Zip surprises me every day.
When I think I know who he is, he changes or pops up somewhere or touches me with his affectionate side.
I think he killed a giant snake this morning; we bound it chewed in half out near the pasture fence. It was tough to see; I’m assuming it was Zip.
Two hours later, when I went out to sit in my blue chair and read, he hopped up on my chest and curled up. I stroked his back, and he fell asleep. I didn’t move for 15 or 20 minutes; there was something peaceful and beautiful about it, and I decided to meditate with him while I slept.
I did get a selfie; I couldn’t resist. This guy is a photographer’s dream.
I’m going through some important and meaningful changes in my life, all good, and it was good to think about them. Zip is a loving creature who can kill on a dime. They are part pet, part tiger. You never entirely own them or control them. They can also be a great pal. This is the drama of cats.
They can be the most affectionate things in your life, but they will try to kill something the next minute. It was a giant snake; I can’t imagine how he did it.
As often happens, he was awakened by a sound I couldn’t hear. He sat up, tail swishing, ears up, and took off towards a robin eating something on the ground. The robin took off safely, quickly, and far. A few minutes later, I looked at the pasture and saw Zip’s head pop in the hay feeder. I can’t quite imagine what he was doing there, but everything on the farm seems to be his turf, except the farmhouse.
The longer I know Zip, the more I love him and the happier I am that he lives in the barn instead of the house.
This is where he waits for me in our new regular afternoon meeting. He also likes the shade.
Or is it Zud?
No pic of the dead snake?
Nope
I just recently saw some info about cats; they win every time against snakes because their reaction time is phenomenally fast — something like 10 times faster than humans. Evidently some degree faster than snakes, too.
Our barn cat Oscar was a snake killer. He was always very pleased with himself and would bring us the decapitated snake, leaving it on our back step sometimes still wiggling. I never thought much of his antics until he left us a rattlesnake body. After that I worried that I would find him dead from a snake bite. He lived to the ripe old age of 15 yrs which is old for a barn cat. I love Zips antics, he is in charge for sure!