Tuggles verses the bug ... and a sweet potato

If anyone ever tells me cats are useless creatures, I will most likely laugh at them since they are obviously clueless. Don't get me wrong, my cats don't play fetch, rarely come when I call them (unless I use treats or catnip as a bribe), greet me at the door because they want food, and think they own the world. However, the males in my home (this is my husband and my cat Tuggles) are the official bug patrol - and sometimes I think my cat is more affective than my husband is (but lets not tell HIM that!). So on to the story...

A few days ago, before my alarm goes off, I hear my cat sporadically racing around my bedroom, randomly whining while this is going on. Mind you, this cat is about 18 pounds and NOT light on his feet, so yes, it wakes me up. I lay in bed for a few minutes listening to the chaos ensue, knowing that either 1) he is playing with his imaginary friend (which is ALWAYS entertaining to watch) 2) playing with one of the random cat toys he has, or 3) he has found a bug - and my guess was the bug. [SIDE NOTE: We live on a lake and thus have learned that we deal with a lot more of nature, both inside our home and out. As long as it continues to be a single bug every few months and not an ongoing battle, I can manage.] I slowly roll over and turn on the light by my bed then move to the end of my bed so I can see my whining kitty and his prize. There he is, laying on his belly with a single paw holding the bug in place. He lets it go and it starts to scurry away, Tuggles then lets out another whine and whacks it with the other paw. He proceeds like this for a short time until the bug gets to far away, at which point he runs over to it, picks it up in his mouth (((gag))) and moves it back to the center of the floor again. Now while he is "playing", the bug is slowly losing its legs - and yes, they can be found later on the floor (gross, I know). Soon the bug can no longer move on its own and Tuggles loses interest, at which point I have a bug body left on the floor. That is stage 1 of the bug control in my house and sometimes get skipped.

Stage 2 is where my husband's bug duties come into play. If the bug is small and not crunchy, I can address it myself. However, if it is a larger spider or other type of nasty insect (especially those that crunch rather than squish), it becomes my husbands job to deal with it. This most recent bug is the later, and while it is now legless and has one antenna left, it is still of the larger, crunchy variety and makes me shudder. I contain the insect for my husband (READ: place a glass over said bug - or bug body in this occurrence) and inform the exterminator (READ: call husband and tell him he has a chore to take care of immediately). So, I call my dear husband, tell him Tuggles found a toy and I'm pretty sure he ripped all the legs off so it can't move, and I left it under the glass on the floor, please dispose of it when you get home. (And now why I say I think my cat is the better "bug guy" in my home) I get home that evening and the bug is no longer under the glass (but the glass is still on the floor). Okay, no big deal. I walk into the bathroom and BAM! the bug body is sitting in the bottom of our toilet and I, of course, cannot use it now. Sigh. At least he tries.

Now for the sweet potato - that is the size The Nest tells me our baby is this week. I'm 18 weeks. 2 more weeks and I'll be half way there!!! Now, if we just knew what we having the shopping would start.