The other evening, we were sat watching TV, when a medium sized spider (British spider so not very big at all) started to walk across the carpet. Shylock was not in the room, but Falstaff was, fast asleep in the radiator bed.

Paul decided to have some fun in disposing of the spider. He woke Falstaff up, picked him up and put him on the floor next to the spider. He then pointed at the spider until Falstaff cottoned onto the idea that Paul wanted Falstaff to do something about it. Fal put his paw on it, and then very carefully lifted one side of his paw and peered underneath it to check what he was dealing with, just like a person would. He then decided that it was edible and rapidly dispatched the spider. Paul then picked the cat up and put him back in the radiator bed, where Falstaff curled up and went back to sleep. Paul then turns to me and said "was that cruel?". I replied "Which bit, waking Falstaff up or letting him eat the spider rather than putting the spider outside into the cold?" He decided that at least the spider was somewhere warm now.

Copyright © Rachel Craddock
December 13, 2004