Feral Cats and Domestic Blue Jays

 

It is 2006, or at least, it was.

It was a strange paradox.

My mother-in-law's apartment adjoined our house. As a result, we could witness all of her patio activity which included the feeding of her wild cats who were letting us get a few inches closer each month and a couple of blue jays who had no fear of humanity or felinity.

I was sitting at her dining room table one night as one of these jays hopped over to the cat's bowl and grabbed a food pellet. Within seconds, the same bird was back and then its mate.

If one of the cats interfered, the jay pecked its head.

A precarious peace emerged on the patio. The cats remained wild and the birds became rather tame.

What concerned me was that the jays seemed to be feeding their young with the pellets and they might have been learning some bad habits.

The first time I jotted down these reflections I thought I might discover some profound truth to share.

But I did not.

I guess sometimes, I just stumble over an interesting story -- at least to me.

Profundity can come later. Perhaps a stronger paradox will emerge as well.

It has not happened in the last eleven years, but I live on hope.