Breakfast of Horror

I woke up this morning, early. I have a client meeting to get ready for. I showered, dressed, slapped on maked-up, then made my way downstairs to prepare the morning meal for my cats.

I grabbed a few cans of cat food and blended them together, then microwaved the mush to add a nice, appetizing aroma to their breakfast. I divided up the bowl of food onto smaller plates, then began serving them. I feed the cats in order and they each have their own place to eat. This keeps everyone calm and avoids fights. As long as I'm consistent, they follow suit.

I begin with Spencer and Bob because they'll trip me if I don't feed them first. Nicky gives me a froggy-meow as I place the food before him and his baby-seal-like 22 lb sister, Nora. Just another morning in the woods. Just another day. No big deal.

The next two to be fed are Gracie and her daughter, Petunia. I began to place their food down when I noticed something wrong. Before I could utter a scream, I realized there was a dead field mouse next to Gracie's plate. Resigned to the fact that my cats are going to do this from time to time, I simply put Gracie's food down, fed the remaining cat, Cricket, then picked up my camera. How Gracie can be so blase about eating breakfast next to a dead mouse is beyond my understanding. I felt badly for the poor mouse, laying there so still, as though he was a discarded leftover, to be ignored and unimportant forever more.

The little mouse is now in the lap of my Buddha garden statue, out in the front yard where his remains may benefit other beings who need him to live. Meanwhile, Gracie is going to get de-wormed!