Independence Day

This morning, as usual, at first light MishMish's cage was cleaned and stocked with fresh spring water, sand, and a variety of fruits and greens. I watched him getting stuck in as I secured the door and went inside for my own breakfast. Half an hour later I went out to the patio but stopped short when I saw the cage door hanging open, when I looked inside a few of his precious long tail feathers lay on the floor, and silence. In shock. I stood for a moment, willing myself to wake up from this nightmare. No waking came, only horror at the thought of that small trusting creature in a large cat enclosure full of cats! I searched high and very low, expecting to see a pathetic pile of feathers, a little foot. I was puzzled that the cats didn't look very excited, so I put as many of them as I could grab into the house. I called and called for more than an hour. Nothing. Stupidly, I kept thinking of the little bowl of blueberries I had bought just for him yesterday, and how he had gone crazy at the sight of them. as I was beginning to think if he wasn't dead, he was gone and as good as dead, I heard a small sound in the nasty thorn tree next door, over a six foot wall. Just then two of the cats also heard this and began stalking the small almost tailless mousebird sitting on a small branch trying to wrestle off a bit of bark. Fortunately I had a fully loaded 60ml syringe of water handy and could zap the cats with that, but the bird was also startled. Then I had to get a ladder and crawl along the narrow wall down to where the tree is. Mish wasn't coming right then to my calls so I held out one of my beaded bracelets which he finds irresistible and he came hopping through the thorny branches. I grabbed him and stuffed him up the sleeve of my jacket where he wriggled as I crawled us back to safety! I am so so thankful for his safe return and he was thrilled to be reunited with his blueberries and strawbs! And people wonder what I do with my days ;-))

Lorna