On Holiday, Day 3 - Kitty is Growing Up

My main reason for taking this 2 week holiday in London (other than the typical rest and relaxation) is to cat sit 2 adorable young felines.

Suki

And Tom (cat)



They are two very affectionate, cuddly young cats. I think they are just under or perhaps just over a year. Not adults yet anyway.

So my duties involve giving them lots of love and attention and making sure they are fed and watered daily. There is no litter box to clean as the house has a fancy dancy cat door. The contraption is pretty slick in that it's small and complex enough that only the cats can get through it and no other animals like a dog or fox.

Now hold this thought for a moment. Let's back track to Tuesday morning.

I eventually drag myself out of bed, put on my slippers and head downstairs to the kitchen thinking warm thoughts of hot fresh coffee.

As I am going down the last few steps I see something dark and frog shaped on the floor to the left of the bottom step. My initial thought was it was either a bean bag frog like this

(it was dark btw) so I just nudged it over with my foot as I stepped down. However, the weight felt wrong and it wasn't slippery so as I continue through to the kitchen I'm thinking it must be one of those rubber frogs you can get at the toy shop and didn't really think much else of it.



I'm in the kitchen going about my breakfast/coffee making duties when I can hear Tom scurrying around at the bottom of the stairs. I walk over to take a look and there is a 2nd frog, also on it's back and Tom is ever so gently nudging it with his paw and now and then gently grabs a limb in his mouth to drag it around and jump and play with it. Frog is just lying there motionless.

It's at this moment it hits me, these are no toys, they are the real deal. Now I have 2 dead frogs to dispose of before I've even had my first cup of coffee.

Still in my pajamas I don the rubber gloves and pick up the frog the cat is playing with and put it outside under a tree. I'll put it in the rubbish bin when I head out for my day as it's on the other side of the front of the house. Then I go back in and pick up the 2nd frog and put it in the same place.

I go back to the kitchen and start to think "I should really take a photo of this moment as it's so bizarre" I grab my camera and head out the door again but both frogs are gone.

Who knew frogs knew how to play dead?!?!?

It seems Tom is growing up and has taught himself how to hunt. He just hasn't quite got the killing your prey thing down yet. That's probably a good thing because the idea of having the clean up a hairball with a partially digested frog carcass is just not a visual I need first thing in the morning.

The rest of my day was not nearly as exciting. Took a wee wander in and around Trafalger square, made my way over to Leister Square and met a friend for a picnic lunch and then we wandered over to Tower bridge for a walk along the Thames and ended up on the patio of a pub for a Pint of Bitter.



A lovely way to end a summers day don't you think?