My day usually ends the same way.  Just before retiring to the bedroom, I ask Midnight if he wants a treat.  It took a while for my little buddy to learn the routine.  Now he make a noise in his throat that sounds like, “Yup!”  It is his acknowledgement to me that he hears what I’m saying.  At times he is vocal, and he is doing well at training me to understand him.  I often suspect that he thinks I’m a slow learner.

I walk to where the treats are near the basement stairs.  He was frequently hesitant in the beginning, but now he races me to basement stairs.  (He will spend the night in the basement as he has since his first day in the house.)  I give him a few treats, say goodnight and shut the door.  I’ll see him again in the morning.  He has all the kitty amenities in his heated basement.  I don’t get awakened at  5 AM by a hungry or playful cat.  It works well for all of us.

Recently, we tried a different brand of treats.  I noticed as I opened the jar that the plastic was lighter than our usual brand.  I wasn’t concerned and Midnight seemed to really enjoy his bedtime snack.

The second night, I spoke to Midnight and we headed toward the stairs.  The treat jar was gone.  Then I saw it on the floor.

Teeth marks in the plastic jar

On the jar, there were signs of an attempted break-in.  Who could the culprit be?  Yes, I know that you already know.  We both do.

A fang has punctured the treat jar

Look!  Toward the bottom of the jar somebody made a hole in the treat jar.  Could it be a nail?  Must be a fang from a ferocious feline that created that crater.  I reached down and picked up the jar.  The top is thinner, and so the attack centered there.

Midnight left his mark here

Unfortunately for Midnight, his attack failed to achieve access to the kitty treats.  I was left with no doubt that he liked loved the new brand.

The original jar was not going to stand up to repeated attacks, so I put them in a more sturdy container.  I’m a spoil sport and kill joy.