author Linda Druck
I find it fascinating when the sweet RagaMuffin lap cat I have turns into the mighty hunter and catches live pray just like his bigger cousins in the wild. I call him my house puma. I live in an area where there are garden lizards that make the mistake of getting into my lanai under the crack of the door.
I am usually very careful, as I do not like Monty to catch and kill them. I like to watch the lizards and observe their behaviors. Monty likes them as well, for a whole different purpose. I normally scan the area and if I deem it safe, I let him join me. I tend to keep the sliding doors ajar so he can come and go as he pleases in case something happens that scares him. Sometimes that is not a good idea. I also try to deter the lizards from getting in the lanai by stuffing plastic in the crack of the outside door so they can’t get in, but somehow, they do.
He stalks them even if they are on the outside of the screen with such precision and force; I am afraid he will go through the screens. His whole body gets so tense before the spring and pounce and his RagaMuffin butt wiggles as he springs into action. He is very accurate in his calculations of the hunt. As I said, sometimes they are inside his territory, then it is the battle to get him to give up his prize. He usually gives in and sometimes I set them free and other times it is too late. On one such occasion he got in the house with his prize and I was so upset that he may eat it ,that I was really angry at him. I looked all over the house and called him a “Bad Cat” but that is such a waste of time and energy because he doesn’t understand why I get so upset.
He is so proud of himself for his hunting prowess. For Monty is the mighty RagaMuffin hunter of his house providing for his family. After looking for the lizard I gave up and sat down to watch TV. In comes Monty with the limp lizard carcass and spit at me like “here, you can have it if you want it so bad” and walked off with his tail in the air in a very snooty way. As always, everything was back to normal by meal time which tends to mend all feelings with him, and he was back to being the spoiled pampered house cat he is.