Horatio "Ratty" Squirrelpants Esq. of Kosi Bay (Part XV1 of 2010)
Thursday, 15 July 2010 12:00 | 
Written by Viv | 
Hooray! Something to report on the elusive Mr Squirrelpants at last.
Ratty's been in and out of the kitchen asking for nuts and other treats ... as have the others who live in the vicinity. He is definitely very wary of humans now, and only occasionally allows one of us to scratch his head ~ and only after he's had something to eat, and only for as long as he feels comfortable ~ then he's off!
More often than not after a quick nip on the finger.
Horatio usually puts in an appearance at the Main House when there are guests in residence ~ and more especially if said guests leave snacks out in the open for him to sample. He entertained the family who stayed with us last week by stealing cheese curls and eating them whilst balancing on a pole on the pooldeck. And be warned ~ he's very partial to apples, so any such fruit left where he can access it WILL be munched!
This morning he came to get breakfast in our kitchen, and alarmed us with a supersonic squirrel-shriek ... he'd spotted the two newest Kosi Moon residents, Yin and Yang, our half-African-Wildcat kittens! When we got them we'd decided the kitties would wear bells during the day, to alert our squirrel population, and to prevent the girls from killing any birds. Not sure if Ratty heard or saw them first, but he certainly recognized them for the dangerous predators they are and started squawking!
His feeding station now rests in the tree just outside our kitchen windows, so he should be safe enough, as long as he remembers to listen out for the girls!