A Flock of Felines
A Flock of Felines
Down in the countryside, there lived some cats. At some point they probably had loving and caring homes. It’s common knowledge that cats are content as can be if they are clean, fed, and loved. However, these felines were feral as can be. Perhaps the call of the wild had pulled them from the comfort of their masters. In their current state, these enigmatic creatures had become masters of themselves.
Most felines are solitary in nature, but it’s not unheard of for small matriarchal groups to form. A single male would take control of a territory and periodically visit each part of it to hopefully feed and breed. The one who oversaw this territory was called Talon. Some say his name came after he survived a battle with a hawk and bit off its talons. Another possibility is that his claws were as big and fierce as his namesake. Whatever the case, he was fierce and protective. He cared about his territory, because he cared about himself. Of all his mates, his favorite was Mother. She was wise, kind, caring, and unlike some of the others, quite reasonable.
Now within the territory, it would be safe to say that a half dozen groups resided in the different zones. There was the stream, the shed, the grove, the fields, the rocks, and the border. Mother was in charge of the shed. A raggedy old thing with good bones, it had been there for a while and would remain for quite for even longer. However, most critters in the area knew who it belonged to and stayed away, making it one of the sparsest areas for sustenance. Well maybe a close second to the cats who lived in the rocks living off lizards, toads, and bugs.
Mother had birthed many litters in her years and most of her offspring had gone off on their own. But one of hers had remained in the shed with her and his name was Paw. A fitting name because he had just one of them. It had been lost in an accident as a kitten. No real details to explain, it’s just one of those things that no one really likes talking about. Cats aren’t empathetic or sharing, but here everyone looked after Paw. When the bellies were full, they often left the scraps to him. It wasn’t that he couldn’t hunt or gather himself, but why not give him the extras that were going to waste. Paw didn’t care much, he kind of preferred being independent, but sometimes things were a little tougher than he could have anticipated and a meal is a meal. It is the wild after all.
Mother had been a little more protective and supportive of Paw due to his missing tire. It was a loose knit colony where the cats would meet up in the morning for the hunting plan, and in the evening to eat, relax, and socialize. Most of the males were young, as older ones would go off on their own, with the hope of running a territory of their own at some point.
Aside from the shelter that the shed provided, the surrounding area was a mix of shrubs, and a few trees. The best meals were limited here, but it was enough to get by. It did benefit from being in the center of Talon’s territories. In times of drought, the rodents would make a run for the fields for food. Ironically, becoming food themselves.
Talon had a special relationship with Mother, and valued her thoughts and opinions more than his other wives (if that’s what you call them). The visits would come around twice a month or so. Sometimes Talon would stay briefly and others he would stay longer and mingle with the ladies. The truth was Mother was getting older and was a little less willing and able to provide him with the things he needed. Even so, Talon always enjoyed talking to her.
One early morning, Paw awakened to the sounds rustling through the ground and in the large tree that stood over the shed. Unusual he thought. Paw always liked napping on the roof of the shed, being up high gave a feeling that he was in a position of power. When the weather was nice he often slept there at night with a direct view to the stars.
As he peered from the rooftop he saw a large flock of fowl. Dozens of them. His eyes widened as he gently licked his teeth. Now this was an opportunity that did not come often. He quickly hopped off the roof in silence and headed into the shed to alert Mother.
“Mother wake up,” Paw said as he nudged her with his not-paw.
“What is it?” Mother replied with half a slit on her left eye. She definitely needed her rest. Her old body struggled to fight the pull of much needed rest.
“There’s chickens. Outside now, lot’s of them.” The look on his face was a blend of relief and panic. “We haven’t had a meal like this in a long time Mother, and, and, and we should take advantage of it. ” Mother nodded in agreement and signaled to wake the others. Paw swiftly darted in and out of the shed, using his stealth in the grey light of the dawn and got the crew together. As they peered out the doors and windows of the shed, there were chickens everywhere.
Paw and half a dozen others began to formulate the plan as the light shifted from black to grey. Chickens are early risers and would be up and alert soon. They predators concluded to a classic surround and to take out as many of those delicious feather covered nuggets before they all fled. The dream of a full belly from real meat was becoming a reality.
Chickens as a flock will make a lot of noise, and even though they can’t fly per se, they could do well enough to evade a few stray cats. That’s for sure. The execution would have to be flawless if they were going to feed the group.
