Or not, as the case may be....

As my alter ego knows all too well, things are not always as is they seem.

Willow has bitten the end off of her tail before.  Naturally we assumed that she had done it again.  But something wasn't right.

The vet was sceptical that she could have done this to herself.  The bleeding was caused by a straight, two and a half inch long gash up her tail - it was unlikely she could do that to herself.

However, the vet discovered evidence of previous chewing during surgery, so for want of a better explanation, the diagnosis was a recurrence of feline hyperesthesia.

But this was odd.  Being a fan of murder mysteries, I decided to analyse the trail of bloodsplatters decorating the house.  I don't have luminol, or a stringing kit, or even a magnifiying glass.  I do however have a DangerMouse lapel pin and too much free time.

We started in the bedroom.  We had found her there, bleeding out onto my pillow, panting and shaking.  One huge bloodstain.  One ruined pillow, but no help.

We tracked the spatters along the hall to the spare room.  She had obviously cornered herself behind the door as another huge stain was evident on the door.  There were spatters up the wall (five feet up) and the mirror also had droplets on it. 

We followed her path back to the computer room (blood on my files, carpet and monitor) and down the stairs (blood up the walls).  Into the kitchen.

At first glance, we couldn't find anything.  I thought back to what had happened that morning.  I had fed the cats that morning, and then fed Lila.  Lila eats in the kitchen with the cats.

I remembered that I had left Lila's food on the side whilst I ran for a tissue - bloody hayfever again.  Whilst I was out of the room, Willow shot up the stairs, Frankie hissed and tried to ignite the gas stove with his belly.  When I returned, Lila was sat eyeing her food and Frankie was eyeing Lila.  Pretty normal stuff.  Willow doesn't tend to stay downstairs long for fear someone will steal her place on the Stuffed Rottweiler.

Had Lila tried to bite Willow?  Why had Frankie hissed?  Lila, being a rottweiler, is tailless, and has always had a fascination with the cats tails..........

It didn't seem too likely.  I would have heard something, and Lila would not have been sitting waiting for breakfast patiently.  If she had bitten WIllow, she wouldn't have just sat there. 

There were no knives out.  Or any other sharp objects.  Or any blunt objects.  In fact, barring Frankie, there was nothing on the side at all.

So we thought about it.  Whilst we thought, we fed Lila again.    And it hit us.

Lila's food had been on the side.  She must have jumped up to sniff it whilst I was out of the room - she knows she is not allowed to jump up in the kitchen.   

Willow must have been sniffing her food.  She usually does and usually steals a mouthful as well.  When Lila jumped up herself to have a sniff, her puppy sharp, but adult sized claws landed on Willow's tail as she sniffed the food.  Willow jumped to get away and Lila's claw raked through her tail, leaving a straight, two and a half inch long gash.

Willow shot along the sideboard to avoid Lila, jumped down and ran up the stairs, leaving her trail of blood as she fled. 

Mystery solved.

Comments

[Snapper]

Oh! Poor Willow.......

[Pez]

By golly, DangerMouse! You figured it out! And poor Willow. :(