A Kitten'S Hun

By Christina Mary John

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.

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.

Mum starts meowing urgently and I know if I ignore her this time, I’d be dog food for sure! 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 field.

By Christina Mary John