Before I begin, I'd like to let you know that blogger friend, Traci Terry is doing a giveaway of my newest picture book, Don't Feed the Elephant. If you'd like to enter, or read the nice review she posted, go here.
Now for the story:
A couple of evenings ago, I was out walking around the neighborhood. I noticed a cat. He was hiding behind a bush in stalk mode. I wondered what he was stalking, so I watched. Turns out, he was stalking another cat, who happened to be wandering aimlessly through someone's yard. I didn't think the stalker cat was being very nice, so I decided to give him a little surprise. I stalked him.
I snuck up behind him in super-stealth mode. He didn't have a clue I was there. Then, when I was an arm's-length away, I shouted, "Boo!"
You should've seen that cat! Let's just say I scared him good! He ran off as fast as he could.
The next morning, Schultz, our German Shepherd, and I went out for a walk. Guess who we saw? The cats. Not exactly in stalk mode, but still out and about. Schultz decided he wanted to try stalking. Trouble is, he's not so good at it. Problem number one is that his tags jingle. Anything can hear him coming a mile away. And problem number two is that he simply doesn't know how to properly stalk. Slow motion is a foreign concept. It's all about chasing. Needless to say, Schultz didn't scare any cats. I think I need to teach him a thing or two!
Hi, Sherry!
ReplyDeleteI read Tracy's review of your book and left a comment.
Your story about spooking that cat reminds me of a stray cat that hung around our house a few years ago. On one occasion we allowed him to come inside our screened lanai for a bite to eat. In the middle of his meal, a gust of wind came along and blew the screen door wide open. The sudden movement startled the poor cat so much that he ran right through our screened enclosure as if it were made of tissue paper!
Schultz sounds like a lovable pet and lots of fun to own even if he's not great at stalking.
Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend Sherry!
Thanks for you nice comment at Tracy's blog! Appreciate it! Schultz is a good boy. Most of the time.
DeletePffft crazy lady that has no other business but going around scaring poor cats :PPP
ReplyDeleteCrazy indeed!
DeleteYou were able to startle a cat? Wow. That cat had to have been fixated on the other cat. Usually they're more aware.
ReplyDeleteI was rather surprised myself. I'm quiet, but I thought the cat would know I was there.
DeleteGood stalking skills! And now that you said it, I've never had a dog who didn't bounce off after things, headlong without thought.
ReplyDeleteThat's the way dogs are wired.
DeleteI'm shocked, but secretly delighted you booed the cat. It has or had nine lives anyway.
ReplyDeleteIt needed a good booing!
DeleteMy dog is no good at stalking either. She doesn't even really pay attention to cats.
ReplyDeleteReally? My dog loves chasing cats. And other things.
Deletelol so that's how you get your kicks in when no one is looking.
ReplyDeleteYeah. Pathetic, right? ;)
DeleteEnjoyed the story Sherry, I've taken to feed a stray cat I've called "Tennessee". It feel good to care about something in life.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
Tennessee sounds like a good addition to your life.
DeleteI popped over to Tracy Terri's site. What another wonderful review, Sherry!
ReplyDeletePoor Shultzy. Indy says he'll have to teach him how to become a "stalker". Grin.
Probably better if Schultz isn't a good stalker. He's a formidable-looking beast so creatures could use the ample time to get out of his way!
DeleteNo, It doesn't sound like Schultz would make it as a stalker or cat burglar. ")
ReplyDeleteI love cats, but I also love to watch the birds that gather in our yard. One day, a stray cat had the nerve to stalk and kill one of the birds in our yard, so my hubby shot a pellet gun so the pellets hit the ground behind the cat and bounced up and popped him in the butt. Man! Did that cat ever JUMP! He took off and cleared the fence in one fell swoop. After that, I saw him in our neighbors' yards, but he never came back to hunt the birds in our yard again.
That was a bad cat. He deserved a shot in the butt.
DeleteThat's too funny! We used to have a dog who tried to stalk our cats, but it always ended up in some sort of enthusiastic chase.
ReplyDeleteDogs are definitely good at chasing.
DeleteBow to the master stalker! Yeah, my dogs aren't good stalkers either. Darn jingling tags.
ReplyDeleteI've often wondered if the jingling chains are a nuisance to the dog. He doesn't seem to complain, though. It would drive me crazy to jingle every time I moved!
DeleteLOL! I would have loved to see this! LOL! I'm glad you got the cat good Sherry! LOL! I love when dogs bend down, with their bums up and start wagging their tails, like they are ready to pounce! LOL! Big Hugs!
ReplyDeleteI'm probably the most cat-like in the family. (Besides the cat.) My husband and kids definitely don't have good stalking skills. They're noisy like the dog.
DeleteGreat review!!
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a good review, too!
DeleteHahaha...you stalked a stalker!
ReplyDeleteDoes that make me the master stalker? :)
DeleteHahaha, priceless! I can just imagine how spooked that cat was...
ReplyDeleteHe must've been seriously focused on that other cat!
DeleteHa! This was fun to picture. I can imagine the spooked cat and I definitely don't picture stalking to be one of your dogs skills. :)
ReplyDelete~Jess
Schultz is a chaser. And he's really good at it!
DeleteYour story goes to show that someone else can easily be onto your game.
ReplyDeleteYep. Good thing a bigger cat wasn't stalking me!
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