SATURDAY MORNING I heard a bird tweeting very aggressively. A moment later I heard the sounds of the cats racing around the house. Food dishes sliding across tile floors, claws slipping on wood.
I walked into my office to find both cats on a low bookcase trying to peer into the tall bookcase beside it.
Nothing stirred. San Geraldo walked in and we both agreed that the bird was outside and they must be going after a fly or moth. But San Geraldo returned to the living room and found a down feather on the floor.
Then, Moose jumped inside one of the small cubby holes in the tall bookcase, knocking things to the floor.
A sparrow flew from the bookcase to my desk and hid on the shelf behind my computer monitor. Moose tried to follow. I told him to stop (and he did). San Geraldo reached over and, after moving aside papers and pen mugs (and a cookie tin), he managed to gently grasp the bird.
Both cats followed excitedly. San Geraldo took the bird out to the terrace to see how badly it was hurt. I closed the door in the cats' indignant faces.
San Geraldo put the bird down and it immediately flew away.
The cats didn't even annoy me for their treats in the afternoon. They've spent almost every waking minute in my office searching for the bird.
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EL SÁBADO POR la mañana oí a un pájaro cantando muy agresivamente. Un momento después oí los sonidos de los gatos que corrían alrededor de la casa. Platos de comida deslizándose por los pisos de baldosas, garras resbalando sobre la madera.
Entré en mi oficina y encontré los dos gatos en una librería baja tratando de mirar dentro de la estantería alta al lado.
Nada se movió. San Geraldo entró y nos dos estuvimos de acuerdo en que el pájaro está fuera y debían ir tras una mosca o una polilla. Pero San Geraldo regresó al salon y encontró una pluma en el suelo.
Entonces, Moose saltó dentro de uno de los pequeños agujeros del cubículo, golpeando las cosas al suelo.
Un gorrión voló de la librería a mi escritorio y se escondió en el estante detrás del monitor de mi ordenador. Moose intentó seguirla. Le dije que se detuviera (y lo hizo). San Geraldo se acercó y, después de apartar la pantalla, papeles, y otras cosas (incluido una lata de galletas), logró agarrar suavemente al pájaro.
Ambos gatos siguieron con entusiasmo. San Geraldo sacó al pájaro a la terraza para ver cuánto le dolía. Cerré la puerta a los gatos indignados.
San Geraldo dejó el pájaro e inmediatamente voló.
Los gatos ni siquiera me molestan por sus delicias en la tarde. Han pasado casi cada minuto de vigilia en mi oficina buscando el pájaro.
"But please don't take it so badly..."
"Pero por favor no lo tomes tan mal..."
Entré en mi oficina y encontré los dos gatos en una librería baja tratando de mirar dentro de la estantería alta al lado.
Nada se movió. San Geraldo entró y nos dos estuvimos de acuerdo en que el pájaro está fuera y debían ir tras una mosca o una polilla. Pero San Geraldo regresó al salon y encontró una pluma en el suelo.
Entonces, Moose saltó dentro de uno de los pequeños agujeros del cubículo, golpeando las cosas al suelo.
Un gorrión voló de la librería a mi escritorio y se escondió en el estante detrás del monitor de mi ordenador. Moose intentó seguirla. Le dije que se detuviera (y lo hizo). San Geraldo se acercó y, después de apartar la pantalla, papeles, y otras cosas (incluido una lata de galletas), logró agarrar suavemente al pájaro.
Ambos gatos siguieron con entusiasmo. San Geraldo sacó al pájaro a la terraza para ver cuánto le dolía. Cerré la puerta a los gatos indignados.
San Geraldo dejó el pájaro e inmediatamente voló.
Los gatos ni siquiera me molestan por sus delicias en la tarde. Han pasado casi cada minuto de vigilia en mi oficina buscando el pájaro.
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| 'LO VES?" "DO YOU SEE HIM?" |
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| DUDO: "¿SIGUE ALLÍ?" DUDO: "IS HE STILL THERE?" |
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| MOOSE: "VOLÓ EN ESA DIRECCIÓN." MOOSE: "HE FLEW IN THIS DIRECTION." |
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| DUDO: "¡CREO QUE ESCUCHÉ ALGO!" DUDO: "I THINK I HEARD SOMETHING!" |
"But please don't take it so badly..."
"Pero por favor no lo tomes tan mal..."
keep the cats amused at all times...but how did the birdie get into your home?