They quietly crept low to the ground, making the best use of the remaining shadows. It would soon be fully lit and any chance of stealth would be gone. Their shoulder blades undulated in a synchronized motion like a precision machine as they crawled toward the target. Paw looked to his team and gave the signal.
In an instant they all pounced simultaneously. There were so many fowl around that each carnivore was able to secure a hen of their own. However, they were met with quite the surprise. The flock of chickens kept to their business. Despite having their peers with their necks snapped in the jaws of their oppressors, not a single chicken made a move or a sound. Confused yet satisfied the cats quickly darted back to the shed dragging their spoils with them.
It had been a while that they secured a meal with such substance and in the moment that was all that mattered. The cats in the shed territory were able to sustain themselves on snakes, rodents, and small birds. Feasting on the other hand, was quite rare. The shed often served as a hub between the grove and the fields, which allowed at times for animals moving in between the two.
Bloated and satisfied the cats did what they did best after their morning feast and napped as content as can be. Paw thought about how great this was and that if the chickens would come around every once in a while how great it would be. When you haven’t engorged yourself in a while, it can feel like quite the treat. His belly was stuffed, almost to the point of discomfort. And as he began to drift off he had forgotten that the chickens were still outside. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain as if his stomach was about to explode.
Startled and awake, he quickly realized the pain was in fact real, but his belly was still intact. However he was staring at the face of the meanest looking rooster he had ever seen. With eyes wide and glaring he hopped to his fours, claws extended and let out a sharp hiss.
“Good morning sir. Sorry to wake you,” said the rooster in a calm voice. His face was scarred and part of his large comb had clearly been torn off in some kind of incident. “My name is Frank and I need to talk to you.” In a state of disbelief Paw just stood there and stared. Normally a cat would never be afraid of a chicken, but this rooster was tall with spurs long and thick. Frank had clearly seen battle before. Even his beak was filled with chips and cracks that gave the look of a weapon.
“I’m listening,” Paw let out in a suspicious tone.
“About this morning. Are you satisfied?” The confidence that Frank had was quite unusual for an animal known to run at the slightest sign danger.
“What do you mean?” questioned the young feline.
“Simply put, you killed and ate several members of my flock.” Frank lowered his head with intensity. “However, I must ask, was it to your satisfaction?” Paw was even more confused now. Judging by the look in his eyes would make you wonder who the predator was in this situation.
Frank went on to explain that he and his flock needed a home. They had escaped after their coupe was destroyed and raided by coyotes some months ago and had slowly migrated their way to this area looking for a new home. They had been scoping out the various areas nearby and concluded that this was the best. Between the sparse trees and the shed itself there was enough safety for them. The behemoth of a fowl was looking to make a deal.
In exchange for allowing them to stay, and protection from the occasional fox, the chickens would allow the cats to eat a quota of eggs, chicks, and the sick and wounded. Although it seemed like self inflicted genocide, Frank assured Paw that they would reproduce at a high enough rate to make up for it. He further explained that he accepted that the world saw them as food. A small price to pay for safety of the majority.
“I’ll have to check with Mother, and probably Talon as well.” Paw said uneasily. “I’m not the one in charge here.” This was not a typical request. He went on to explain the whole hierarchy of the system and that while he may be able to convince Mother of this at least temporarily, that ultimately it would be Talon who made the final decision. Lucky for them all Talon was set to come by sometime in the next few days. Frank made an agreement that as tribute to Talon that they would provide him with a feast of eggs and one hen (who had been injured in the morning’s scuffle).
When Paw went to Mother she was quite uneasy as cats simply did not make deals with their food. She did recognize that she did enjoy the taste of fresh eggs and chicken, but she couldn’t quite wrap her head around why the chickens would give up some of their own instead of finding a new place to live. Either way they agreed that they would wait for their leader to discuss this. A few nights later around midnight, Talon arrived. Paw and Mother explained the situation to him. With equal parts of intrigue and suspicion he agreed to meet with Frank.
With such a novel proposal, it was of no surprise that Talon pondered on simply shouldn’t killing them and eating them now. It was no different to how they had been doing things their entire life. Mother, reminded that they had killed some of them and yet they stayed. If things didn’t work out, they could kill and eat them anyways. This would make things easier which meant more time for naps.
Even Paw chimed in, saying that he was given a chance despite being different and it wasn’t the end of the world. Not yet convinced, Talon said he would sleep on it. As the light went from black to grey, the sound of the first crow of dawn was heard and the cats grouped up to meet with Frank.
