Snake in the grass

Interesting that the snake in the grass was not really a "snake in the grass"...

The snake in the grass was actually the cat.
She had caught this grass snake and was attacking it when I turned the garden hose on her and got her to drop it. It lay in a mess on the grass looking dead with a bloody head, and I was sure it was dead. Flies crawled all over it, and yet I felt the urge to stand close by and protect it from the cat still. After a few minutes it straightened up and slid slowly into a flowerbed. I was gobsmacked. The cat came back and tried to hunt it down again. It was the first grass snake I've ever seen and I was furious that it might end up dead.

I'm not a fan of domestic cats. If I'm honest I don't actually think we should have them at all.

Once upon a time there were wildcats in the British Isles. There was a point to them. There were fewer humans, more wooded areas, and significantly more wildlife. Wildcats would have kept any over-populations of small animals in check, they would not have become over-populated themselves by domestication or artificial feeding. Nature works very well on its own when man doesn't interfere. Now man has interfered big time. Now wild land and wooded areas are sparse and wildlife is struggling. There is no point to domestic cats. They're an unnatural addition and I am one of those stupid humans who once thought it would be a good idea to get a cat. I changed my mind quite swiftly and have spend 13 years feeding a pet we don't really want.
She's a very fit and healthy tabby cat who has killed and killed and killed for years. We tried to rehome her but no one wants her.
Humans ignore the damage cats do, we pretend they love us, we are ridiculous fools to their cute faces and cute noises. We are completely in denial about the destruction they cause. When I get upset about how many birds, rabbits, mice, snakes, frogs, toads, butterflies, etc, etc, etc cats kill, my mother-in-law's answer is "but it's nature!"
No. It's not. It's people. People getting too many cats. Domestic cats are not nature.

I watch things.

I've noticed that cute faces mean nothing.
I've noticed that close inspection and behaviours mean everything.

We have a toad in our greenhouse. He sits in a flowerpot and pretends to be a lump of mud or a dead leaf. I leave the door open so he can go if he wants to, but he doesn't. He stays and eats whatever he eats. Slugs? Flies? Things that would otherwise be eating my cucumber, chilli, pepper, aubergine and tomato plants. We live alongside each other, I try not to bother him and don't pretend he's something he's not.
THAT'S nature.
That's how people and animals should be living.

My mother's best friend has a cat that is her greatest love. She takes him to bed at night. He's all she's got. She thinks he is affectionate.
Who am I to say he's not? It would be like saying God doesn't exist.

But I do think it's a big bloody load of nonsense and it's time people stopped pretending some animals are like humans and deserve to sleep on our beds while others are worthless and can be kept in terrible conditions and slaughtered for food. It's all about being fooled by appearances and we should be cleverer than that.

That's why I gave up red meat for good last week. I don't think there should be these distinctions between mammals. I'm not prepared to eat a dog or a horse, so why should I eat a pig or a cow? Well. I won't from now on. All animals should be able to live the life that is most natural to them.

The most natural life for cats is hunting and killing and I'm never ever getting another one.


PS Toads have really cute faces
PPS So do snakes
PPPS The Apprentice is still shite. Why do people watch it?! I hate it