Minnie The Cat Plays With Mouse

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 16, Issue 13, 30 October 1950, Page 7

Minnie The Cat Plays With Mouse

There is a cat called Minnie on the Wellington waterfront which has a mouse for a playmate. Minnie takes complete charge of it, attempts to mother it, plays fast and furious games of tag with it, and never unsheaths a claw even when the mouse bites in protest against Minnie’s attempt to wash it. Scores have gone unbelievingly to the shed on No. 2 Depot, King’s Wharf, have watched the cat and mouse playing happily together, and have gone away muttering. But it is true.

The doorway of an office in the depot was blocked up by the owner of the cat, Mr*A. H. Booth, a plant attendant. The deputy-owner, Mr A. Godfrey, brought Minnie into the office. The mouse was released from the large tin in which it lives.

The mouse scuttled across the room and stood on its hind legs in a corner, like a boxer waiting for the gong. The chase was on. For almost 10 minutes the. enthralling sight of a scrap of grey fur playing tag with a huge black and white adversary was watched with amazement. Not once was the cat unduly rough-. Not a claw was seen.

“They have been playing together like that for the last nine days since the mouse was caught in a rubbish tin,” said Mr Booth. “After they have had enough they usually lie down beside one another to rest.”

Mr Booth said he got Minnie from the chief officer of the coaster Inaha. Her mother had died when she was born and the officer had fed her with a teaspoon. Mr Booth considered this the reason for Minnie’s friendliness toward the mouse. She had never been taught to kill. “Its a pity the same thing doesn’t apply in this world—then perhaps there wouldn’t be so much bloodshed,” said Mr Booth. “Here is one indication that the urge to kill is not instinctive.”

He said it would be interesting to see how Minnie’s kittens would treat the mouse when she has some.

“It is really funny to see Minnie try to wash the mouse,” said Mr Booth. “As soon as her tongue goes to work, the mouse fastens its teeth on her nose and hangs on. It doesn’t like being washed. Minnie yowls desperately but even then makes no attempt to injure her playmate. It is not a case of Minnie being too well fed to bother about mice, added Mr Booth. Another cat stole Minnie’s meat the other day and she had to go hungry. She later played with the mouse in the usual way in spite of her empty stomach.