I had Animal Planet on while I was writing and they had a great show
about nocturnal predators on the Serengeti. The most on-topic animal
was the little African Wildcat. The East African variety is a close
relative of the North African Wildcat which is the most likely ancestor
of our little rulers.

They showed two Wildcats courting and being interrupted by a Caracal (a
good deal larger) which was a danger to them. The little Tom, who
really looked like he should be in someone's living room, faced down
the bigger cat. He was not ABOUT to be interrupted just because
something might kill him. The Caracal was so shocked he just went about
his business.

Later they showed a female Wildcat hunting to feed her baby. THEY
certainly looked like someone's little but, like wild animals
everywhere, they have to get their own food. The mother cat caught a
mouse for her baby and gave him some milk as well.

We also got some looks at Caracals besides the one who wandered by when
the Wildcats were courting. I don't like the idea of keeping wild
animalas as pets but I can understand why people find Caracals so
appealing. Part of it is that Caracals are both exotic and very like
domesitc cats at the same time. They have much of the same facial
appeal.

The female who makes a spectacular leap to catch a bird to feed her
babies and then loses her kill, but not her babies to some hyenas, is
noble and heroic and tragic. While the narrator made it seem that not
getting a kill that night would probably doom her kittens, they did not
look that badly off. Better luck tomorrow night.

Will in New Haven