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Where We Left Off:
Ollie and Gus worked on a figuring out the possible modern use for a rusty metal artifact.
Natural Born Killers:
This week’s investigation is not a who-dun-it because we know who did. Ollie and Gus have little patience for certain animals trespassing on the estate. They welcome all the critters that contribute to our small patch of a community like rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, and birds. Even though Gus loves to chase the Jersey devil-deer out of the yard, he and Ollie also appreciate times when the ones they consider friends stay and visit for a while. Who is on the outside of their window of tolerance? Stray and free-roaming cats like the handsome tuxedo, Savile.
Savile is a stunning tuxedo cat with the blackest-black and whitest-white fur and dazzling green eyes that can be seen from a distance. He first appeared as a young lad in 2024. Immediately, showed signs that hunting would be his passion. He used to sit at the well-house in the spot Gus loves. The squirrels use the well-house as a second home or laboratory.
I tried trapping Savile in order to get him a veterinary exam and neutered. I think someone else out in the community had the same idea because in June 2025, Savile showed up with a tipped ear. That’s when one ear’s pointed tip is surgically removed as signifier that it has been sterilized. It’s obviously a process that causes some pain, but it’s akin to having an ear piercing.
When Savile returned with his new street-chic style, he was still focused on hunting and avoiding us. I thought it would have been great to befriend him and maybe Gus and Ollie would adjust to having a feline friend nearby. It was never in the cards. Savile is here almost every day, but does not come when we’re patrolling.
There is a different tuxedo who appeared in 2025. Gus, Ollie, and I met him in person at Big Rock. Gus immediately chased Edward Donne off the property. From a distance, someone could confuse one tuxedo cat for another, but Savile and Edward have entirely different patterns. We don’t have evidence of Edward being the killer that Savile is but, he could be.
We find dead birds (or what’s left of them) and usually blame Savile if no other cause of death is apparent. Logically, if a fox or other predator caught a juicy bird, there wouldn’t be a body left behind. Thank goodness this doesn’t happen often.
The Motive:
Why does Savile go after these animals?
Food? Savile’s body looks healthy. His coat is shiny. His eyes are bright. In fact, he’s never looked hungry and underweight. If someone was kind enough to TNR him, are they also feeding him?
Natural Killer? Is this motivation simply fun? Hunting is what cats do. If they are lucky enough to have safe exposure to be their natural selves, the need for artificial playthings is not necessary. Cat behavior expert, Jackson Galaxy (read his fantastic books!) calls it hunt-catch-kill. As a free-roaming cat, Savile probably isn’t offered fun toys or catnip to play with. At this point, he might be bored and internally laugh at something like a cat toy. Catnip, on the other hand, might be appreciated.
| #NotAllCats like catnip! |
Gus and Ollie recently acquired two more puzzle games to try and stimulate their brains. They’re not used to doing complex tasks to get their treats. Gus has been an excellent player of his Mad Scientist test tube spinning game for years. Ollie’s smaller hands require games that use less dexterity. He’s been loving my homemade game of placing treats inside toilet paper tubes cut in half. All he has to do is topple the tubes and there are treats. The new games require strength and thinking. Their noses tell them that treats are somewhere under the compartment lids, but the boys are still in training to work these out.
The footage of Savile might be alarming or uncomfortable for some to watch. It shows him attacking and carrying off his prey. It also shows some funny behavior alone and with other wildlife.
Case Findings:
Oliver and Gus had a ton of surveillance footage plus physical evidence of Savile’s serial killing. Plus, we’ve also witness Savile in action carrying critters out of the woods and stalking the well house squirrels. The mystery has been if Savile is being fed and needs to hunt for survival or if he’s hunting because of his innate feline predatory behavior. Long before Gus and Oliver were the resident cats here, we had outside cats (the road was infinitely less busy and they were spayed). They hunted for sport. They were fed canned food daily. Gathering up all our experience and research, we believe Savile is hunting only to supplement his diet and for the sport of it.
Case Status: Closed