Taunting of the Cats- Little Brown Bird Has His Day

We were out of town for a weekend so the cats were on lock down. We left them with plenty of food and water and family came to check on them while we were away, of course. The dog stayed elsewhere.

Now, Rascal and Rocco are not super affectionate toward us. They moved in when they were already three years old, so didn’t have that bonding time as kittens, plus, they have each other to cuddle with. They rarely sleep upstairs, let alone in our bed. 

Every once in a while, usually when they want some wet food in the morning and I’m trying to get past the big fur balls on the counter rubbing against my arms to find the coffee pot, they will show some love. Most of the time that show of affection consists of sitting on whatever I’m doing or needing at the time; paperwork, art, sewing, my purse, phone, you name it!

Rascal sitting on my purse

However, when we walked back through that front door, they showered us with rubs, purrs, bumping into our hands for petting…. The poor things must have thought we were never coming back! When satisfied, they bolted out the door and then I saw something that I just had to share with you!

A little brown bird was hopping around on the ground in front of our house. I had seen him there each of the two days before we left. He would hop back and forth out front, in clear view of the window, chirping now and again. Or be in the tree right out front, then, every so often, swoop in front of the window, always when a cat was sitting or napping there. Or he would fly up to the roof of the carport and hop back and forth when a cat was just below. It was like he was taunting them!

I didn’t get a photo so my son drew him

When I saw him the day we returned, I just knew he’d been teasing Rascal and Rocco the entire weekend and it must have been torture for them to be stuck inside! As soon as they were back out, they were both immediately up the tree across the street, in the neighbors yard. The same bird was in the tree.

Rocco jumped over to the roof, Rascal was clinging to the tree trunk. Their eyes were wild and savage as they looked up at this pompous little bird perched just above them on a high branch, chirping away. He seemed not to notice them for a long moment, and they were frozen, ready to pounce! I watched, wondering if the hunters would be successful and get their vengeance! Then he casually flew off.

Rocco, stayed on the roof a while waiting for someone to rescue him. When he realized no one was climbing up to get him, despite his meows, he ungracefully climbed (slid with claws dug in) head first down the tree trunk. Rascal had jumped down long before.

They prowled the neighborhood for a short time and then came in to inspect the luggage we had unloaded from the car. As soon as the front door closed, I head a chirping sound! That little twerp of a brown bird was hopping back and forth in front of the house again.