I enjoy my daily morning walks, especially during the summer before it gets too hot. A few days ago I was out, walking kind of slow because Biggie was recovering from an unfortunate trash-bag gastrointestinal extravaganza. Because of the lazier pace, I was particularly appreciative of the natural beauty around me and I spotted an unusual bug on the road. It was a bright yellow and fairly large grasshopper. He was a beauty! I didn’t want him to be run over, so I nudged him toward the adjacent yard . He didn’t budge. I grabbed a big leaf to carry him to the safety of a nearby lawn, eased it under his behind, and this movement inspired him to hop. He needed one more hop like that to get into the yard, so I put the leaf behind him again. This time his aim wasn’t so great; he hopped in the wrong direction and landed right in front of Biggie. Tummy troubles forgotten, Biggie pounced. That little dude ate the whole thing, but he had to chew for awhile.
Yes, I felt bad. My instinct to save a beautiful insect actually hastened its death.
No matter how disgusting, I appreciate Biggie’s instincts. He doesn’t usually kill indiscriminately. There are plenty of squirrels in our neighborhood, but he doesn’t care a whit about them on our walks. If they are in the backyard though, he will try to catch them. Same with the birds that land in the garden. However, he shines when it comes to non-squirrel rodents. Rats, mice, and gophers don’t live long on our property. It may take him a couple of days to hone in, but he WILL get them. He’ll leave the bed in the middle of the night, and in the morning will have a dirty muzzle from digging in the yard, looking for gophers. Yesterday he killed a rat that had been living in the succulents and trying valiantly to chew through my bird food container.
In the parlance of the youth of today, he is a good boi.