"Well, fortunately he hasn't caught any mice here. I can't imagine what sort of strangeness they might have to them." They'd probably curse him with a tail that chased him around or something ridiculous like that.

"So this will surely distract him. Are you sure you haven't a use for it any longer?"

{Please pretend she called that kitten Hector before, because I'm a tool who is terrible at continuity.}