Mila and the family had arrived at the cottage by the 20th of May on a beautiful spring day. Watson, the year-old yellow tabby cat, was let go in the backyard to enjoy the freedom of spring. It was the first time that Watson was exposed to the adventures of being in a semi-wilderness and Mila watched every one of his movements with great expectation.
The first reaction was related to the careful positioning of his paws. Every twig, every dandelion that he would encounter was a source of excitement. Like a Don Quixote in the shape of a cat, he would fight the flowers and the grass with his right paw before moving forward, making sure that they did not fight back.
Once he felt comfortable with the grass, spring flowers and stones that he found in his way, he enjoyed moving around at a faster pace while watching squirrels and chipmunks at a reasonable distance.
While exploring the backyard, Bertie, the old Groundhog tenant, who had been living inside the rock wall for the last three to four years, came out of his cave into the fresh air to also enjoy the sun. He stopped and looked at Watson, with more curiosity than fear, as the visitor in front of him seemed to be about his same size and of rather peaceful demeanor.
They slowly approached and faced each other until they reached a distance of not more than one meter. Watson was moving at stalking pace while Bertie by now had completely stopped and, with an alarmed look, carefully observed Watson’s movements.
Watson stopped and curiously watched Bertie’s expression. Suddenly, as if a button had been turned on, both animals made a semi-circle turn and ran away from each other at surprising speed. After three or four of seconds, Watson decided to look back and, to his surprise, he realized that Bertie was also running away. All of a sudden, he became aware of his own power. His fear of the unknown disappeared; he was now capable of hunting and killing a big monster who was invading his territory. Watson started running after Bertie, but in the nick of time, Bertie disappeared into the safety of his den. Watson, after keeping an eye on the entrance to Bertie’s den, went quietly back home and Mila congratulated him with a hug and a pat and gave him two kibbles for his bravery.
Watson was very proud of himself and had learned a lesson: winning a battle is oftentimes a question of self-confidence, not size.
댓글