Pepper in full camouflage,
hunting seagulls on the beach.

Okay, you people will have to bear with me. Our little boy Pepper has just gone to the Rainbow Bridge, and I have to write his stories first, as a sort of self-therapy. The rest of my cat stories will have to wait.

When I see the seagulls (we live on the beachfront), I would see him lying on the deck, ears flat, tail flicking, watching them. Of course he never caught one, thank goodness. You can just imagine the damage those powerful beaks can do. But he always chased them, and then came back to me with this proud look on his little round face: "Look Meowmie, I Protected You!"

I remembered the first day he caught a bird (even though I did my best to discourage this). I was in the living room, and suddenly heard this RACKET... you won't believe the noise an Indian Minah can make when in the jaws of a feline hunter! Pepper came through the cat flap, with this bird in his grasp, flapping and yapping, and into the bathroom. Before this day he would bring all his prey, mice and other critters, moths and butterflies and crickets, and chase them around in the bath (clever kitty, he knew most of them could not escape, too slippery). Anyway, we all charged into the bathroom (which is at a right angle to the front door) and of course we rescued the bird. I don't like Minahs, but they are living beings, and he had enough food, no need to kill. He was so irked at my actions, because "He Brought me Food", and I did not want it. He was miffed for a day!

Of course he did not stop. Countless times I had to vacuum up the poor remaining feathers of some unfortunate little bird, and once remove the remains of a huge rat that he caught who knows where, killed and left as a gift to me in the living room. Did not think he cared much for the taste of rat. Preferred bird.

He was a fearless and brave little hunter, my Pepper. But a big softie too, when he would Prrrmmm, Prrrmmm to say hello every time he came in from his huntings. And he would keep prrmmm-ing, until somebody gives him a headbutt or answer him, even if it was midnight.

Copyright © Kiti de Jager
April 6, 2003