Saturday, October 13, 2007

Cape Wildlife Part Two


Oh. My. God.



So after yesterday's post, we were sitting having lunch and looking at the very green backyard. It has been raining here, much much needed, and so everything looked just lovely and fallish.


Then, streaking across the lawn I see our cat, Ozzie, chasing a white cotton tail.


A very small, and fast, white cottontail. It looked just like this picture.
So, before I even open the door to the back, I am screaming like a mental case. Screaming and banging stuff.
Both the cat and bunny freeze, but where is the bunny? I know it has frozen, since it isn't moving, but I am left to wonder, Is it UNDER the killer cat?!?!?
Now, I am the one streaking across the backyard...well, not streaking exactly, but running, and yes in my pjs. As I reach the cat, he just lounges, as if killing sprees of baby bunnies is really nothing at all to get so worked up about. Lolls, really, the big brute, for a scratch or something.
I scoop him up in my armpit. I can't look at him. He must go INSIDE. FOREVER. NOW.
By then my kids are involved and although I don't relish the idea of them coming with me to discover the bloody corpse, I think the bunny is just in a panicked faint as bunnies can do. Of course, the woman at the Cape Wildlife Center had told me how bunnies just drop dead unless you approach them with a "yoga-like calm".
Hmmmmm.....I really really really tried.
And I tried to remember if I could touch it with my hands. Stories of mange, rabies, and other various common human mistakes were racing through my head.
It wasn't moving. Its eyes were open, and it seemed to be breathing, but there was a big smear of blood on its little cheek.
I called Cape Wildlife. They told me *not* to touch it, and wrap it in a blanket or towel and bring it in.
All the while, I am looking where it is sitting thinking, Get up and hop away. Get up and hippidy hoppidy along now. Go on. HOP!! HOP!! HIPPIDY!!!
So, out we go again and bring a shoe box and a towel. It is very still. I kinda poke it and it moves a little, so we try to scoop it up.
And it stirs. It hips. And then, it HOPS! It scampered off just like a little bunny should.
Hooray!!!
Nature lives another day.
Now, I am off to buy some cat toys for my indoor cat.

2 comments:

Madeline Rains said...

LOL! You crack me up. We witnessed the same thing with my large dog a few days ago. But the bunny definitely got away. We got to see my dog pointing at it for 15 seconds and then hopping (yes, truly)into the brambles to get to the bunny, which was fantastic - who knew a large dog could hop so high.

Christy said...

I caught my cat doing the same thing in the spring. The bunny did make it but I'm sure there have been ones that didn't. My cat is unbearable if we keep her locked in the house. She cried non-stop all day at the door. She also hissing at and attacks the indoor cat. We'd honestly rather have her out, but I feel bad about the bunnies.