I have an irrational fear of rodents which I get from my mother. (You can't argue with that Mom. You know it's true.) They freak me out. I didn't realize how much they freaked me out or how bad my fear was however, until early this morning.

Around 2 or 3am this morning Ribbon made a strange meow from out in the living room. Now I'm like a mom with her child when it comes to my cat. He makes a werid sound and I wake up. Thinking something was wrong I went out to see where he was. I looked into the living room and I see my cat half under the couch like he's attacking something underneath it. I immediately realize that he's fine, but I also think he's attacking a mouse. Why I thought this I do not know but already freaking out I ran back to my room, closed the door and got back under the covers. All I could think was he's fine and whatever he's playing with will hopefully be gone in the morning. I went to sleep trying not to picture mice.

Around 6am I hear him making the weird meowing noise again. It almost sounds like he's in pain. I get out of bed and cautiously come out of my room. I call his name and then realize, duh he's kinda going deaf so I pound on the floor as he can usually feel the vibration. Then I see him walking towards the house from outside. I walk towards the back door and as he comes in I think he's been hurt. He's walking slowly and his head is down and all I can think is that's he's gotten into a fight and been hurt and what is wrong with my baby.

And then I see what he has in his mouth. A huge freaking mouse. I flipped. I yelled "No Ribbon. Go back outside." and pointed towards the door. And the poor thing just looked at me like, but look at what I did for you and conintued to walk towards me all the while make the weird meowing which as it turns out is what Ribbon's meow sounds like when he has a mouse in his mouth. Who knew? I ran. Like a girl, which I am, but still, I ran and slammed the door to my room.

I didn't know what to do. I was literally starting to be insanely scared. I knew it was ridiculous but I couldn't stop the irrational fear. So I called my housemate Krista. I called my housemate on my cell phone from my room. I woke her up and 6am and started to have histarics. She was so great. She kept telling me, "Nuala I would come and get rid of it for you but I don't have my contacts in and I can't see anything." In the meantime while I'm talking to her I hear Ribbon drop the damn thing right in front of my door and then later I hear him moving it around playing with it. Ughh.....

So at this point I'm shaking and starting to have tears roll down my face. Like ridiculous reactions. I know it is but I can't stop how terrified I am. Krista calmy says, "Just go get Deanna and ask her to get rid of it for you. She's okay with dead mice." and by this time I feel so bad about waking Krista up that I'm embarrased to go wake up Deanna but I'm so scared that I do it.

Deanna calmly gets out of bed and goes out the door. I hear her getting a plastic bag and Ribbon meowing and then bamb! Presto! She says I can come out and that it is gone and she goes back to bed.

I'm left with Ribbon looking at me like his heart is broken. His prize is gone and he has nothing left to show me. At this point all I can do is still picture Ribbon with the mouse in his mouth so yet again I run back to my room and under the covers.

It took me 45 minutes to relax enough to fall into a light doze. Krista eventually got up and asked me if I was ok. Ribbon mewoed at her as if to say, "I had a great big mouse that I wanted to show everyone and I am King of the castle, but Deanna took my prize away."

When I did eventually get up I made a very big deal of Ribbon, because the truth is I'm glad he killed the mouse. I'd rather they be dead than alive and somehow finding a way into the house. And he's 17. I mean my cat is old. And blind in one eye and going deaf. The fact that he can still catch mice like he did back in Pleasant Hill when he was a young cat of under ten is freaking impressive and I am very pround of him. Needless to say he got extra pampering, food and treats today. He's been struting around the house all day so very studlike and he is currently contently sleeping next to me trying to sleep off his mouse catching hangover. He's had a tough day. And he's staying in the house tonight. There will be no mouse encounters for me tomorrow morning.

So that was the start of my day today. It was definately interesting. I never thought I was that afraid of rodents before, but there it is. Monkey see, Monkey do. My mother runs screaming from mice and apparently I do too. No other explanation. Dead, alive, whatever. Irrational I tell you. Irrational, but there it is.

(The original version of this post that I had composed in my head at 6am this morning when I couldn't relax was way better. I'm going to have to learn to write these things down when I'm not close enough to my computer....sigh.)

Mice everywher fear for your lives