Casper's Catches
If you discount a few cover drives, Casper has caught three things since he's been with us.
The most recent, was the mongoose.
A few weeks ago he presented me with a little bird. It was merely stunned, and he hadn't harmed it. I think it had flown into the hedge and become disorientated. Casper was quite happy for me to take it from his mouth and free it.
The first incident concerned a rat.
We'd been hearing scratching noises in the rafters some evenings, and when I investigated, I discovered some droppings in the loft. So I instructed Doviko to put some poison up there.
A couple of days later, Casper came to me with a furry bundle in his mouth, which I ascertained was a dead rat. He made it obvious this wasn't a present for me, and started to swallow it. I reckoned that it might have been dead before he found it, and it was probably poisoned, so it obviously wasn't going to do him much good.
As I mentioned previously, Casper is a big healthy dog, and quite powerful, so there ensued quite a tussle between the two of us (Doviko was away for lunch). Casper would not hurt me, but he was very determined to swallow his catch, and the rat was in danger of disappearing down his throat.
If you can squeeze either side of a dog's jaw, its usually possible to force the mouth open, and this is what I did. He'd just about swallowed the rat, but I managed to grab its tail, and curl it round my finger.
Unfortunately, when I pulled, Casper made another attempt at swallowing, the rat went further down his gullet, and - horrors - as I pulled the tail, the skin of the it came off in my hand.
Don't read on if you've just had dinner.
Anyway, it was a big rat, and he hadn't managed to swallow it. In fact, there was a slight regurgitation. Now you have to remember that I was astride Casper, trying to hold his jaws open, with lots of tussling and shouting, and Farley close-by, himself getting very excited. So, just as Casper made a further attempt at swallowing, I reached back in to his mouth, curled the skinless tail round my finger and pulled - trying not to retch as I did so, and half expecting the tail to come away this time.
It didn't, though, and I was able to pull the very soggy tail-less carcas from his mouth, and discard it in an old Kandodo bag.
Doviko definitely doesn't know any recipes for rat, but I will ask him about mice, as you see people by the roadside, when you're passing, holding up sticks with four or five mice skewered on them. I believe they are regarded as a delicacy hereabouts.
Here's someone else's photograph of a mice seller, and here's another one.
Here's a photo of a complete meal - mice and gourd.
MM III
The most recent, was the mongoose.
A few weeks ago he presented me with a little bird. It was merely stunned, and he hadn't harmed it. I think it had flown into the hedge and become disorientated. Casper was quite happy for me to take it from his mouth and free it.
The first incident concerned a rat.
We'd been hearing scratching noises in the rafters some evenings, and when I investigated, I discovered some droppings in the loft. So I instructed Doviko to put some poison up there.
A couple of days later, Casper came to me with a furry bundle in his mouth, which I ascertained was a dead rat. He made it obvious this wasn't a present for me, and started to swallow it. I reckoned that it might have been dead before he found it, and it was probably poisoned, so it obviously wasn't going to do him much good.
As I mentioned previously, Casper is a big healthy dog, and quite powerful, so there ensued quite a tussle between the two of us (Doviko was away for lunch). Casper would not hurt me, but he was very determined to swallow his catch, and the rat was in danger of disappearing down his throat.
If you can squeeze either side of a dog's jaw, its usually possible to force the mouth open, and this is what I did. He'd just about swallowed the rat, but I managed to grab its tail, and curl it round my finger.
Unfortunately, when I pulled, Casper made another attempt at swallowing, the rat went further down his gullet, and - horrors - as I pulled the tail, the skin of the it came off in my hand.
Don't read on if you've just had dinner.
Anyway, it was a big rat, and he hadn't managed to swallow it. In fact, there was a slight regurgitation. Now you have to remember that I was astride Casper, trying to hold his jaws open, with lots of tussling and shouting, and Farley close-by, himself getting very excited. So, just as Casper made a further attempt at swallowing, I reached back in to his mouth, curled the skinless tail round my finger and pulled - trying not to retch as I did so, and half expecting the tail to come away this time.
It didn't, though, and I was able to pull the very soggy tail-less carcas from his mouth, and discard it in an old Kandodo bag.
Doviko definitely doesn't know any recipes for rat, but I will ask him about mice, as you see people by the roadside, when you're passing, holding up sticks with four or five mice skewered on them. I believe they are regarded as a delicacy hereabouts.
Here's someone else's photograph of a mice seller, and here's another one.
Here's a photo of a complete meal - mice and gourd.
MM III
posted by zomba at 1:21 PM
10 Comments:
MM - quite a drama. Fortunately the three of you escaped unscathed. And how timely! Cass's preference for leaving food scraps on the kitchen surfaces overnight finally paid off at the weekend, and she now has a pet mouse of her own.
Wow, Casper is quite the little hunter! I would have screamed seeing him with the rat. I just can't stand them :[
Mingin! That is possibly the most minging story I've read in a blog!To digress. I once was going to write on my wall: A dead rat! Ah, what company that would be!
THis is a quote from Samuel Beckett's book Company which is a good book if you want to commit suicide. My daugher misinterpreted my admiration for this quote and gave me a dead rat in a kind of ashtray/bowl. It was a kind of sculpture. Dearie me. But at least I didn't steal the dead rat from the dog and rip the skin off its back while doing so. I was going to have my dinner, but now I won't bother. Hotboy
LA - are you okay with penguins?
HB - have you considered posting a photo of the wall?
Adolf! I can't work any of the technology as you know. I think if I tried I could work it out, but I'm usually too blissed or too pissed to be buggered.
Once I was witness to this cat getting the skin ripped off it's back by a dog far more fierce and big and black than even usual. It's called a working class upbringing (ra west is ra best!) in the one big housing scheme when men became men and dogs had their way! Even more helpful than usual. Hotboy
Adolf! I can't work any of the technology as you know. I think if I tried I could work it out, but I'm usually too blissed or too pissed to be buggered.
Once I was witness to this cat getting the skin ripped off it's back by a dog far more fierce and big and black than even usual. It's called a working class upbringing (ra west is ra best!) in the one big housing scheme when men became men and dogs had their way! Even more helpful than usual. Hotboy
robmcj ~ I love the way penguins look, they are so cute. I have never seen one up close. That would be cool!
Lee Ann: You've never seen a penguin!!They have a penguin parade every day at Edinburgh Zoo. You should visit there en route to the Unheard of Island, where there are penguins all over the place! Hotboy
HB - you're really getting the hang of this postmodern referentiality. Dogs, class, booze, The Doors, computers, bliss and help. All in one comment. Congratulations.
Send me a pic of your wall and I will do the rest.
HB - for convenience, can you condense your thoughts any further, ideally into one word? (I think I know what word that would be).
MM - are you alright?
Post a Comment
<< Home