We have a potential cat problem at our house, and I find myself debating within whether or not to fix it. Generally speaking cats produce a positive atmosphere for the home, they have an uncanny sense of when someone is ailing and  attempt to comfort the sufferer, and properly fed, watered, stroked, and made master of the domain provide companionship, although I tend to believe that we provide them rather than they provide us.

We have a mother cat with a recent litter, so naturally she has taken care of them in a very commendable way, bringing them out of seclusion for the first time when they were ready to be acclimated to our human world. One particular thing at which she has excelled is she has attempted to train her children how to be good hunters, a task she accomplishes with ease.

Since these kittens have arrived, she has secured a balanced diet for them consisting of mice, birds, shrews, squirrels, and rabbits. She is never content to let her babies eat only amply-provided cat and kitten chow. No, she insists on supplementing their meals with fresh kills.

Yesterday evening I walked out the door to take the precious meow-boxes their evening meal. I walked around the corner, and squarely in our breezeway lay a fresh squirrel, still intact, though its head and face were rather mangled from the kill. I grabbed a spade and scooped it up into the garbage can.

I did not see Momma anytime the rest of the evening, even though I sat out under the stars with her brood immediately after dusk. I think she may have been upset with me because of her missing squirrel. Possibly she believed I ate it when she intended it for her young ones. Regardless, this morning I walked out the door, and what lay there on our steps, but a rabbit. The kittens apparently had it for an overnight snack, for not much of it remained.

I have concerns about this cat. She is the best hunter we have ever had, even better than our beloved Callie, who lived to the ripe old age of 17 and frequently left us gifts on the porch. This cat far outdoes Callie in capture. My concern is, “What is she going to bring home tomorrow?” I do not want a dog, but my fear is one will be sitting on our front porch one morning, dragged in by the cat and forced to become our pet.

A hawk lives in our neighborhood, and I believe he should exercise caution when circling the house.

I would not be at all surprised to find some appliances, like a washing machine or a dryer, left for us as a present one morning. Neither would it shock me to wake up and find a 1964 Studebaker sitting in our driveway. The parcel delivery people also should be aware when coming to our home, which they frequently do. I do not one to turn up missing.

Possibly I should consider going into the pest control business, specializing in rodents and birds. That cat might make me wealthy yet.