Thread: Cats are the best!, we have 10 of them. 3 dogs also.

Inky sounds like Hugo.
We too hoped to keep our bunch as indoor cats, but he above all would have none of it.
Over the years he has shredded two screen doors, a window screen and broke off half of one of his fangs prying open the patio door itself to get to his patrol area. He's out all day cept for food and nap breaks, and even those are on my black car if it's sunny. All winter too except during blizzards.
Eradicated the chipmunk population that used to live under our flagstones around the pool, as well as keeps the squirrels up high in the trees now. Never asked him to clear the yard, but he's an alpha cat and it's in his dna I think.
I always feel sad when he kills other critters and leaves half the remains on the front step for us, almost like his contribution to the food supply. But look at that big gray face,, I can't stay mad at him any more than I can intentionally keep him inside, as safer as it would be for all the surrounding critters, him included.
Cheers..

Originally Posted by MikeB52

Inky sounds like Hugo.
We too hoped to keep our bunch as indoor cats, but he above all would have none of it.
Over the years he has shredded two screen doors, a window screen and broke off half of one of his fangs prying open the patio door itself to get to his patrol area. He's out all day cept for food and nap breaks, and even those are on my black car if it's sunny. All winter too except during blizzards.
Eradicated the chipmunk population that used to live under our flagstones around the pool, as well as keeps the squirrels up high in the trees now. Never asked him to clear the yard, but he's an alpha cat and it's in his dna I think.
I always feel sad when he kills other critters and leaves half the remains on the front step for us, almost like his contribution to the food supply. But look at that big gray face,, I can't stay mad at him any more than I can intentionally keep him inside, as safer as it would be for all the surrounding critters, him included.
Cheers..

Your cat Hugo is a magnificent animal - and merely confirmed out desire that Inky's next incarnation will be a big blue boy like him. He was absolutely hilarious and just pure muscle, what a huge personality he has, I would have stolen him in a flash and my wife would have wept openly at how cool a feline he was!!!

My old cat Seamus, he was a massive beast, 21 lbs of muscle.

When he was about 2 years old, he decided that I was stupid and had no skills. He would bring me a barely alive mouse if I was sitting on the deck, and nudge it towards me, then come and start batting my leg, imposing his will on me to go in and finish, "the kill". And then of course have a proper meal, as it was obvious to him that I didn't know how to hunt.

He would continue to impel me to kill it, and I could see and feel him getting more and more frustrated with me. He did that for about three more months that summer, until finally he started just bringing me a dead mouse and literally dropping it on my leg while I was sitting down, as if to feed me, as it was obvious I was too stupid to hunt and feed myself. Again he would get more and more agitated if I didn't eat it. That behaviour lasted about 4 more small rodents until he finally gave up on me with disgust. Wandered off swishing his tail in abject disgust.

Historically, Europe and especially London, would have fared a lot better if they hadn't eradicated their cat population during the years of the Plague, no rats less plague spreading, or so I read.

They are Apex hunters, it's in their DNA, and to deny that is akin to the crazies who are trying to turn their carnivore animals into vegetarians....good luck, Mother Nature doesn't lose.....:-)