Patches loved to keep his predatory skills sharp through plenty of practice. The pampered house cat had many toys, which the feline often stalked as substitute prey. Still, nothing invoked its heritage as a highly efficient predator like live prey.
The cat watched the tiny mouse as it fled from its initial attack. The cat allowed the mouse a certain distance, but then it launched itself back into action. With a single spring, the cat pounced across the floor, flattening the tiny white mouse beneath one of its huge paws.
The mouse that had been Nathan squealed in fear when the cat's paw landed heavily on it, pinning the much weaker creature to the floor.
Disappointed at its easy success, the cat batted the tiny mouse with its paw, slamming the rodent against the wall. After the impact, the dazed mouse staggered to its feet.
Instinct urged the mouse to make a desperate attempt to escape. It saw the cat surge forward, a blur of fur, claws and fangs.
The little rodent felt the cat's teeth punch through its thin skin as the feline took its prey into its jaws and carried it to its bed near the towering family Christmas tree.
The mouse continued to struggle, but the cat responded to each renewed attempt at escape. The mouse's struggle grew gradually more feeble.
The front door opened. Nathan's parents entered, carrying several bags of luggage with them.
"Nathan, dear. Are you home?" His mother called out.
The cat heard their arrival and greeted them by walking toward them, rubbing against the woman's leg and dropping its "gift" of a mouse at their feet.
The woman gasped as she saw the bloodied, half-eaten remains of a tiny white mouse. "Oh, Patches! What a mess!"
"Never mind," the man said. "At least the cat's earning his keep, which is more than I can say about Nathan. He's not even here to welcome us home."
"I'm sure he has a good excuse," Nathan's mother said, always a light touch when it came to her son.
When its owner showed little interest in the mouse, the cat picked it up and carried it back to its bed. Later, in the glow of the twinkling Christmas lights, the cat finished off the rest of the mouse as a midnight snack.