I was most proud of the venerable Miss Thriller last night!
Thriller was outside in her little grassy yard furiously barking at something in the inky gloom. Thriller has a new grassy yard that she has access to 24/7, and it has proven most successful with no more little “accidents” in the billiard room due to Thriller’s dad’s inattentiveness of Her Ladyship’s needs! Once darkness settles on the land, Thriller stays out there for a couple of hours carefully watching – the yard is, for her, a “TV set”, only extra wide-screen and with “live” coverage of events about her domain. Anyway, in response to Thriller’s “enthusiastic” barks, I shone the torch about and there were two bunnies just on the other side of the fence enjoying their nightly meal, one about ten feet from Her Ladyship and the other about fifteen feet distant, and, despite Thriller’s booming protests, their contented grazing continued. So, I shone the torch further afield and there, about 100-feet distant was one of the neighbor’s cats stalking dining duo! Thriller was not barking at her leporine mates but at the feline threat to their ongoing enjoyment of life and their pursuit of calories.
So, it was a case of well done Thriller, and I hope she enjoyed her kangaroo jerky reward!
Thriller’s reaction to the cat, and the bunnies’ lack of reaction to Thriller’s angry barks, left me pondering whether Thriller may be substituting the resident rabbits as her playmates, now that she lacks other Newfoundland mates as when living at her former home at Berrima. Pre-infected foot, Thriller’s high-stealth-mode “hunting” of bunnies did seem more like a game, and to the bunnies concerned as well, as said rabbit could easily have darted away off into the distance – but they would slowly hip-hop a few yards away each time Thriller came close, and she was getting to about six feet from them at times. It seemed like they were enjoying the game also. So, perhaps the resident rabbits are now Thriller’s friend/playmate substitutes!
So, please tell the people on the list about your Newfoundland’s inter-specie relationships.
All the very best,
Arthur Witten
Thriller – Mmmm, must remember, bark at night and get yummy treat!