Squirrel Hunter

Quit sneaking up on me!

Shady, a hunter in his former life fending for himself among his feral enemies, enjoys a very different life now more than a thousand miles from his home turf.

Shady had a reputation for being a wild scrapper and a high jumper. From listening to tales about my cat told me by my neighbors that inhabited the nighttime in the courtyard along with the nocturnal creatures, I have to say that Shady was legendary in his day. (After finding ME, Shady retired from his wild life.)

Now, in Texas, Shady stalks a family of squirrels from our window ledge on the second floor. I have tried to get photos of his encounters, but the squirrels flee from me.

If I jump on her printer, will she still feed me?

A vacated wasp nest hung from a wall near our window attracting squirrels. Pieces of the nest had begun falling onto the ledge. Apparently, like bees that make honey, wasps produce something nourishing that these squirrels strongly desired, enough to risk an attack from Shady. Shady stalked them patiently, waiting for his moment to strike.

Every time Shady thought it was time to strike, he bumped his nose on the window glass, finally learning that he could not break through it. He wasn’t discouraged at all. Shady waited motionlessly for the precise second a squirrel crossing over the sill might pass through the glass into his domain.

One of the squirrels more aggressive than the others, and smarter perhaps, knew that Shady could not get to him. He strutted across the sill stopping in front of Shady. This frisky squirrel glared ferociously and seemed to laugh in Shady’s face! It actually bared its teeth, sneered, and lunged at the glass! Shady never moved a muscle! He waited and waited as hunters do. (Shady, Shady, I feed you, don’t I?)

The Land of Oz for Shady!

The Land of Oz for Shady is our Texas courtyard. When we moved here form Florida, Shady often cried at night, a mournful meeeooooow, begging to go outside. He seemed to long for the old life. Since the day I took him outside on his leash, Shady seemed to realize that this courtyard, very similar to the one in Florida, was not his old territory. He knew he would have to take it by force from the wild cats living here. Shady declined. He no longer mourns at night, but he waits patiently for any creature that might someday penetrate his world. Shady waits and Shady will strike!