ReplyDeleteanne marie:
DeleteThe kitchen has a utility/laundry room attached to it with open brickwork to allow fresh air through. Rarely, a bird flies in (they usually hang out at the apartments that are vacant most of the year). Dudo caught one once. This one flew in and the cats must have surprised it causing it to fly into the house instead of back out. Amazing we haven't had more of these. We're on a corner with a wrap-around terrace and we often keep all the windows and doors open.
Cats doing, what cats naturally do. Nice office.
ReplyDeleteTravel:
DeleteAnd these two cats are so good at it. Our cats in California were afraid of birds... and moths! I love my office. I'm a bit obsessive-compulsive so I want to apologized for the mess.
Now I can only imagine how this MADE THEIR DAY!! Probably thought they were dreaming!
ReplyDeleteAnd of course that bird just had to find them.....of all the other places it could have happened.
Jim:
DeleteWe've been out several times since the event. Every time we return home, both cats come out of my office! So glad they didn't CATCH the bird.
Sleek predators! I can't believe SG was able to catch it and set it free. You must "hero" to his title.
ReplyDeleteWilma:
DeleteBig hands... and hero!
That is the one thing I do not like about cats , their killer instinct !
ReplyDeleteHeron:
DeleteSame here. Our California cats, also brothers, were a bit unusual. When they were about a year old, there was a moth in the dining room, they ran to the back of the house and hid under the bed.
My dogs were barking like mad in the garage last week and a sparrow had flown in there and didn't know how to get back out. I had to shoo the dogs away and open the doors for him. I think George was disappointed.
ReplyDeleteJennifer:
DeleteYeah, Dudo and Moose was very disappointed!
First off, again, you have the two most beautiful cats I ever did see. That was definitely some excitement they don't get on a daily basis huh? Good thing the bird didn't get to active flying, your place could have been in shambles, not the mention your computer could have went flying. They'd love my window views......
ReplyDeletemistress maddie:
DeleteIf you had our cats, I don't think you'd getting any feeding activity at that window. These guys are serious hunters.
Oh those zany cats! Just under the domestic surface of every tabby lurks a killer.
ReplyDeleteSpo:
DeleteIt IS a bit disconcerting. Then again, we're not vegetarians.
Scared the crap out of the bird, you are likely to find small deposits in your bookcase. Major miscalculation on his part, very fortunate you two came on scene at the right time.
ReplyDeleteCheapchick:
DeleteOh, I immediately went around and sprayed. Oddly, only found one bit of bird poop.
Your cats are birders. Ours, with the exception of Miss Jones, don't care a whit about a bird; Tuxedo and MaxGoldberg basically ignore them. Squirrels, however ....
ReplyDeleteBob:
DeleteThese two would be deadly if they were outdoor cats. Our California cats, Dobie and Maynard, wouldn't even go after a month. When we had our hotel in Palm Springs, a hummingbird once curiously buzzed Dobie's face. Dobie slithered on his belly around the entire pool and patio, went into the bedroom, and didn't come out for hours. After that, he kept his head down if he spotted a hummingbird.
your cats are greedy creatures but it is typical for them
ReplyDeleteGosia:
DeleteNot greedy. They'd very willingly share their catch with us.
Cats gotta do what cats gotta do, but I'm glad the bird got away.
ReplyDeleteStephen:
DeleteSo am I. When Dudo killed that bird last year, I had a hard time looking at him for a while.
both cats remind me of my old inlaws cat Furball, he was very people friendly. Always up to something though
ReplyDeleteAdam:
DeleteThese two don't miss a thing... and rarely leave us alone.
Well done, Jerry! Such excitement for your pusses!
ReplyDeleteWe only allow one of our cats out into the yard, and he is way too old (we don't know for sure, but the vet thinks he is more than 100 in people years) to care about birds. Our beautiful lorikeets just ignore him and carry on eating the birdseed and fancy lorikeet food we provide.
Rozzie:
DeleteWe used to have lots of pet birds, canaries, lovebirds, an Amazon parrot. At our hotel we had a cage of parakeets. We would love to have birds now. These two cats would kill them all!
Tweeting aggressively? Perhaps you were visited by Trumpus acerbitas.
ReplyDeleteWalt the Fourth:
DeletePerish the thought! So many words that can't be comfortably used anymore. I have removed "huge' from my vocabulary... (well, yuge).