If you’ve been to Strong’s before you’ve probably seen the cat. We affectionately call her Tink and she affectionately draws blood any chance she gets. We ask that you treat Tink like any other WILDANIMAL and, please, do not pet her. There is every chance that she will scratch you, or bite you, or even both. If you do, for whatever reason decide to touch any animal on the property you do so at your on risk.
You see, Tink is a feral cat and while she does call the Nursery home we don’t call her our pet. She’s really more of an employee. Tink does most of her work after the rest of us go home. After we all clock out and lock up Tink starts to stir from her chosen napping spot. She stretches her lean frame beneath her fluffy over coat and goes on the prowl. After a long day of being inconveniently located on the counter it’s time to hunt!
Tinks job is to keep our little Nursey pest free. Wether it’s mice, lizards, rats, rabbits, or even the occasional possum Tink is going to hunt them down and eviserate them. She especially enjoys the occasional bird that accidentally flys in and takes great pleasure in pouncing on the poor thing mid flight from her trusty top shelf. After catching her prey she’s got two options, she could eat it now, or later. While I’m sure she eats a few of her treats nocturnally she does save a fair amount of them for later. She saves them for us. You see, as a cat, Tink thinks that all people/animals/living things are either other cats or prey. As human beings we are way to big to be prey so we are obviously just big cats. We are, in her eyes, however big cats that are horrible hunters so she has to bring us food, isn’t that sweet? Tink often keeps her kills in her special hiding place until morning comes and the rest of the Strong’s employees start filing in. At that point she likes to drag out her offering and present it to whom ever she decides looks the most in need. Usually her gift is rejected and so she drags it over to someone else. Eventually, she deems us all to be ungrateful ingrates and proceeds to rip it limb from limb in a rather gory display of dominance over any any other living thing in the Nursery.
So do you still want to pet the cat? If you do, take a look at this lovely shot of Tink eating a rat.
I know she’s fluffy. I know she LOOKS friendly and inviting laying there like that. But she also licks herself all day with the same tongue that she’s just licked the innards out of a rat. And her paws that you just wanna hold or squish or pet? Those things just ripped a possum apart last night.
In conclusion, Tink is most certainly a cold blooded killer. We love that you love her, but she really prefers being left alone, and we prefer keeping our professional killer happy and healthy!
Thank You, Strong’s Nursery