A KITTEN'S HUNT

The dogs have gone deep into the field to chase something and bark at things that aren’t there. It’s my chance to leave the roof and do a little exploring myself. I’ve asked mum to tag along. Carefully climbing down the mango tree, both of us and walk along the Golden Durantas and cross the play area.

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A scent catches my attention and my instincts kick in. Stealthily I stalk across to the stream flowing down the mountain into the field and the scent takes me into the tall grass and onto the edge of the water tank. I lock eyes with my target, a tiny frog. Mum starts meowing, ushering me along, but obviously it fades into the background. I charge the springs in my hind legs and get ready to pounce.

Just as Mum taught me, I tick things off on my hunting checklist. Stealth: don’t make a sound, don’t let your prey know you are there; Focus: keep your eyes on your target at all times; Interpret: know your target’s next move. With all of the above ticked, I ready myself for the final step: The Pounce. I spring onto the tiny froglet but alas, at this moment, the big oafs decide to return from the depths of the field. They bark and cause a racket as they usually do and I miss my mark.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/db5522_8d291cd4f2da41d4b335d8369787542b/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Mum starts meowing urgently and I know if I ignore her this time, I’d be dog food. So, I decide to cut my adventure short and try again tomorrow when the dogs go back to chasing something and barking at nothing in the depths of the estate.