Earning Her Keep

She still comes to life during the dark hours of the night. I hear her romping all over the house. Everyone else sleeps soundly. Not I. I am awakened by sounds every night. I do not sleep soundly. Not since becoming a mother. I am a very light sleeper. I hear those familiar noises. Racing and sliding on the hardwood floors. Then silence. Running, batting something (probably a soft dart pellet). Then she is in our room. Pouncing. Monkey get out.
Silence.
Then pouncing. Meow! I get up (it is 11:17 PM). She sits in our doorway. Monkey what do you have? Yes, she has a mouse and has been playing with it. I see it Monkey. Go. I tell the Big Man our cat has a mouse. She lets it go, then she pounces, throws it, lets it get away and catches it. Games. Cat and mouse games.

Well, I can’t stand the noise as I want to sleep. The Big Guy doesn’t want the remains of the mouse left on the carpet or in his footpath to the kitchen in the morning. So, he takes matters into his own hands. He kills the mouse with his sneaker. In the hallway. Throws the body out into the dark night where it lands on a pile of white, icy snow. He washes his hands, gets a drink of water and goes back to bed.

I get to clean up the bloody scene.

Meanwhile, poor Monkey is searching and smelling. Still hunting for that mouse she had. Yes, she does the hard work, he takes the prize. I clean everything up, pick up Monkey and tell her she is a good cat and then I wash up and head to bed.

Good Kitty!