Feline intelligence

My childhood cat, who died in 1991, is still a feature of our living room. For reasons that doubtless made sense at the time (Inspired By History, I believe; perhaps something to do with Victorians or stately homes) my Mum decided to commemorate her by making a lifesize wooden standee of the dear departed Mitzi. So there Mitzi still stands, engaged in the important duty of hiding some of the tangle of wires that run to the TV unit.

( Pictures below the cut )

Anyway. This morning, I saw a New Cat in the garden. Little more than a kitten, really, very thin, leggy and curious. I opened the patio door, crouched down, and signalled my willingness to make its acquaintance. After some hesistation on kitten's part, the overture was accepted. Nose duly touched hand, and cautiously Kitten ventured inside. Tiptoe tiptoe, she went. Sniff sniff sniff. Ooh! Embroidery wool! How exciting! I must...

HISSS!!!!!

Yes, Kitten had just noticed Mitzi. HISSSS!!!!!! Kitten fled to the patio to... Oh. Sorry. Kitten executed a strategic retreat to Patio HQ where she could bask in her victory, while staying sufficiently far away from the vanquished enemy to avoid being unsportingly gloaty.

"It's not real!" I assured Kitten, picking Mitzi up and bringing her to the window sideways on, then turning her slowly round and round. "It's flat, see?" I turned Mitzi upside down and back to front. "Not real, silly kitty." Kitten watched the whole thing avidly, a look of fierce concentration on her face. I could almost hear the cogs whirring, as I witnessed a young animal achieve a developmental milestone, its cognitive development developing Even As I Watched.

I put Mitzi down again, sideways on, and watched and waited. Kitten tiptoed forward. Kitten paused for a minute to conduct a vital study of a passing woodlouse. Kitten - having decided that the woodlouse was actually Far Too Scary for it to take on charitably decided to let the puny woodlouse live to rejoin its wife and family - came in again. Kitten sniffed the side of Mitzi. Kitten moved to Mitzi's back, and sniffed it again, nose touching the wood. Kitten moved further round, sniffing, thinking, processing. Kitten worked round to Mitzi's front, looked up, and...

HISSS!!!!! HISSSS!!!!!

Kitten fled, hissing, and never came back.