Bella and I will happily spend hours sitting side by side looking out of the patio doors into the garden at the birds. I love to watch them flying around, playing with each other and feeding. For such a small garden, and close to the city centre, I get so many different types of birds, and at different times.
Bella watches for different reasons. I've always been aware that there's a communication that goes on between them. They know she's there, and they keep each other warned. Sometimes they play with her and tease her. She knows she'd like to catch one, but she also knows that, quick as she is, they're quicker - mostly........
Until Friday, that is. It was one of those days where she wanted to go out but didn't. The weather wasn't that enticing, so she sat in the kitchen by the open door. I was in the lounge and could see her when I looked up from what I was doing. She'd fallen asleep, but when I looked around again, she'd gone. Good, I thought. She needs to get some fresh air and exercise.
Then I heard the magpies squawking, but this often happens if Bella's in the garden when they are. They're just all warning each other, and trying to scare her off. She'll often sit there shouting back. So I just went back to what I was doing. Next thing, I'm aware of her energy coming into the room, and it doesn't feel right. Difficult to put my finger on it, but it felt low and quiet. She normally comes running in all excited, telling me what she's been getting up to. But this time I felt her energy before I saw her.
When I looked at her, she was walking into the room, hunched low with a young starling in her jaws. She'd obviously stunned it, but didn't realise that when she put her quarry down it would try to escape. I'm as certain as I can be that this is the first bird she's ever caught - she's never brought one in the house before, and whenever I've been in the garden with her, never got close to catching one when she's been stalking. So, she just didn't know what would happen. All she's ever brought in before is worms - and when she drops them on the rug they just wriggle.
So, the bird flew off in a panic, and managed to get behind the bookcase. Great, I thought. We'll never get you out from there. Bella and I went to look, and I figured that I could get it out safely without having to take off all the books, photos, etc and moving it away from the wall. But not with Bella there. I'm really pleased with myself for being so calm about the whole thing. I went into the kitchen to put on some rubber gloves - the bird was pooing everywhere, and there was some blood.
Then I came back to pick Bella up, and shut her in the kitchen - not a happy cat! I took all the items from the bottom shelf, and could see the little bird there. I figured I could reach it, but it kept on scuttling away. I was trying so hard not to frighten it any more than it was already, and was sending it lots of love and calming Reiki.
Eventually I managed to get a gentle but firm hold of the bird, but not without prising it's little feet off the speaker wire it had been clinging on to. I spent a few seconds just holding it gently and letting Reiki flow into it. It seemed to get a little calmer, although that may just have been more fear again. I told it what had happened, and what I was going to do. Although it was clearly injured - there was blood on my marigolds - it didn't seem too damaged, so hoped it might make a recovery if I was able to get it outside again, and could go somewhere safe to recover. I know that there's no point in trying to nurse a bird in the house - they do just die. Its best chance of survival was to be let free.
So I opened the front door and looked around. Where to put it? Suddenly I heard something - Bella had realised what was happening and had gone out through the back door and jumped over the fence at the side of the house. So I had to put the bird somewhere Bella wouldn't just grab it again. She had a rather keen expression on her face!
I remembered that it was gripping well onto the wires, so thought if I put it in the tree in the front garden, it would be able to grip a branch. But the minute I'd done that it flew down under a bush, then under my car, where Bella raced towards it. Next thing it's flying across the road, with Bella in tow. But I'm fairly sure it managed to get away safely.
I left Bella outside to calm down for a little while, then got her indoors. She was shouting at me, clearly not happy that I'd taken her fun away. So we sat down and had a few quiet words. I told her that I know she's a cat and respect that she does cat things, which might include chasing and catching birds. But next time she's not to bring it indoors. And she should also respect that I'm not a cat and have a concern and love for all wildlife, so will always do what I can do to liberate and make them safe. She stopped shouting, but did sulk for a bit. But she understood.
And in respecting her cat-ness, part of me is actually quite proud that she has proved she's a good little hunter. But of course I'm torn, as I also love the birds that come into my garden. I still believe that on balance cats and birds can and do co-exist quite happily - they both know where they stand with each other. The vast, vast majority of the time no harm is done. But nature is nature, and the cats and birds know this only too well.
