Bathed in catnip, fuzzy-furred,
Soft and pinky-white,
A present wrapped in red and gold,
A true, feline delight.

 

The cat enamored with this toy,
Carried it around the room,
Cats do smile; I saw her,
Her cat-world was in bloom.

 

She tossed the mouse into the air,
And caught it coming down,
A hundred times she did this,
Her joy knew no bounds.

 

Nothing there is that's so much fun,
As watching a cat at play,
Uninhibited and free,
Spontaneous and gay.

 

I felt a special joy, too,
As I watched my little friend,
Then a moment of distraction came,
Bringing fun time to an end.

 

The cat now sitting quietly,
The mouse gone - disappeared,
I said, "Honey, where's your mouse?"
She looked blank and scratched her ear.

 

I searched the entire place,
On hands and knees, down on the floor,
I even got a flashlight out,
The cat yawned; she was bored.

 

I was worn out; I was a wreck,
But I don't think she cared,
She merely went to sleep,
On the cushion in the chair.

 

"You idiot!"  I said to me,
As I stood with hands on hips,
Where could that little mouse have gone?
Surely not between her lips.

 

I picked her up and looked at her,
We met 'eye to eye.'
"DID YOU EAT THAT MOUSE?" I asked.
She made no effort to reply.

 

Mouses come and mouses go,
And all mouses are not edible,
Explain that to a little cat,
If you can make it credible.

 

Did I ever find her mouse?
Nope.  I never did,
Whatever happened to it,
It got itself well-hid.

 

I've also come to the conclusion,
She doesn't give a whit,
But when cleaning out her litter box,
I keep wondering, "Is that it?"

 

Virginia (Ginny) Ellis
Copyright 2002