Speaking as a very
proud 'mum', may I offer you a story to make you smile?As you know, Chloe has three daily walks in the garden. Walks that culminate in a visit to the pond where we feed the ducks with their favourite, chocolate-flavoured, breakfast cereal. Chloe and the ducks are very familiar with each other.
Returning from a meeting in Central London the other evening, I was greeted by an indignant cat whose afternoon walk was long overdue. It was getting a little late, but she has me well-trained and out we went.
Two very sleepy ducks were seated on the ground by the pond. As we arrived the female duck, fully aware of our arrival and close proximity, sank her plump body slowly to the ground, poked her beak into the feathers at the back of her neck, and fell fast asleep!
Chloe was utterly taken aback. But, deep in her subconscious, some ancient code of the Bengals was clearly instructing her that cats don't jump on sleeping ducks.
To my considerable surprise - matched with equal pride and delight - she backed quietly away. Moments later, seated on the wooden seat beside which the duck was sleeping, she indulged in some quiet reflections of her own.
The moral of the story? That contentious and combative humans could learn a lot from cats and ducks!
