Out in the countryside there are many dangers for cats, especially when they love to wander beyond their indoor havens. The owls and coyotes living nearby pose some of the biggest threats to them, topped only by hi-speed drivers and loose dogs.
This made the feline haven our neighbor Nancy maintained a singular feat among the cat-lovers in our small community in California. On her property, cats enjoyed long lives without fear of being carried off during the night or day. For the first few years after my family moved to Lake Riverside Estates, I often marveled at the way Nancy’s cats could have such freedom outside—prowling through the tall meadow grass across her gateless land.
One day, my mother and I asked Nancy what had made the property so safe for her furry companions. She gave us a sly grin fit to make a Cheshire cat envious and pointed to her golden tomcat Roman:
“Several years ago,” Nancy said. “A young coyote came close to my house with the intention to eat one of my cats. He picked the wrong cat to pick on, because when Roman saw the coyote approaching, his fur bristled and he turned into a fierce hurricane of claws and teeth. He charged that coyote and chased the frightened critter back into the fields across the way. The coyotes have left my cats alone, ever since.”
Roman earned his name that day, toppling this threat to his territory. This message must have passed onto the other wildlife in the estates as well, since no other animal dared to touch Roman or his friends.
