I used to be stupid enough before educating myself to think that Cleo is getting to be a senior cat (not so).

So last night after insulting her with the vacuum cleaner, I had the door to the balcony open to enjoy some fairly fresh air. In buzzed a big fly (where did he come from this early in the season?) Cleo was washing herself beside Velvet, who was doing the same. It buzzed lazily by Cleo. She looked up with more than just passing interest. It buzzed by again, and then events changed suddenly. She leapt up in the air higher then I think I've ever seen her, it must have been 2½-3 feet, and with blinding rapidity snatched the fly right out of the air and into the jaws of death!

She didn't make a graceful landing either because a vertical cat can't really land on it's feet. Let's say the landing was dignified, and any landing you can walk away from is a good one.

Velvet sat wide-eyed at this display of speed, grace, and co-ordination.

Cleo chomped down the fly, and then licked her lips, looked at me wondering what my words of adoration were all about. She stalked off. Cleo the warrior kitty and huntress is alive and living in Condo Land.

You can bet on it.

Copyright © Bill Mason
April 26, 2001