The Villain – Dover

The Victims -  Moles, Baby Bunnies, Chipmunks, Birds 

Dover, our Orange Tabby cat, is a critter killer.    To our delight and dismay, he is a beautiful, healthy adolescent cat with an extremely well tuned killer instinct.

 We are a family of wusses living in first ring suburbia.  We can’t handle the trophies that he drags up to the deck.  We can’t handle the dazed and confused chipmunks that he spits out in the kitchen after we let out blood curdling screams, “HE’S GOT SOMETHING, AND ITS ALIVE!!!.’

 We’re just not cut out for it.

So I came up with a solution. 

KEEP him in the house.

Sounds simple you say?  

Did you ever try to keep a cat who has had the savory taste of the outdoors, inside?

 Impossible my friends.

 I, being a self described  animal whisperer, thought I was up to the challenge.     

 After one week of a feeble and yet valiant attempt, I conceded defeat. 

Almost...

In desperation, I went online and found the very cool; Scatmat (a battery powered plastic mat that SHOCKS the cat when he/she steps on it.)

 Clever?

 I thought so.      I strategically placed the Scatmat at the back door (his point of egress).

 After spending $80 bucks and nearly electrocuting the entire family, including the hubby (not a pretty picture), the three dogs, and  my sisters, very shy, very quiet 2 yr old grandchild. 

 I formally conceded defeat.

 The cat was the only warm blooded thing in the house that DID NOT get zapped on a regular basis.   He figured it out after one encounter.   Unlike the rest of us scholars, he never touched it again.

Fast forward two weeks.

The cat now uses the front door 

PS.  Below are a few more pics of his victims.