Surprise Gift
Everyone in the home gathered around and warned the dad not to open it. This time the cat had dragged home the most unusual-looking thing.
It wasn't the usual cat gift she would often bring home from the neighborhood. When the dad finally got the courage to look closer, everyone was stunned. How can the cat bring something so dangerous into the house?
Rescue
The family cat was a rescue. They adopted her from the local shelter a few years ago, and she grew up to be quite the rascal. Everyone loved her, and they named her Amy.
Amy always had a talent for catching things and loved to drag her toys around the house. But what would happen when the cat started catching things outside and brought them home?
Neighborhood Adventures
As the cat grew up, she began to love exploring the neighborhood. Sometimes, she would be gone for an entire day and almost always returned with something in her mouth.
But was the cat just a harmless enthusiastic explorer or a menace? As soon as her explorations became more frequent, the family began to worry about what could happen.
Gifts
The cat's gift began to be more diverse and interesting. Amy brought home socks, small toys, leaves, and even keys. The kids were overjoyed at her shenanigans, but the parents were worried that some people might miss these things.
And even if most gifts were harmless trinkets, what she brought home in her last adventure was anything but harmless. The entire family was terrified. What were they going to do with it?
Unhappy Neighbors
Neighbors started to get annoyed by the cat's behavior, to say the least. Some knocked on the family's door, angry about their missing things. Some found the cat's behavior cute and weren't bothered much.
But Amy's family started to worry that her adventures would get her and her family in serious trouble someday. And it didn't take long before something disturbing happened.
Ritual
The family made it a weekly ritual to gather everything Amy brought home and knock on their neighbor's doors to politely return them. They even posted some flyers near the neighborhood, "Are you missing a sock or any other small item? Our cat might have stolen it."
But the cat's latest gift couldn't be returned. The family had no idea where it came from or even what exactly it was.
Finding A Way
The family was in a bind. They had to find a way to stop her explorations. They were afraid things would get dangerous soon. They decided to keep the cat inside at all times, no matter what.
But Amy would still manage to sneak through someone's legs when they were going out. She didn't want to give up on her adventures just yet. The family members started to be more careful before leaving the house and made sure that she stayed in. This seemed like the perfect solution. But would it succeed in keeping the cat inside?
Getting Another One
Not being able to go out anymore, Amy got depressed. The family struggled to find a solution until they eventually decided to get her a sibling.
So they went to the same shelter and got her a small kitten brother to have someone to play with. This cheered her up, and she even started to carry the little kitten around, just as she did with all her treasures. Was this enough to keep her happy though?
Daring Escape
One day the husband was cooking something, and he opened the kitchen window for a few minutes. While the father was attending to his food, Amy saw the opportunity and jumped through the open window.
The family tried to go outside and catch her, but she was long gone. She sprinted as if she had escaped prison. There was nothing they could have done at that point. They just hoped she would return home safe.
Someone At The Door
It was the middle of the night. The entire family was asleep when strange loud noises came from the entrance door. Everyone woke up and went to check it out.
The father opened the door, and there it was: Amy was eager to get inside to show them her latest find. But this was no ordinary trinket. The family has never seen anything like this before.
The Gift
When they realized that the cat was carrying something strange, the father asked everyone to keep their distance. He slowly approached the cat and managed to take her away from her catch so he could take a better look.
What he saw left him speechless. It was a ball of feathers, a bird's nest that was quite big. It was all covered in feathers, and he couldn't see if there was anything inside. He didn't know if he should try to open it or not. What was he supposed to do?
Asking For Help
Eventually, the dad took the nest to a local wild animal association to let them open it safely. It was completely unopened. The family had no idea if there was anything in it all.
So they brought it to Folly Wildlife Rescue, where they had to destroy the nest to see what was hiding inside and if it was dangerous to humans.
Opening It
They finally opened it, and it was worth it. Inside, there were three tiny bald baby birds. The team had begun to help the babies grow up big and strong.
It was a race against time. The babies were small and fragile, but they managed to feed them, and they saw a change in their energy level in hours. At first, the team thought the birds were goldcrests. As the babies grew, they managed to identify them as young long-tailed tits.
Three Lucky Birds
While it was too early to tell if they would make it, the rescuers were doing everything they could to help them and make sure they had a chance to grow up and build their own nests.
The staff thought that the baby birds had a good chance at survival, but they also pointed out that this incident could have been prevented.
New Measures
While cats have a natural instinct to hunt, people can protect wildlife by keeping them inside, at least at night, and making sure they don't have a chance to sneak up on other animals.
Also, investing in a collar with a bell is a good measure. Amy's family did the same, so animals could hear her when approaching, and vowed to take better care and keep her inside. The animal association took this opportunity to warn other cat owners to be careful not to let their pets roam free. Cats can easily harm other small animals.