A Tale of Two Cats and a Mouse

Our household is controlled by two felines, brother and sister, Frodo and Merry, recently turned 12.

Frodo

Merry

 Frodo was bonded with Second Daughter, while Merry bonded with First Daughter. As both daughters have left the family nest, the cats have made other arrangements - Frodo substituting myself and relocating to our bedroom, while Merry maintains First Daughters bedroom, now converted to a study for the Man Of The House. Sworn enemies from birth, they maintain a mostly peaceful truce, with occasionl meltdowns over turf.

As indoor cats, the have no experience of life in the great outdoors, other than through the floor length windowns opur home features giving a range of views.

About a week or so, Frodo was hanging out at the end of my bed when he excitedly spotted a passing rat in the garden! He took on the position of Mouse Police and set up an "oppo" for suvaliance, perched on my yoga bolster. Later that week, he was rewarded with multiple visits by a small mouse (we have had a lot of rain).

Then the strange thing happened. Suddenly, Merry took up duty on the bolstor, doing Frodo out of a job and really pissing him off. Yet she can only have known if he communicated the news of rodent watch to her.

So do cats chat over dinner? Or do the taunt verbally "well, I have rodents to watch and you don't!"

Whatever it is, it reminds me of the days they spent on birdwatch when we were caring for two young magpies 5 years ago!