Flying prey (feather/tassel on a string):
Yogi would rely on said flying prey to fly right into his outstretched waggling front paws while he was lying on his back. Alternately, he would rely on his pogo-stick-like leaps to get tangled up in the flying thing. Mithu would perform very artistic and acrobatic leaps and flips to catch the flying beastie only to miss actually catching it. He might win a gold medal, but it's hard to catch stuff when you're doing a reverse twist flip. Fizzgig, <shakes head>, well, he might get something by distorting the fabric of space-time around his ample tummy. His attack technique, when he actually gets airborne, is a flail-wildly-and-hope-you-hit-something tactic. Highly entertaining to watch, but reminiscent of some sort of fit.
Ground prey (balls, fur mousies):
Mithu would consistently outrun everything he chased. If the prey stopped, Mithu would sit down next to it and wait for it to start running again while looking up at me and meeping. Fizzgig again might win by sheer mass. He would throw himself on the prey object and writhe around until it was squashed, tangled and dead. Alternately, he would anchor his back half and do a staccato paw-stab in a fan shape around his front end to catch things that move erratically, like laser points. Yogi can catch things, but often gets so caught up in the chase that he chases himself around the house, abandoning his initial object.
It's a good thing I keep them inside, they'd never make it out there.
Copyright © Caroline J. Swindell
October 22, 2002
