Predator(s) and Prey

I get up fairly early and stroll to my office to do a little work before breakfast. Eric comes with me while the rest of the family sleeps. He scurries around doing whatever dogs do in the wee hours of the morning (or are they the wee-wee hours?), and I let him in the office after about twenty minutes.

One morning, after Eric went his way and I went mine, I found Cloudy and Hagrid, the outdoor cats, playing with a mouse. I instantly decided to let nature take its course - who am I to rattle the food chain? - and continued to my office.

After the usual twenty minutes, having forgotten all about the mouse and cats, I opened the door to check for Eric. There he was, playing with the mouse, and quite vigorously, at that! He had reduced Cloudy and Hagrid to mere spectators, and the mouse wasn't too happy, either. This time, I instantly decided nature's course was wrong. I scooped up Eric, took him inside and gave him doggie treats to get his little mind off the mouse.

The mouse's fate is still unlearned, to paraphrase the Kingston Trio; see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_on_the_MTA.