Mama Cat and Her Gang

My son and his family drove down from the big city, out to the countryside with open fields and steams. They brought their standard golden poodle along, a curly-haired fellow, name of Timmy. Timmy had never seen a cat; not even a mole or a furry rat. Visiting country kin, he was checking things out. Everything went fine that very first day. Cats went about paying him no mind. He walked about just passing time. On that second day there was a big mistake. Being a city dog with more worldy ways, to add pleasure to his hum-drum days, he thought it time to befriend these country kin. The cats had never seen a dog this small, only those on stilts, big, long and tall, like Pyrenees, big wide mouths and teeth to match. With barking big dogs on the scene, up a tree they squirreled, never to be seen. But this golden-haired fellow, with city clout-- they’d give him benefit of instinctive doubt. Mama cat was even so bold to sniff this city slicker right on the nose. Sizing him up all the while, a friendly rat, she surmised, a might bigger than some she had seen, playing cat and mouse, yet acting so coy; that is, until that overgrown golden-haired rat walked up to Mama’s black baby boy. Mama’s two other sons, another black and a blue, began to gather nearer this city dweller, too. Timmy politely extended his nose. black son cat extended his razor-sharp claws, with a bristled tail and fierce hissing jaws. Timmy let out with a painful yelp, as Mama cat called all boys in for help. Cats surrounded and gave chase to the dog, life-fearing circles around the cedar tree he’d log; four hissing cats hot on his tail, poor Timmy yelping in a desperate wail. The master of Timmy gave rescue, but Mama cat and her three grown sons, strutting in pride, putting a dog on the run. Written by: Carolyn Henderson For Constance LaFrance's Cat Poem Contest Won 9th Place