Everything got back to normal very quickly - the animal world is good at moving on. Birds are still using my gardens as a social club, restaurant and gym, and Bella still spends ages watching them.
Bella watches for different reasons. I've always been aware that there's a communication that goes on between them. They know she's there, and they keep each other warned. Sometimes they play with her and tease her. She knows she'd like to catch one, but she also knows that, quick as she is, they're quicker - mostly........
Until Friday, that is. It was one of those days where she wanted to go out but didn't. The weather wasn't that enticing, so she sat in the kitchen by the open door. I was in the lounge and could see her when I looked up from what I was doing. She'd fallen asleep, but when I looked around again, she'd gone. Good, I thought. She needs to get some fresh air and exercise.
Then I heard the magpies squawking, but this often happens if Bella's in the garden when they are. They're just all warning each other, and trying to scare her off. She'll often sit there shouting back. So I just went back to what I was doing. Next thing, I'm aware of her energy coming into the room, and it doesn't feel right. Difficult to put my finger on it, but it felt low and quiet. She normally comes running in all excited, telling me what she's been getting up to. But this time I felt her energy before I saw her.
When I looked at her, she was walking into the room, hunched low with a young starling in her jaws. She'd obviously stunned it, but didn't realise that when she put her quarry down it would try to escape. I'm as certain as I can be that this is the first bird she's ever caught - she's never brought one in the house before, and whenever I've been in the garden with her, never got close to catching one when she's been stalking. So, she just didn't know what would happen. All she's ever brought in before is worms - and when she drops them on the rug they just wriggle.
So, the bird flew off in a panic, and managed to get behind the bookcase. Great, I thought. We'll never get you out from there. Bella and I went to look, and I figured that I could get it out safely without having to take off all the books, photos, etc and moving it away from the wall. But not with Bella there. I'm really pleased with myself for being so calm about the whole thing. I went into the kitchen to put on some rubber gloves - the bird was pooing everywhere, and there was some blood.
Then I came back to pick Bella up, and shut her in the kitchen - not a happy cat! I took all the items from the bottom shelf, and could see the little bird there. I figured I could reach it, but it kept on scuttling away. I was trying so hard not to frighten it any more than it was already, and was sending it lots of love and calming Reiki.
Eventually I managed to get a gentle but firm hold of the bird, but not without prising it's little feet off the speaker wire it had been clinging on to. I spent a few seconds just holding it gently and letting Reiki flow into it. It seemed to get a little calmer, although that may just have been more fear again. I told it what had happened, and what I was going to do. Although it was clearly injured - there was blood on my marigolds - it didn't seem too damaged, so hoped it might make a recovery if I was able to get it outside again, and could go somewhere safe to recover. I know that there's no point in trying to nurse a bird in the house - they do just die. Its best chance of survival was to be let free.
So I opened the front door and looked around. Where to put it? Suddenly I heard something - Bella had realised what was happening and had gone out through the back door and jumped over the fence at the side of the house. So I had to put the bird somewhere Bella wouldn't just grab it again. She had a rather keen expression on her face!
I remembered that it was gripping well onto the wires, so thought if I put it in the tree in the front garden, it would be able to grip a branch. But the minute I'd done that it flew down under a bush, then under my car, where Bella raced towards it. Next thing it's flying across the road, with Bella in tow. But I'm fairly sure it managed to get away safely.
I left Bella outside to calm down for a little while, then got her indoors. She was shouting at me, clearly not happy that I'd taken her fun away. So we sat down and had a few quiet words. I told her that I know she's a cat and respect that she does cat things, which might include chasing and catching birds. But next time she's not to bring it indoors. And she should also respect that I'm not a cat and have a concern and love for all wildlife, so will always do what I can do to liberate and make them safe. She stopped shouting, but did sulk for a bit. But she understood.
And in respecting her cat-ness, part of me is actually quite proud that she has proved she's a good little hunter. But of course I'm torn, as I also love the birds that come into my garden. I still believe that on balance cats and birds can and do co-exist quite happily - they both know where they stand with each other. The vast, vast majority of the time no harm is done. But nature is nature, and the cats and birds know this only too well.
Everything got back to normal very quickly - the animal world is good at moving on. Birds are still using my gardens as a social club, restaurant and gym, and Bella still spends ages watching them.
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