Okay, so.. about two months ago.. we set up a 'soup kitchen' on our back deck to feed the squirrels and birds. This was generally done just to keep the kitties entertained. On and off, we've had a few bouts with the squirrels eating the bird seed instead of their own. Two bird feeders later (one of them squirrel proof), the squirrels and birds still abound on the deck.
The cats, avid little hunters that they are, have been sitting at the sliding glass doors. I've listened to a litany from the great and glorious F3 hunter, Khan, who chitters half hour long monologues about how he's *just* going to *get* that squirrel that keeps teasing him. Said "tease" will walk right up to the sliding glass door, put his nose up against Khan's on the other side of the glass, and flick his little tail while Khan's chittering increases to somewhat frustrated wailing while he predicts and screeches his dire threats about "if I ever get out there...."
So, today, I'd gone out for a smoke, and realized that I'd forgotten to get the pitchers of water for the plants (they're about to wilt). So I come back in, and fill up the pitchers. Now armed with my pitchers, one tucked inside my arm, holding the other one with both hands, cig behind my ear..I make my way to the sliding glass doors, open it up, slide the screen to the side, and step outside only to realize that the squirrels are barely even walking away because they're so used to us, and that Khan has managed to snake outside while I was coming through the doors. So, I'm yelling his name (lemme tell ya, he was so listening)...
The two squirrels are flicking their tail, and half heartedly *walking* toward the rails to hop off the deck.. and by half heartedly, I mean taking two steps, stopping, flicking their tails, and considering if they really wanted to get down. Meantime, here's Khan, the great and glorious hunter.. jogging across the deck with deadly intent. Jog two steps, stop, completely confuzzled by what to do next. The squirrels are now flicking their tails and HITTING him in the face, and here's Khan, one more step, sticks his nose out and tries to sniff them. Aggravated, he tries again, because they've now taken two more steps away from him, so he steps forward, tries to sniff them again, more smacks in the face from the squirrel. The squirrel reaches the edge, Khan is about two inches from the squirrel...Khan picks up his paw, and he hesitantly reaches it out and tries to touch the squirrel, like he's testing the surface of water to see if it will hold his weight... the squirrel smacks Khan in the face with his tail *again*, and disappears over the side of the deck.
At this point, I've finally got the pitchers put down on the table, have dropped everything, and I'm still frantically yelling at Khan (why, I don't know, obviously the SQUIRRELS were in no danger).. so I go over to get him, to find him sitting there staring with complete and absolute bewilderment like "What? What did I do wrong??"
All hail the great and glorious hunter, Shere Khan, our third generation Bengal.
The cats, avid little hunters that they are, have been sitting at the sliding glass doors. I've listened to a litany from the great and glorious F3 hunter, Khan, who chitters half hour long monologues about how he's *just* going to *get* that squirrel that keeps teasing him. Said "tease" will walk right up to the sliding glass door, put his nose up against Khan's on the other side of the glass, and flick his little tail while Khan's chittering increases to somewhat frustrated wailing while he predicts and screeches his dire threats about "if I ever get out there...."
So, today, I'd gone out for a smoke, and realized that I'd forgotten to get the pitchers of water for the plants (they're about to wilt). So I come back in, and fill up the pitchers. Now armed with my pitchers, one tucked inside my arm, holding the other one with both hands, cig behind my ear..I make my way to the sliding glass doors, open it up, slide the screen to the side, and step outside only to realize that the squirrels are barely even walking away because they're so used to us, and that Khan has managed to snake outside while I was coming through the doors. So, I'm yelling his name (lemme tell ya, he was so listening)...
The two squirrels are flicking their tail, and half heartedly *walking* toward the rails to hop off the deck.. and by half heartedly, I mean taking two steps, stopping, flicking their tails, and considering if they really wanted to get down. Meantime, here's Khan, the great and glorious hunter.. jogging across the deck with deadly intent. Jog two steps, stop, completely confuzzled by what to do next. The squirrels are now flicking their tails and HITTING him in the face, and here's Khan, one more step, sticks his nose out and tries to sniff them. Aggravated, he tries again, because they've now taken two more steps away from him, so he steps forward, tries to sniff them again, more smacks in the face from the squirrel. The squirrel reaches the edge, Khan is about two inches from the squirrel...Khan picks up his paw, and he hesitantly reaches it out and tries to touch the squirrel, like he's testing the surface of water to see if it will hold his weight... the squirrel smacks Khan in the face with his tail *again*, and disappears over the side of the deck.
At this point, I've finally got the pitchers put down on the table, have dropped everything, and I'm still frantically yelling at Khan (why, I don't know, obviously the SQUIRRELS were in no danger).. so I go over to get him, to find him sitting there staring with complete and absolute bewilderment like "What? What did I do wrong??"
All hail the great and glorious hunter, Shere Khan, our third generation Bengal.