A few years agomy cat became a little smelly and rather grimy feeling. I didn't want a wet cat scrambling around in my bathroom, so I filled a tub on the pool deck with warm water and stuck him in. He sat in about six inches of water, making a sad little mewling noise, but not attempting to move. That is until I reached for a cup to pour a water over him. He lept straight up in the air, pushed off the edge of the tub, and landed in the swimming pool. The poor stupid thing didn't even try to swim, he just looked up at me as he bobbed lower in the water. He was at least a foot under by the time I got ahold of him and pulled him out. (He was fine, he sneezed and scratched me as soon as he was out of the pool.)
This same cat also likes to stare out the back door for hours. For a few months every summer ducks invade our pool. One day he became very agitated while watching them paddle around, so I opened the door to see what he would do. He didn't like to go outside, but this time he ran straight for the ducks. And directly into the pool. He got out on his own (and very quickly this time) and the ducks just swam to the other side of the pool and mocked him with their quacking.
edit: this is my damp cat, still watching the ducks
(This same cat also likes to stare out the back door for hours. For a few months every summer ducks invade our pool. One day he became very agitated while watching them paddle around, so I opened the door to see what he would do. He didn't like to go outside, but this time he ran straight for the ducks. And directly into the pool. He got out on his own (and very quickly this time) and the ducks just swam to the other side of the pool and mocked him with their quacking.
edit: this is my damp cat, still watching the ducks
gracielou,
Fri 17 Oct 2003, 10:42,
archived)
Squirrel FishingHuge amounts of cheap fun can be had by fishing for squirrels. When I was at uni I lived in a hall of residence on the 3rd floor, and we had a balcony overlooking a big field. What we used to do was throw out bits of bread to attract a few squirrels. Once we had a few likely candidates we would get a big bit of string and wrap one end tightly around a piece of tracker bar, then entice the little critters to try and bite it. Once we had a bite we could actually lift the squirrel a fair way off the ground by it's mouth. They really don't want to let go! We even managed to place one gently onto the balcony below us. They flap about like mad when they're hanging from the end of the line!
(,
Fri 17 Oct 2003, 11:09,
archived)