Cat has presented me with her first kill - a squealing shrew!

[GetStuffezd]

She's so proud of herself!!
Now it's dead thank god but she's playing with it and won't let me near. Oh what do I dooooo? She's just had breakfast so probably doesn't want to eat it!

Oh god she's tossing it in the air!

They do indeed just like to play with their catches. Toss in the air, scrunch, toss in the air, scrunch......

Just be thankful it's dead now or she would add on the ' Let it crawl away just a little bit and then pounce some more when it thinks it's made it to safety'..........

Nothing you can do, I'm afraid, but wait until she becomes (hopefully) bored with it and then bin it. Oh - and keep a weather eye on proceedings so that you don't get an unexpected head or tail in your bed. (In case she does, after all, decide to eat some of it)

Well I managed to grab it and toss it into the garden. Three minutes later she skipped past me, into the dining room, shrew in mouth with a real "fuck you" look on her face. I laughed until I saw it was bleeding on the carpet!

Oh god Cozie!
Can't help feeling sad at the poor thing's highly undignified end...!

Probably died quickly of a heart attack so ease your mind.

At least you know you have a mouser. Some people would give a lot for one of those.

Yes that's true - I have a feeling rodents will be a problem in this old cottage in the winter.
In the spirit of generosity he's now let the ginger boy have it. Slightly reassured that it should have died quickly.

Oh my god the ginger one has ripped its head off.
It's too much for a sunday morning!

ginger boy is younger isn't he? Maybe the other cat is doing some helpful training.

I have to say that the likelihood that this is their first kill is really quite slim. It's probably just the first one you've actually seen.

Yes he is younger and a bit of a wuss. (Though currently issuing some fairly bloodcurdling growls!) Think Millie is regretting relinquishing her prize so easily..

Yes it probably isn't - it's just the first time I've been presented with it!

Check your cat for bites BTW, shrews don't die easily and they have poison glands that can cause a nasty abscess if they get a bite in.

Good bonding for them. The family that preys together and all that.....

Good tip, Eyes.

Oh thank you, eyes! Actually I remember being bitten by a shrew when I was a kid! Forgot they were venomous. I shall do that!
In the spirit of sharing, I've uploaded a picture!

He does have a rather 'OK - so what do I do now?' look on his face. Maybe your other cat felt the need for some quick training after all.

You have some extraordinarily beautiful cats.

That's very kind, Eyes!
Yes, he is Mr Gormless, Cozie!
Panic averted. Remains now in hedge.

For the time being, eh?

Number two has just been slaughtered. It's pretty disgusting but secretly I'm very impressed!

I confiscate kills and put them in the outside bin.

Not that my cats ever bring me things, Girlcat was out all night the other night, she refused to come in in case I took the squealing creature she had off her.

Ha! She's wise to it then! I will have to take this one away - there's shrew blood on the skirting board

Right, we've had two more murders this morning - one each! Can I just check that it's ok that they eat these bloody shrews? No bad effects?

Usually even the dimmest cat will eat the bodies of kills and leave the head. Either way, the venom in the teeth causes no harm if it is eaten AFAIK.

YES, that is what they're doing! I wondered why on earth they were leaving the head! Thanks.

Be warned, my first cat stopped finding shrews a challenge and moved on to rats.

She was less of a cat and more of a panther in her head.

Remember that we're coming up to that time of the year - in the late autumn when mice try to move inside for the winter. If you have an old country cottage you might be very glad indeed to have a couple of mousers in the establishment. This is good preparation.

Rats?! God I hope not.
I do live in a draughty old cottage so yes I am expecting a bit of a rodent migration...not rats though. :-(
Every day they're wandering further afield and I can't relax. I know I'm being silly but the farmer drives about like a lunatic on his tractors and quad bike... Oh I'm being silly! They do love being outside.