Birds play possum too.

[meganbmoore]

A few minutes ago, I saw Squeaker zip by and went to let her back in the house.  When I opened the door, i didn't really get a a good look at her, and so didn't notice the live bird clutched in her mouth until she was inside.  She skidded to a stop and dropped the bird at "Squeaker!  No!" and the  bird hastily half-hopped,  half-flew to  get behind the couch.  I pulled the couch out thinking that it would at least try to take to the air as soon as it's shelter was gone, but it didn't move, even when I carefully nudged it with the broom.  Figuring that it had either died or passed out as soon as it thought it was safe from the monster cat, I used the broom to scoot it out from behind the couch as carefully as I could, and it never so much as twitched.  I got it on the dustpan and stuck the dustpan out the door to see what happened.  As soon as the bird realized "Oh, hey!  Fresh air!" it flew off faster than any bird I have ever seen.

Squeaker, incidentally, got thwapped by Patches after the bird got behind the couch (she gave up fast) and the two went off to find napping spots.