Merlyn and Lillith-my two black cats-are grateful that the article said nothing about them being familiars or any other thing to do with witches-but my tabby, Tertia wants to know why treats are not mentioned as rewards for successful mousers...
When my dad was a boy, one of his early jobs was in the local village butcher shop. This was before WWII and the introduction of warfarin. He said that as he walked up the main street in the early hours, rats were crossing back and forth to lay low for the day.
The butchers kept a cat *in the shop* (that wouldn’t pass in this day and age, probably wasn’t considered okay then either), an excellent rat catcher.
They’d come to work in the morning, and the cat had lined up the night’s kills in a neat row. He’d get richly rewarded, I think usually liver. Then take a nap and stay out of sight all day.
I figure, hey, a cat in a butcher shop is *way better* than rats crawlin’ all over the place. 😊