Almost seven weeks into lockdown, and both our dishwasher and our car have packed up, the former no doubt through over-use and the latter through insufficient use. And Cat Daddy appears to be coming down with a severe case of FOSTD: Fear of Starving to Death. Every meal time, he snaps, “Don’t eat all the [insert name of whichever food is in the vicinity]”, and I swear there is chocolate in the house that he’s hiding from me, although I can’t prove it.
Louis Catorze, however, is fine and dandy. In fact, with the human race safely off the streets, all the animals are ranging from fine and dandy to running riot and having a ball. First we had those goats in Llandudno and now there are wild boar in Paris, lions on a golf course in South Africa, and, erm, some part-leopard, part-dinosaur mystery beast that absolutely nobody can identify, in Kozhikode, India: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LHBgvhD7pOE
Here in TW8, as well as the squirrels, the foxes are at it.
A few nights ago I glimpsed a baby fox on the roof of That Neighbour’s shed. Then, at 4 o’clock the next morning, I awoke to the sound of what seemed to be a vehicle being driven with a flat tyre, and I thought someone was trying to steal a car. I opened the shutters and saw two to three (I can’t be quite sure) adult foxes circling one of the neighbours’ cars, all the while punctuated with the flat tyre thumping noise.
I couldn’t figure out how they were making the racket, as they didn’t appear to be hitting the car; they just SOUNDED as if they were. I then realised that the sound was coming from their mouths. How a fox can possibly make a thumping noise with its VOICE is beyond me but, as I learned from the zombie fox that Catorze screamed at a couple of years ago, every time I think I know what they sound like, they surprise me: https://louiscatorze.com/2018/09/30/je-suis-une-legende/
I then realised that Catorze wasn’t with me, and my heart sank at the thought of him on the loose outside with foxes gadding about. I went downstairs and turned on the outside light at The Back but there was no sign of him. He eventually appeared, soaking wet and screaming, after I had gone back to bed, and he rolled his cold, drenched body all over me which spelled the end of any hope for sleep.
At the risk of sounding like one of those panicky people who calls the vet if their cat so much as farts (and we all know at least one of those), should we be concerned about our outdoor cats under these circumstances? Traditionally foxes are said to steer clear of cats because they know about those murderous slasher claws, but I wonder how desperate they would be if they weren’t receiving scraps from restaurants and bars? Not that Catorze would make a very satisfying meal – you’d barely get a couple of canapés from his mini-rump – but that’s not the point.
I also imagine that most cats would give a gang of thumping-voiced foxes a wide berth, but we all know that Catorze does exactly the opposite of whatever is expected (or wanted).
Here he is, on the lookout for foxy interlopers:
jesuisleroisoleil 
The good news is : you KNOW LeRoi can climb, and I don’t think the foxes would bother.
We have a young possum living in our garage. He appears after the cats have eaten (outside) and tidies up the leftovers. Better him than raccoons. We have made eye contact twice, and the cats seem unbothered by him – and vice versa. Possums are also not susceptible to rabies, a real plus, even though the outside cats (well except the neighbors’ cat – but those neighbors don’t even get their kids vaccinated.) have had their shots.
The video is amazing. And what IS that in India ??
LikeLiked by 1 person
Foxes do climb! I’ve seen them scale 2-metre fences, which is why I worry. They could easily catch Catorze and snap him in half, and he goads them, too, which doesn’t exactly help.
Not a clue about the animal in India. Nobody knows!
LikeLike
Oh dear ! Yes, he would goad them. Sending purrayers that he has some discretion !
LikeLiked by 1 person
He hasn’t. But thanks anyway! 🤣
LikeLike
Last pic: The hero you need…”I’ll give those interlopers something to howl about!” 😹
LikeLiked by 2 people
I fear he wouldn’t stand a chance against them … 😱
LikeLike
I know foxes don’t generally attack cats but as you say, they are not getting the scraps they are used to, and as Louis is a bit of a scrap, I would be extra cautious xxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
He’s not even a scrap. He’s half a scrap. Less than that, even: a quarter of a scrap. 🤣
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree with Sally and would be careful xxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would feel better about it if he exercised caution. But he doesn’t. Quite the opposite, in fact!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, that‘s the problem with Louis … he seems to have no fear 😻.
I picture him howling together with the foxes …
LikeLiked by 1 person
He’s done it before. Well, AT them rather than together with them. 😱
LikeLiked by 1 person
There you go … still it is scary
LikeLiked by 1 person
Regretfully he cannot be trusted. He has zero sense of self-preservation.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree 😿
LikeLiked by 1 person
Foxes make weird sounds. From the looks of them, you expect them to bark more like a dog but that’s not even close. One night (at 3 a.m. of course) one fox had cornered my cat Jake (who had refused to come in). Jake was under a table and the fox was walking around. I went out to scoot him away (what was I thinking?) and Jake walked into the house. He was unconcerned and took a bath while I tried to go back to sleep. Jake was also a black cat that was occasionally clueless.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He was cornered by a fox, yet unconcerned afterwards? 😱
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes. I’m sure he thought I’d appear out of magic to save him.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Catorze has never needed saving because he’s always got lucky. I hope he doesn’t think he can just keep relying on luck. 🍀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Even if I weren’t anxious about my pets, I think I’d keep them inside at night for the time being. (Also I think I’ve got a touch of FOSTD too–at least I’m in good company.)
LikeLiked by 1 person