First published on March 25, 2023.
My most influential non-human teacher was my gray cat Clancy J Bumps ( don’t ask what the J was for, he didn’t like to be called by it and would attack madly). Among the nicknames he earned was – The Grey Menace. The Menace loved to fight. But he almost always won through strategy and intimidation. Few cats or dogs dared actually to engage him in full combat.
The Hound
An enormous German Shepherd learned this lesson the hard way. He thought the kitty was a handy snack. The Menace was tied on a leash in the yard. The dog did not know that the leash had a breakaway section for times just like that. Clancy mewed piteously and lured the dog into our yard. He then snapped the lead, assaulted the dog, and sent it into a hurried attempt to clamber over an eight-foot palisade fence. Afterward, the Menace sat there licking the blood of his claws. The dog’s owner was furious. I pointed out that the dog was collar and leashless, outside his yard and in mine. The dog also had attacked my poor, innocent cat. I refused to pay the dog’s vet bills.
Although the Menace tried to lure the dog back into the yard again, it whimpered every time it saw Clancy in the yard.
On Da Nip!
An excellent example of a teacher you’re thinking? Well, he tended to make friends with his foes after fights. Seeing four or so cats basking in the sun was amusing. With catnip growing as a weed in the garden, the afternoons often turned into catnip nap sessions.
The Menace was fiercely loyal to his friends and would threaten to tear you up if you threatened them. He also knew when to make a face-saving retreat and take credit for a victory.
He was a gourmet who loved chile, roast beef subs ( with hots, please), and relished a good dance party.
What did I learn from him? First, you should attack fiercely when attacked, make peace afterward, and enjoy life to its fullest.
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Oh my goodness, Clancy! What a boy! Licking a German Shepherd’s blood off his paws! 😱😱😱
I’ve probably told you this before but my first childhood cat, Misha, would sit on our front doorstep and attack dogs as they walked past. Dog owners would start crossing to the other side of the road, or, if the dogs were small, they would pick them up, run past our house and then set them down again. 🤣🤣🤣
Misha was just being reasonable…the street belonged to her. They were foreign invaders.
Haha, he was a bloke! I know he had a girls’ name but he was the size of a tank and the Alpha male of all Alpha males!
Cats rule, and dogs drool!
Misha once sat on the fence post looking into next door’s garden when they had three Dobermans (Dobermen?) visit. Then he did that rear end shimmy and jumped into the garden with them. There was a lot of barking. Misha came home without a scratch. And the dog-owning friend never visited our neighbours again.
Good 👍
Great article!
I have learned a lot from life that is not human. I enjoy feeding the squirrels a lot
Good article
I love that cat, posthumously. One of my greatest teachers was a 28 year old quarter horse named Brownie.
My riding buddy was a dark blanket Appaloosa named Snowflake. He was a bad influence on me, but I was weak, and he wanted to do fun things. Horses are great!
I think so, too. “My” horses who share a fence with the Refuge are a boon to my existence.
All good lessons, Lou. 🙂
Thanks