Saturday, May 16, 2009

Mr. Snugglebutt - The Mighty Hunter

We have two cats - Mr. Snugglebutt and Mittens. (We also have a dog, Flower Power Rosie - aka Crackhead.) Mr. Snug we got from over by my husband's Mamaw's house. Flower is the grand-daughter of the first dog we had in Kentucky. Mittens is a cat left by one of our neighbors when they moved out - leaving about a dozen dogs and half as many cats. I figured out why Mittens adopted us ... she's expecting kittens (any minute now).

But I digress...

Mr. Snugglebutt is a superb mouser; what I didn't know is that he will take on just about anything.

Several weeks ago I was on the back porch when he came trotting up with a live small rabbit in his mouth. The rabbit was still struggling. I was horrified and, not thinking, I picked Snug up by the scruff of the neck and squeezed her jaws (gently but firmly) until he had to let the rabbit go. It then hopped off the porch and started running like c-r-a-z-y from a rare (and maybe first and only) time that Flower and Snug worked together for a common goal other than frustrating the begeezies out of each other.

Last night I was sitting in the bedroom with my 12 yr old DS1 and 6 yr old DD. We were watching an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, when we heard something THUD against the side of the house. We have a window a/c unit (that unfortunately has some space on the side). I say unfortunately, because it was apparently enough space for Snug to jump through (from the ground about 7-8' below...with a very much NOT alive squirrel in his mouth! I screamed, yelled "EWWW," and drew my feet up on the bed. My daughter buried her head in my side. My son yelped, "Cool," and ran to proclaim Snug's mighty feat to his father, making sure to mention the bloody entrails. *shudder*

I made DH deal w/the squirrel.

When DS1 gave the cat the name "Mr. Snugglebutt", I tried to persuade him to choose another, reasoning that "all the other neighborhood cats would snicker at him". I think Snug figured he had something to prove ... and I haven't noticed one neighbor cat messing with him! *lol*

Just another day in the country...