Hero Squirrel

During the fall of 2000, I witnessed the most amazing sight. If I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes, I wouldn't have believed it. One Saturday afternoon I walked outside my house. From the corner of my eye, I spied one of my cats named Sonny Boy. Unfortunately, there was also a strange dog lurking nearby in my neighbor's yard.

This dog saw Sonny Boy at the same time that I did. The dog geared up to pounce on Sonny. All of the sudden, a squirrel jumped out of the tree and landed on the dog's back. This scared the dog so badly that he forgot to attack Sonny. That squirrel was an adult, so I don't think it simply fell out of the nest. Know what I think? I think this squirrel saw what the dog was trying to do to Sonny, so the squirrel came to Sonny's rescue.

I had previously witnessed a squirrel teasing Sonny. The squirrel would scamper down a tree whenever it saw Sonny. Using a series of squeaks and chirps, the squirrel would serenade the cat. Sometimes Sonny would become agitated because the squirrel seemed to mock him. This sure footed rodent was careful to remain just out of the feline's reach. When that would happen, Sonny would howl in protest.

The squirrel really seemed to enjoy Sonny's reaction. I often saw the comical rodent swish its tail and chirp in glee as it taunted the feline. In reality, I think the two of them had become buddies. Imagine that! A cat and a squirrel who were friends! Who would believe that?

Well, I suppose one could argue that the squirrel simply fell out of the tree and landed on the dog's back, but I don't think so. That squirrel landing appeared to be a deliberate attack. I have never seen a squirrel attack anything until that day. Frankly, I've never cared much for squirrels until that incident made me a believer. Now I've learned to respect them.