If Blair thinks that the media is a feral beast, what would he make of our cat?  Last week Jayne removed his collar because it was getting tatty and had ruworn some of his fur away, but now the bell can't warn the wildlife of his approach our garden and teh woods out the back have turned into the killing fields.

The other morning we found half a mouse in the back garden and then on Tuesday night the cat approached making his 'look what I've got' noises, and then chaos ensued.

Jayne has this attitude towards wildlife that she likes it and would like to protect it from the cat, but not to the extent of actually touching it, so I usually get the job of grabbing stunned birds and mice in the kitchen. (I am not complaining. As part of a fair division of labour she does spiders which I am squemish about) This time I was chasing the cat round the garden, with J yelling encouragement despite it being midnight.

Eventually I got hold of the cat and managed to prise his jaws open to release the mouse, who shot off into the bushes.  But not quick enough, as the cat went in and brought it out again, so I had to get the mouse out of his jaws a second time and then I carried the cat into the house to give the mouse a decent head start.

The cat was not what I would describe as happy and it was not easy to keep hold of him without dropping my Maglite, but I did get him indoors so he could sulk and look daggers at me.

Don't let anyone kid you that cats are cute.