I have just witnessed a squirrel screaming at Louis Catorze, and I think it might be the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. 

Initially, when I heard the sound, I thought it was a magpie or a crow. I wouldn’t ordinarily bother to investigate such sounds, because I know that Catorze probably started it and that he can handle himself. But, when the noise didn’t stop, part of me wondered whether Catorze was being sick. His usual puke sounds aren’t quite this persistent or nasal, but I would have felt bad if he’d had something stuck in his throat and I hadn’t tried to help him. 

I’m not sure I was even aware that squirrels could make sounds. Now, I am. And this isn’t a sound that I’ll forget in a hurry:

Is it a crow with a kazoo?

Although you can’t see Catorze fully, you can see his little feet a couple of seconds in, under the table, walking past. Yes, he walked away languidly and lazily, as if he thought, “I just can’t be bothered with this”. 

The squirrel gave a few more seconds of, “Don’t walk away when I’m talking to you! Oy! OYYYY!” Then, as soon as Catorze was indoors, the noise stopped. 

I don’t know what this means but, since the little sod’s relations with the squirrels haven’t exactly been positive over the years, what with attempted pursuits up telegraph poles even when Côned, lopped-off tails and all, I can’t imagine that anything good is about to happen. 

Catorze knows where this is heading, but he has invoked his right to remain silent (for once). 

Resting but on the lookout for more squirrels to annoy.

For more Catorzian capers, please visit http://louiscatorze.com

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37 responses to “La reprise de la guerre ”

  1. mcmcneil1 avatar
    mcmcneil1

    Squirrels do have a surprising range of vocalizations. Hard t tell them from birds sometimes.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      This one really took me by surprise!

      Like

  2. Kate Crimmins avatar

    I know that sound well. Squirrels aren’t fond of cats.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      Oh dear. Is there a story here?

      Like

      1. Kate Crimmins avatar

        My cat Lacy (long, long gone — black of course) had a habit of chasing squirrels despite the fact that there was no way she would catch them. They would chatter at her all the time. They even got the crows to swoop her on the head. She deserved it.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. iamthesunking avatar

          Yes, we’ve had parakeets swooping over Catorze and squawking. So they are in league with the squirrels!

          Liked by 1 person

          1. Kate Crimmins avatar

            They deserve it!

            Liked by 1 person

            1. iamthesunking avatar

              Catorze 100% deserves it.

              Liked by 1 person

  3. sevencatsandcounting avatar

    Speaking for all Dogdom, I commend you, Cat King, on your noble pursuit of Squirrels! Woofs and Wags, Cosmo

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      Noooo, we don’t want them to pursue! Have you seen their slasher claws?

      Liked by 1 person

      1. sevencatsandcounting avatar

        No match for his highness’s Murder Mittens, I’m sure. Woofs and Wags, Cosmo

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Belle avatar
    Belle

    I’ve been reprimanded by squirrels more than once, simply for having the temerity to have been idling under “their” tree 🙄 And I was pelted with leaves by a particularly ticked off teenaged 🐿️ whilst on the phone last month; clearly I was not getting the message!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      PELTED WITH LEAVES!

      Like

  5. mmechapeau avatar
    mmechapeau

    Great picture once again, I love Louis’s expression.The first and only time I heard a squirrel screaming, it was a red one and no cat was involved, but I felt astonished too. This took place at the edge of the Bois de la Cambre in Brussels and I was lucky. I could see the noisy squirrel climbing a tree.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      Red ones are very rare in the UK! Do you live in Belgium?

      Like

    2. mmechapeau avatar
      mmechapeau

      Yes, I do. Actually, I live in Wallonia. I met the squirrel I spoke about when going to Brussels to look after two grandchildren of ours who live there.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. iamthesunking avatar

        Ah, somehow I thought you were in Canada! Don’t know why. 🤷‍♀️

        Like

      2. mmechapeau avatar
        mmechapeau

        If you don’t know her, my Gravatar is Belgian.https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/madame-chapeau-sculpture

        Liked by 1 person

        1. iamthesunking avatar

          I didn’t know!

          Like

  6. lifecatsotherthings avatar

    Bracken has a nemesis squirrel, who does the same thing when she tries to climb the tree after it. The funniest sound.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      Is it the same squirrel every time? That would be so funny!

      Like

  7. Dr. CaSo avatar

    When I lived in Alberta, I had a big balcony and magpies and all kinds of other animals visited Calinette (and later, Miss Penny) and me. For a winter, a squirrel came regularly, because I had nuts and grains for the birds and he figured out how to open the bags and steal them! I called him Pumpkin. He’d make these weird noises, too, when magpies were getting too close, and was otherwise not scared at all of us watching him from the living room. You can see some pictures of him on my old blog: https://cestpasmoijeljure.com/2019/11/05/chacun-sa-guerre/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      Oh my goodness, he’s so RUDE! What a cheeky sod, opening the bags! Was your neighbour’s rule a standard rule for all the flats? No feeding the birds but feeding the squirrels was fine?

      Like

  8. Dr. CaSo avatar

    I never really cared about rules and always tried to find ways to make them… not apply to me 😉 So the rule in the building was indeed that we could not feed the birds, but it never said anything about feeding the squirrel 😉 Calinette and I really liked him, he was so cute and funny!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      How weird that they differentiate between animals! Mind you, Cat Daddy is like that. He wants to feed small birds from his bird feeder but not big ones. And definitely not squirrels.

      Like

      1. Dr. CaSo avatar

        Maybe they changed the rule after I left, but I don’t think they could say you can’t feed “animals” on your balcony, because you could feed your dog or cat… I wanted to feed the small birds, too, but the magpies were faster and stronger and scared the small ones away. I gave up after a while.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. iamthesunking avatar

          If Cat Daddy could, I’m sure he would limit his bird feeder to “small, pretty birds who make a nice sound”.

          Liked by 1 person

  9. Marie-Luce, miaougraphe avatar

    On that picture, he looks like a black panther.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      Almost like the panther from Jungle Book!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Marie-Luce, miaougraphe avatar

        Yes ! I hadn’t think about it, but yes, a bit like Bagheera.

        Liked by 1 person

  10. Aspasía S. Bissas avatar

    There’s nothing quite like being scolded by a squirrel 😆

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar

      Our squirrels are pretty terrifying!

      Like

      1. Aspasía S. Bissas avatar

        Same here! Never corner one–they’re cute little savages 💀

        Liked by 1 person

        1. iamthesunking avatar

          And have you seen their slasher claws?

          Like

          1. Aspasía S. Bissas avatar

            Not just the claws–those teeth can chew through just about anything. And we give them a pass because they have fluffy tails…

            Liked by 1 person

            1. iamthesunking avatar

              Cat Daddy always says if they had thin tails they’d just be like rats.

              Like

            2. Aspasía S. Bissas avatar

              He’s not wrong. Although, despite everything I still like them. Perhaps I’m not the most sensible when it comes to these things.

              Liked by 1 person

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