A Dead Bird

This morning, mom found a dead bird by the side of the door that leads to our backyard. She threw it in the large steel garbage can we keep outside so our kitchen won't be perfumed by the stink. I thought it was a dead rat. When I went outside to dump garbage, I saw the bird, it's head half naked. I hurried back inside before I thought I was going to vomit.
"I think Lila killed it," mom explained, "because she was plucking off the feathers when I found her." By the base of the stinky can, there were a few downy feathers that were orange and brown.
"Poor bird," I sighed. We looked at Lila. "I'm not going to let her in; for now," said mom. "The bird might have been sick and the germs could still be lingering over her."
"How about a bath?" I suggested.
"No. Cats don't like baths."

I consulted my dad with a question after telling him about Lila and the bird. "If Lila really did kill that robin," I said, "How would she have caught it? Birds are smarter than flies and they're much faster. If Lila has a hard time catching a tiny flying insect, then she has got to have a strategy.
"Maybe the bird was resting in one of our trees at night," said dad. "Lila can climb all 3 of our trees and has a very high jump, so she might have plunged on that bird...and killed it."
"Pounced," I corrected him.

I went back downstairs, pondering over how to save the birds from Lila's jaws. "The good thing is that if she got lost, she can still survive," mom remarked. We put Lila's food outside so she won't go hungry for little creatures. But I don't know if it'll work.....

-by Hannah