A tiny kid decided to stalk bigger prey
Play
Why a small stray tom poses a clear and present danger to Wan-Wan
WHO WOULD think that today when I take my poodle pup Wan-Wan out on our daily walk, she would face a real threat? It’s bad enough that we have to be careful of motorcycles, cars and children excited to be out of school, but now we have to deal with a clear and present danger.
Today, we turn into a small soi, where a bunch of cats usually wait around for their evening meal, which a cat-loving lady provides every day. The food varies. Sometimes it’s mackerel and rice, sometimes just fried rice, or leftover pork bones.
None of that is very suitable food for cats. All these dishes would have some sort of seasoning in it, more tasty to the human palate than to a cat’s, but the cats have grown used to it, even if it isn’t the healthiest food they could eat.
As we pass, Wan ignores the cats’ food completely. She’d rather play with the cats, but they aren’t used to dogs. Some run away from her; others simply sit cautiously, waiting to see what Wan will do next.
My dog simply walks by them. She’s been attracted by the clumps of grass, where, I’m sure, other dogs have left their scent. The tire of a nearby car then captures her attention, and she becomes entirely involved in all its smells.
She doesn’t notice that at this point, she’s in danger from behind.
Slowly, ever so slowly, a little black cat has started to stalk her. He’s young, no more than a year old, but his stalking is precise, with his body lowered to the ground, one paw moving forward at a time, his eyes locked on his prey – my dog. No tiger moving through the jungle could do it better.
The little cat, I think, never had to learn this stalking. It’s genetically ingrained in his brain. He’d have to practice it a bit on mice, though, probably losing his prey the first few times.
At home, Manohra the Wild Child has started to stalk Mekhala. With her feline Aids infection, my white lady is slowly, very slowly, growing weaker. Manohra, sensing this weakness, has begun attacking her.
Unlike the little black cat, Manohra doesn’t do a tiger stalk. Instead, she simply jumps near Mekhala and snarls. Uninterested in fighting, Mekhala turns and runs away. This retreat turns her into prey, and Manohra chases after, intent on catching her and biting her.
Where has this aggression come from? I suspect that although Manohra was rescued when she was less than a month old, she was never socialised properly. She doesn’t know how to behave, confused as to whether she should fight or run away.
As for the little black cat, I’ve watched him ever since he showed up on the street. Then, he was a recently weaned kitten just starting to eat solid food. He’s always been feral, frightened of people and even other cats. If I called to him, he would freeze, unsure whether to run or hide.
Over the months, he’s grown larger, but he’s still smaller than Wan. Perhaps the boy thinks it’s time to graduate to larger game.
My concern is that with his teeth and claws, he could really injure her badly. In addition, I’m positive that the boy has never been vaccinated against rabies, or any other communicable disease. Wan has been vaccinated, of course, but even so, there’s always a danger of infection.
Meanwhile, Wan is completely oblivious to the danger. She’s having too much fun sniffing at the tyre as the cat sneaks up behind her.
There’s only one thing to do. “Hello!” I say to the little cat. Startled, he stares at me, and then forgetting his plans for canine steak, he turns and runs away.
Sometimes flight is better than fight.