“So you are Frank,” Talon pointed out quite directly. Having seen many - a -rooster in his travels he recognized this was no ordinary farm bird. Much larger and tougher. Clearly he was a game cock. “My clowder has spoken to me of this deal you wish to make. It sounds quite appetizing, but what’s in it for you?” The intensity of his tone matched those of his protruding claws. Frank, calm a ever, responded with the charm of a world leader.
“You see us chickens…..we are but food for all. It is true that we can go to another area, but some of us would die or be killed anyway. Imagine going to the farm fields where the humans would send their dogs, traps, and poison after us. If we head to the grove there are owls and foxes. And the river? Do I look like a duck?” Francis took a deep breath as he watched Talon nod in acknowledgement.
“Seems logical. And you are willing to give up your unborn as well as your elderly for us? I just can’t understand how one could do that intentionally.” Talon looked over to Mother and Paw with a fierce gaze. The pair nodded their heads in encouragement.
“Our curse is that we are food. Our blessing is we reproduce fast. In prime conditions such as this domain, we would double our population in a month. In a year it could be 100 times larger. However, rest assured that feeding you would keep our population in check and prevent us from over feeding on this land area.” Frank paused and nodded to cue the other chickens to bring in the goods. “Here is a gift to show our dedication to this deal.” Frank brought forth the eggs and the wounded hen. Talon crushed its neck immediately with his eyes on Francis. Not a flinch, not a whimper. It appeared that the old rooster was quite serious indeed.
“I suppose we can give this a shot,” he responded as he licked his fangs. “However, I assure you that if there is any kind of funny business there will be a price to be paid.” Talon’s claws were out as he pointed to Francis. Mother and Paw also felt a chill down their spine as he briefly looked at them with the side of his eyes so sharp it could cut.
So the deal was made and Talon acknowledged that he would be on his way as he had other areas to pay visit too, but would return in a few weeks as scheduled. Mother was relieved as in her age she definitely preferred an easier way to live. Paw felt a sense of accomplishment as he finally was able to contribute to his community instead of being taken care of. Talon reminded them both that if things went astray, that they were to end the deal, extinguish whoever tried to stop them, and enjoy the spoils of the victor.
Everything seemed to be working quite well. And as the food for the cats increased, so did everyone’s mood. After a couple of months a few of them even got pregnant. If the deal continued, the cats could grow in number just like the chickens. This many chickens could certainly feed all the cats in the area. Now as great of a biological masterpiece that cats are, they have a tendency to get lazy. They no longer needed to hunt, so they spent most of their time basking in the sun. You could even say that they got a little rotund.
The so-called agreement they had continued on for quite some time in what resembled a functioning society. On occasion the cats had eaten a member of the flock they weren’t supposed to. And at times the younger kitties had gone after newborn chicks. Through all of it, Frank’s demeanor never wavered. At times the cats whispered their theories on what made him the way he was.
As if the agreement itself wasn’t out of the ordinary, strange interactions would happen from time to time. One of the younger kittens was seen being nurtured by some of the older hens. Paw even recalled seeing a chicken sitting on a kitten one brisk morning to warm it up. It all seemed as if everyone was living in harmony. The older cats would often talk about how this would never have happened back in their day. While the young ones never had a second thought about it. Paw was sort of in the middle as he was on the younger side when this all happened and tended to be more tolerant in general since he himself had his own difficulties.
At some point, Talon had begun to tell the other colonies about this arrangement that he had made with Frank under Mother’s supervision. A few of them had inquired if they could talk to the chickens themselves and make some kind of deal too. Talon with quite some confidence decided to invite some of the other matriarchs with him to the shed. There was Shadow from the grove and Sneaky from the rocks. Skinny from the field shared no interest as they had no shortage of food. Captain from the stream preferred fish and frogs, and Scout from the border hadn’t been seen for a while. Perhaps she was off exploring new territory.
Frank had heard that the other matriarchs had come to discuss with the others, and had let Mother and Paw know that he would definitely entertain the idea of expansion. Despite their reputation of being “bird brained” the modern chicken had been around over 2,000 years longer than the cat. It’s hard to argue that they were quite a successful organism. Either way as living breathing creatures, it is in their nature to want to survive and propagate. Perhaps even more clever than they were ever given credit for.
