Three Roosters, A Cat, and a Rabbit.

As I stepped out of my front door with morning treats for the flock, there was a familiar “Hey!” from our dark gentleman caller.

“You’re still not my cat!” I reminded him.

Determined to ignore him, I walked over to the coop and there was the rabbit, munching on the morning dew-sodden turf and in deep conversation with the hens.

“… so I says to Mable, I says … WHOA!” and the rabbit jumped back a step or two from me, not realizing I was approaching. Rabbit is deaf, or somehow, I can fumble with a plate full or chicken treats while yelling at the neighbor cat like a ninja.

I told Rabbit to calm down a peg, fed the chickens, and started to walk back. Neighbor cat, who has not taken even the slightest predatory stance toward any of my chickens, had crossed half the distance from my porch to the coop hoping that I would feed him as well, in spite of my reprimands as to whose responsibility his stomach may or not be … certainly not mine! But now, he locked his muscles and took a clear and present interest in Rabbit.

“Oh HELL naw!” I said. I thought about booting him off the property, but he hadn’t harmed anyone before and I do like that he’s a ‘first defense’ against mice that might want to come into the house.

I quickly entered the house to retrieve some kitty kibble to entice him away from Rabbit and he obliged without further ado. With the situation now under control, I then let the flock out. I figured, with the chickens around, Rabbit would have more cover in case Mr. Cat (who is not my cat), wanted to try anything further. For now, he was perfectly happy to nibble the kibble and ply me with compliments in hopes that I would relent my stonewall of his affections toward our daughter Osha (who IS our cat).

Back into the house and I find Osha perched at the open kitchen window issuing her own complaints to her come-again-go-again beau.

“You don’t bring me flowers! And you’re here again and gone the next moment! You unconstant son of a … ! And like that.

“On don’t worry, Osha, apparently he’s planning to surprise you with a rabbit fur coat, complete with rabbit dinner!” I interjected.

Not completely satisfied with the goings on, I went back outside again to my porch where there was now a congregation of chickens looking for treats of their own. Mr. Cat was on hand at the outskirts. Far from crouching to pounce, he seemed content to watch and hope that in my can of meal worms might also be a kitty treat for him (the poor fool). I distributed generous handfuls of meal worms hither and fore, when Marvin and Bubba (the two chicks Molly and Beulah, who decided against my wishes to be roosters) wandered nearby for treats. Coq Au gave them a quick coffins to remind them that HE was the boss, and treats were for productive members of society … NOT for stray cats, OR extraneous roosters!

In their sudden retreat, the two young boys dashed off inadvertently in the direction of Mr. Cat and not expecting the black feathered figures, now nearly as large as himself, to come lunging toward him, Mr. Cat issued his own “WHOA!” in perfect echo of the rabbit just a bit earlier.

Young buck roosters properly chided, cat now in full retreat, Coq Au tending to the flock, Rabbit safe and sound, and Osha’s honor preserved yet another day … the business of the flock carried on as per usual.

These are the people in my neighborhood.