The Worst Interloper Of All

Well, it's official.  I have completely lost control of my backyard.

As my loyal readers know, I've struggled for years to maintain a squirrel/bunny/robin free zone in my backyard.  Sure, it was always embarrassing to admit that my turf had an occasional pest problem, but at least I could find solace in the fact that I gave the interloper the fright of its life as I chased it out of my yard at top speed while barking my head off.

But it didn't work this time.  You see, a couple of days ago, I discovered a cat and her three kittens in my backyard.

Needless to say, when I first saw the cat and her kittens I was shocked.  Sure, I had seen cats before--on walks and when one of the local strays brazenly strolled by my house--but never in my backyard.  Once the shock wore off, however, my instincts as Head of Security kicked in and I began running toward the cat at full speed.  The kittens fell back and scurried under the fence.  The cat, however, stood firm.

What happened next occurred both in slow motion and at high speed.  As I got closer to the cat, I saw her raise her paw and with a mighty swipe she made contact with my snout.  Simultaneously, I also heard a high pitched screech (who screamed is still up for debate, but I'd like to think it was the cat and not me).

That's when Ma and Pa got involved.  You see, they were following right behind me and gave chase as soon as I did.  Together, they managed to hold me back while scaring away the cat.  I admit I was kind of grateful for their assistance, however, I can't help but think that, if I was given more of an opportunity, I would have been able to avenge my honor and drive that cat out of my yard myself.

I haven't seen the cat and her kittens since that fateful day and while she did make contact, she failed to leave so much as a mark on my handsome snout (though another scratch to go along with the faint scar I still have from trying to move the house with the side of my head really would have added to my ruggedness).  Now I just have to concentrate on damage control.  I must reassert myself as Head of Security before the squirrels/bunnies/robins start trying to take over.