The CAT thread

**Morticia Iunia Bruti** · January 18, 2021, 09:17 AM

Lets hope, he has simply moved to another firm.

**Septentrionalis** · January 18, 2021, 09:36 AM

Oh noes. Do you have any large predators in your area? Because cats are predators themselves, one does not necessarily come to think of it, but this species of very large owls are really dangerous to cats. Lynxes too, but I would be surprised if there were any in that warm a climate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_eagle-owl

I'm hoping he is just enjoying hospitality elsewhere or got a case of wanderlust. I remember my cat in childhood sometimes being away for days and then coming back so hungry that he ate what seemed to be his own weight.

**Flinn** · January 18, 2021, 09:39 AM

The only predators we have here are cars going too fast

also, old ugly women can be possible cat hunters, especially if they have a big bubo on their nose

**Septentrionalis** · January 18, 2021, 09:49 AM

If I see a cat running from one of those, I think I'll follow.

**Morticia Iunia Bruti** · January 18, 2021, 12:28 PM

I love the Uhu.^^

https://www.deutsche-vogelstimmen.de/uhu/?type1533

Did you know that the Eagle Owl is mentioned in one of the oldest german children folk songs?

The Vogelhochzeit from 1470:

English Translation

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

**Septentrionalis** · January 18, 2021, 12:56 PM

Oh wow, I had no idea of course and no idea either that it would be called according to its call! I come from an area with large populations and I am very familiar with the sound. We were lucky not to lose any cats to them. I remember once spending the night in the woods with some friends as a kid, and one of them kept me up much of the night

.

Our regular name for it is huuhkaja, the first syllable of which imitates the sound. It is also called hyypiö or hyypiä in some dialects, and in general Finnish that word has come to mean a weird guy. I can kind of see the connection!

I have a really hard time seeing an Uhu getting anyone wedding shoes, but if that is indeed what they do, I guess that is good. At least they are spending time not threatening cats. Can't see how someone, let alone a bird, could multitask killing cats and getting wedding shoes.

I noticed that the English wikipedia article on the bird had a bit about Uhu and our national football team. I guess it makes for a story even if you are not into sports:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

**Morticia Iunia Bruti** · January 18, 2021, 02:08 PM

As Eagle owls are hunting puppies from wild boars and deers the fear losing cats to them is justified.

That they are the nickname of the finnish soccer team is quite cool, as they were my favourite animal as child.

(In the 80s they were in high danger to be extincted in Germany. I get a monthly journal about animals as a kid^^.)