rectal thermometer? Yearly inoculation. Velvet Claws was being very cooperative and didn't claw, hiss or bite.
Mouser was lifted back in the box, we taped it shut and twenty minutes later I was back home releasing the poor little sod that had been whimpering from start to finish. Last leg of the journey it had been a bit quieter, I think it peed in the box, the blanket was a bit damp.
Kitteh didn't run away when I let it out, it kinda stared at me and at the garden, completely flabbergasted at seeing some familiar surroundings. But that was only the start of the real adventure! Oh yes! I still have to treat her for 10 to 14 days. Make sure it heals properly and it doesn't get worse. And how do I do that you may well ask?
Ointment. Yes. 4 times a day in the eye. Yes, In a CAT's eye, FOUR times a day.
We're at day two now, Mouser doesn't like it, but it's not having a go at me. Which is good. Yesterday evening Cat was on the bed, I gave it the pommage and it made some noise, but went back to sleep in the wink of an eye (geddit?).
Mouser had not left the vicinity of the house or garden all day, I think it's vision was a bit blurred and cat was still a bit shaken, not stirred, by the catnapping I had subjected it to earlier. Poor kitteh must have been knackered, it fell asleep the moment it had huddled itself in the firefox formation. I saw it breathe very hurriedly and move all of its velvety claws and whiskers as if it was still trapped inside the box in its dream.
Mouser seems ok today, it even brought me back a mouse in the evening. Hope all goes well and it heals up nicely.

The Mouse Problem

O hi! I was just looking for that Monty Python DVD.
You know, the one with The Mouse Problem sketch on it?

The Tom and Jerry Routine

We're all familiar with the Elvis impersonators. Once you've seen one you've seen them all.
Even if they don't resemble The King in the slightest possible sense, there is always something to recognize him by: gelled hair, fancy costume, quivering knees.
The internet is rampant with cat owners claiming their cat, when running around answering one of the calls of nature (no, not that one, I mean chasing mice), is doing the old Tom and Jerry routine. Well pooh with nobs on to all of them !
I think Mouser has come closest so far into emulating the dynamic cat and mouse duo that once graced the silver screen a good six decades ago.
I caught Mouser and his unnamed sidekick in the act of imitation this afternoon. And you know how the saying about practice goes.
Rehearsals are going a bit slower than expected because Mouser keeps eating his little rodent friend. Two scenes are being rehearsed at the moment, you will all be treated to a little sneak preview below:

The first is a moment taken from 'Sordid Serenade' from 1946. Mouse's tail is nearly perfect, Mouser needs to work on the 'show more claws' bit. And his whiskers are pointing down. They should point up. But otherwise a very good effort. No room for improvisation.

The second one is a little action taken from 'Puss Gets The Boot', 1940. The resemblance is uncanny. See how he cleverly steps on mouse's tail so it can't move? Mouse needs to look as though it is trying harder to run away. Mouser looks like he's miles away, should adopt a more smug expression, like Jasper.
But a good effort nonetheless and I found it most entertaining. Keep up the good work boys and don't forget:
Practice makes purrrfect!

-Sorry. I just had to slip that in-

The Godfather Routine

Thank you Mouser for providing us with our daily Godfather routine. This reminds me of a cool gadget. The Horse head pillow.

"The horse head plush™ is the perfect reminder of the mistake they once made in wronging you, or for someone who just needs a good shaking up.
Everyone knows somebody that deserves one of these, and really, at the end of the day, we're just flogging a dead horse here anyway, so just buy one!"

Ratty slain

Mouser has been playing good kitty today. It just showed up on the kitchen doorstep with the remnants of a successful hunt. The hunting game ended in the premature death of an Arvicola terrestris or water vole. I thought it was a rat at first. It is rather big for something resembling a mouse. But apparently it is just that. A big mouse. I took a quick snap before Mouser started to nibble at rodent head.
Ratty is no more. The Wind In The Willows character was a water vole and not a rat. Hence the confusion.

Tight corners

Cats do not fit in tight corners. Mice however... Velvet Claws brought me a specimen when I was soaking up some sun today. And let it go to play a bit. And then... Mouser couldn't reach. The mouse hid behind one of the wheels of a container. I think kitty got bored after half an hour. That or the sun got too hot on its black fur.

If I can't bring it indoors...

... I'll just have to eat it outdoors. And bleed all over the floor in front of the door. And spill some guts around too. Neener neener. You just try and stop me Mrs B. Even if there are gale force winds today.

Catcam

The cat cam rOOlz! 

Got him!

We've caught the little bugger and set it free in the garden (see picture: Taken when I just set it down on the grass). Poxy rodents. Apodemus sylvaticus or the long tailed field mouse as it is commonly know. I let Mouser into the living room this morning and -as cats do- started to look for the bloody thing. Nothing found. So I did a bit of studying and Mouser came and joined me on my lap. I heard some creaking noises from the printer (I thought our 'guest' had crawled into the paper tray. No such luck. Then a couple of hours later after Mouser had finished a beauty sleep it set off on patrol again. Mousecatcher made some noise telling me it had found the cheeky thing. And lo and behold! It had clambered up some wires and hid under an other printer. The little rascal was all worn out. It had peed and pooped right there. I gather it has eaten a printer chip that was just lying there and has gotten a case of the indigestion. Not the only one having trouble stomaching these outrages prices being charged for original printer cartridges. Anyway, I secured the mouse under a plastic container (Tupperware rules!), slid a hard cover under it and released it back into the garden. It didn't want to move a lot. It does still blink its big black eyes and turn its cute little ears. So I tried to make it scuttle towards some leaf covering. It did just that. I'm glad it's out of the house. Who knows what disgusting diseases and fleas it has brought with it. Mouser is settling down again. We're starting on Jacques Daret in a moment.