At this point in time the chickens had now outnumbered the cats at more than 20 to one. However, Talon had lost his suspicion of the chickens as they had feasted on hundreds of them throughout the time. No cat had ever been harmed and even when committing crimes against them, Frank or any other fowl had never even raised an eyebrow. So when the matriarchs arrived all Talon would do is brag about how great the deal was and how he knew how to run such a great territory. And in the night before the meet-up he and the other cats were purring in delight for what was about to occur.
The felines in charge had all gone in the shed beforehand to discuss some of the factors involved in the upcoming decision. The younger ones, except for Paw, had been removed as they had no business in the affairs of the leaders. But just a few minutes before the gathering of the elder cats, chaos struck. Little did they know but a mass of 200 fowl had encircled the shed. The mix of roosters and hens in a coordinated effort blocked all the exits and swarmed in.
If you ever saw an injured rodent enter a chicken coup you quickly remember that they are omnivores and do not simply feed on corn. You may also remember that they are pretty close ancestors to the dinosaurs. The rat will be ripped to shreds in a frenzy like a feathered piranha. The only difference is that nothing is really scared of chickens. The element of surprise is usually advantageous. With the right number with the right motivation, things can get hot and spicier than a buffalo wing at a strip club.
The squawking, dust, and feathers was more than enough to cause a massive wave of confusion under the assault. The hens ran forward providing a distraction, several sacrificing themselves to the jaws of the distressed predators. The roosters can from above piercing the flesh of the cats with their spurs. A storm of pecks shredding the eyes of the cats. Paw was bundled up in a corner fearing for his life as he saw the rest of his kind fighting through the madness. Shadow had tried to run away, but without her sight forced herself nearly unconscious as she slammed into a wall.
The felines were completely caught off guard. Nature’s perfect predator, being dismembered and pecked to death. You could say the cats had their eyeballs popping out of their heads. But that wouldn’t be accurate because their eyes had been pecked, popped, and swallowed. Chickens don’t quite have the fangs to tear through flesh and will go for the soft spots first.
A few moments later, there were 8 dead cats and 12 dead chickens in the shed. Blood and feathers were strewn everywhere. Still quivering in the corner was one living Paw. He had watched it all. The sound of the pecking embedded in his brain as his brethren were picked apart from head to tail. Captain who had a thicker coat of fur than most, was still twitching on the ground as the raptors had struggled to penetrate his outer layer.
Frank looking no more worse than when the skirmish began, walked over to Paw and said, “Don’t worry, you will remain unharmed.” Paw trembled in shock as the giant cock stood over him. “You stood up for us from the start and for that you have my gratitude. The other youngsters who grew up with us fowl in their lives will also remain unharmed if they wish to stay,” he continued nonchalantly.
Paw could do nothing but stare at the bodies of his friends and family. The ones that took care of him his whole life.
“But why, why? You didn’t have to kill them. And you killed Mother, she always sided with you as well!” Paw sobbed as his plea for understanding trickled out of him. He thought everything had been going well. Now his life was had been completely destroyed in a matter of minutes.
“All we ever wanted was to thrive. Nothing different from what you want. I think it’s fair to think that your mother and family would eventually have ended that. This place provides us peace and now it’s ours. I’ll leave it at that young one.” Frank walked away and flew up to the shed roof. The rooster let out a magnificent crow as Paw remained trembling in the shed.
Over the next few hours he contemplated on what to do. He gathered the youngins and tried to explain what was happening. They too were in a state of shock, and tried to rationalize that it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. “At least we will be fed if we stay here.” one kitten said. Another spewed, “The hens keep me warm at night.” Paw couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but his mind was not in a state to debate with them.
As the light turned to dark, Paw’s mind raced with anxiousness. The events earlier had consumed him. He hadn’t entered the shed since the catastrophe as the bodies of his family were left to decay. The next days were nothing short of brutal. Paw paced around the perimeter of the shed for hours at a time. Should he stay? This was the only home he had ever known. But what good is a home without family?
Was it he who was the odd one? The remaining kittens seemed to be getting along just fine with the flock of fowls. He looked at his paw and wondered if he could make it on his own. Although the other matriarchs were dead, surely the rest of the families were out there beyond the shed. There would be others, but would they accept him like his family did? And how could he live with such ruthless birds and what they had done. What was wrong with the world?! He watched as the kittens devoured eggs that the hens would bring them in the morning. Paws pile remained untouched as his appetite had since vanished.
This continued for days, until it didn’t. One morning, he simply wasn’t there. Did Paw headed out alone as most males of his age do? Perhaps he was searching for answers, vengeance, or something new. Just a stray trying to find his place in the world.
