What's all the fuss about?!

Meow meow everyone, Florence here! I've got a bit of a dilemma and I'm hoping that you'll be able to lend a paw and tell me what you think. Many people think that cats spend most of their time asleep. It's true that I like nothing better than curling up for a nap somewhere comfortable. However, I do also recognise that it's important for me to keep in tip top condition and I try to exercise regularly to keep my flabby underbelly at bay! Tree climbing in the garden is a favourite pursuit, but when I'm indoors, my Mum and Dad have a selection of toys to keep me both trim and entertained. I must admit that I consider myself a bit of a rodent connoisseur, being the owner of a number of rather splendid imitations. Allow me to acquaint you with some of them.

Laser mouse. One of my oldest toys. Just the slightest click on the button has been known to rouse me from a deep sleep. Guaranteed to provide hours of fun, although I do find it a tad frustrating that I never seem to catch anything! Very hard to get my paws on that blasted red light and I feel exhausted after the chase!

Leather mouse. This one is rather flat which means there's not a great deal to get my teeth into. It does have fur at least, so resembles the real thing. Great for throwing around as it's quite lightweight. I can really show this one who's the boss in this house!

Shaker mouse. This one has something inside it so it rattles a bit as I play with it. Has a bit more weight to it so I can give it a good pounding with my back feet. The string tail is a little rough in my mouth though!

The pastel twins. This pair can often be found on my Mum's desk, so when I'm helping out, it's easy for me to extend a paw and knock one or other about for a bit of fun. I must admit to them being one of my favourites.

Woolly cat nip mouse. This one was created just for me by a friend of my Mum's in the USA. Crafted from luxury yarns (of course!) and filled with top notch cat nip, playing with this beast gives me a wonderfully happy, drugged up feeling. Perfect for when I want a deep sleep afterwards. 

The All American duo. These two also crossed the Pond to come and live with me, and like their knitted cousin (above), they too are filled with cat nip. I prefer the dark blue one as its fluffy coat makes a very satisfying sound when I claw it.

So I think you'll agree with me that I certainly 'know my mice'. I could appear on Mastermind, no problem. Name: Florence, Specialist subject: mice in all their guises.

Anyway, I digress. Back to the tale. Yesterday started out pretty much like any other day. Slept a bit, ate a bit, went for a constitutional around the garden, smooched a bit, had some lap time and before I knew it, it was time for bed. I followed my Mum and Dad upstairs and settled down on the bed for a sleep. Woke up around 3am and decided it was time for a bit of exercise. I padded downstairs and searched for something to play with. Nothing! Zilch! Nada! So what does an enterprising kitty like me do? Go and wake up Mum and Dad and ask them to find my toys? Nope! I did what I thought was the most considerate option - I went outside to search further afield. I have been known to take my toys outside on occasions, so I was most hopeful of finding one of them in the naughty corner of the garden. No such luck. But while I was looking, I came across the most wonderful thing ever - a new furry mouse!! I couldn't believe my good fortune, so I carefully picked it up and in through the cat flap I came.  Of course I wanted to share my good news with Mum and Dad straight away, so I hurried up the stairs and into their bedroom, announcing my arrival with a somewhat throaty meow. I couldn't speak as clearly as usual because my mouth was full. Oh my, then the fun and games began. I dropped my 'toy' on the carpet and it started to move, all by itself! And when I say move, I think that this was the Usain Bolt of the mouse community. It sprinted along by the skirting board at a tremendous rate and I leapt and pounced to my heart's content. And you'll never guess what? This mouse made a sound too! It squeaked most satisfactorily when my paws made contact! I think that the squeaking woke up Mum and Dad, because the lights went on and Mum got up to see what I was doing. HAVING FUN!!!! By this time, the little mouse seemed to have a mind of its own and was running about across the bedroom and behind the bedside table. I got so much exercise, it was brilliant! Sadly, Mum decided that my new toy had to go, and before I knew it, she'd whisked it off somewhere - what a spoilsport! Mum and Dad were not amused by my antics and told me so in no uncertain words! So what did I do that was so wrong? Please tell me.

Meow meow meow for now. Flo xxx