Lots of material for a new song - "The In's and Out's of the Pet Door." Maybe it would work to the tune of "Oh, Dear, What Can the Matter Be?"

I really hadn't thought about "take-out" objects. Our cats only seem to collect and then drag in, deposit, play with, sometimes consume, sometimes throw up. I do recall my astonishment when my old cat Geraldine (now in kitty heaven) proudly brought back a hamburger, and then went back for more; we watched in fascination as she crossed the street, jumped onto our neighbor's porch, then through an open kitchen window...

Tejitu (Ethiopian for "Full of Mead/Spirit"), our long-haired calico, brought in a live mouse a couple of months ago. I found her playing with it on the mat in front of the kitchen sink. No, I wasn't surprised to see a mouse but this one was white with black spots, and very lucky that Tej believes in "catch and release." We've named the mouse Dilbert and so far he seems perfectly happy with his 15-gallon aquarium, with penthouse, tree branch, wheel, and plastic barn, and he shows no sign of wanting to affect another escape. We do wonder what neighbor's house he came from but not enough to make inquiries.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble