The Pride of A Father

Despite some years in Nigeria, there were always cats around when I was growing up. I like house cats and view them as little panthers stalking about and relaxing in the sun. When my girlfriend, who can't have cats at home, suggested that I adopt a kitten from the Humane Society, I responded favorably. I was so proud of little Orion (black with tiny white "stars" on her hide) as she pounced about the apartment defeating imaginary foes. So proud that I wrote her a little poem, and was convinced to get a second cat. While Orion and Callie (new cat) did play together, I began to notice a disturbing trend as the two cats aged. Orion, my great hunter, had become a complete coward in the presence of strangers, and Callie would prostitute herself for a mere pat on the head. These were hardly the pride leaders I had hoped for. And so I resigned myself to the fact that my cats were less than ideal, and retired my poem written to the great Orion.

Yesterday morning I happened to notice a small thumping noise in my bedroom wall. Orion noticed it as well and looked ready to bolt from the room. The noise slowly moved up the wall and onto the ceiling tiles. I gave the tiles a little poke and could here something scampering back and forth on top of my ceiling. My experience from Nigeria told me that, whatever it was, it was not a snake (don't ask). Several hours later I returned to my bedroom to get ready for work and noticed that Callie was sitting on the bed staring at the ceiling, and I could hear what I thought to be a bird chirping. In my infinite wisdom, I pushed up on one of the ceiling tiles and, to my surprise, a little brown bird flew out. Also to my surprise, Callie was on that bird in a heartbeat. I was able to get the two separated, and returned from locking Callie out of the room just in time to see Orion attack from out of nowhere. Now Orion is much more athletic than Callie and her strike was so impressive that I almost didn't want to stop it. However, Orion soon found herself locked in the hallway with Callie.

Seeing as I had to go to work, and that the bird was somewhere in the box spring under my bed, I closed the bedroom door and left. I notified the girlfriend of the incident and she stopped by my apartment to find that the bird was now sandwiched in between the window panes of my bedroom window. With the savvy use of a fishing net, she was able to extract the bird from the window, and it is now resting comfortably in a used hamster cage while its future is determined.

As funny as the bird story is, the most shocking fact here is that my cats DO possess that killer instinct that I had previous accused them of lacking. I am so proud, and in that spirit I have posted my, previously abandoned, ode to Orion. Enjoy.

The Hunter
Oh, Queen of the apartment
With prideful stride
Black and sleek with starry hide
Sharp of fang and swift of paw
Making prey quick to fall
Nerves of steel, paws of might
Oh fear ye rodents
Tis Orion's night!