I've always been amused by cartoons of anacondas - often one has just gulped down a missionary and is lying there with a strange kind of satisfied look on its face. (Yes Dave Y. I expect a whole exact history on the beauty and habits of anacondas). Inside the snake can be seen the exact shape of the missionary, complete with bible. Under the cartoon is usually some smart remark along the lines of 'the snake's swallowed religion' or such like.

Yesterday Ollie sat on the back porch with a sort of anaconda look on his face. There was an amazing lot of burping. One thing I could be sure of, he hadn't eaten a missionary, but with his track record anything else was possible. Offers of breakfast left him cold. What had the cat eaten? Slowly it was dawning on me that he was suffering from a bad case of indigestion.

It didn't take long for nature to take over. After scoffing half the grass on the lawn Ollie vomited up his prize. He had devoured a whole half-grown rat. It was in pristine condition, unmarked by tooth or claw. It had a lovely long tail, a thick coat, and neat ears and whiskers. It just may be that the cat has the ability to unhinge his jaw, snake-like, the better to swallow his prey.

After I had buried the rat I went back to the kitchen where Ollie was yelling for food in front of the frig. Sometimes I really wonder about that cat.

Copyright © Beverley Dunlop
May 7, 2001