Crafty Guard Cats

Meet Ernie and Meow. These are two of the craftiest cats that I've ever encountered. Last Saturday, I witnessed them outmaneuver (and scare half to death) a dog about four times their size.

Ernie (on the left) and Meow (on the right) are not fond of dogs, and they are especially not fond of visiting Jack the dalmatian. During most of our visit at the farm, the cats stayed clear of Jack and he avoided them. However, when we all went outside to play and explore, the peace between the cats and dog was broken.

While Ernie was sunning himself on the lawn, Jack saw this as his opportunity to sneak up on him. Jack is not known for his subtlety, so Ernie heard him coming and took off. Jack chased Ernie around the yard, the trees and even along the house, until Ernie disappeared into a bush growing near the front entrance of the house.

Now, this is when Jack made a serious miscalculation. He assumed that he had Ernie corned. For a few moments, Ernie allowed Jack to feel smug and victorious. What Jack did not know, and what we human companions were unaware of, was that Ernie was not alone in the bush. Meow, the more hostile of the two cats, sat hidden in the bush, waiting for Ernie to arrive and tag Meow into the fight.

What happened next seemed to go in slow motion and reminded me of a WWE tag team fight. Just moments after Ernie jumped into the bush to escape, Meow jumped out with claws unfurled and attacked a very startled and confused Jack. As you can tell from this photograph, which was taken after the attack, there is a definite size differential between this dynamic duo. Meow is a much bigger cat who also has anger management issues with her canine counterparts.

I was unable to photograph Jack following this incident. After being jumped by an angry cat, he disappeared and hid behind the farmhouse. Even though his new location was full of buzzing bees, Jack seemed more comfortable to take his chances with the bees than face these ferocious (and crafty) guard cats.