"Watch Your Back!"

This is the story about how Sylvester the black and white kitten learned a lesson about curiosity and following directions.

By cat standards, as a three month old kitten, Sylvester was about the same age as a first-grade or kindergarten human child. He already showed the same strong streak of curiousity and independence as his father before him. His father, Sylvester the Great, a fluffy big black and white cat with similar markings, had been killed by coyotes a month before Sylvester Kitten was born to Socks, the stray tabby. Sylvester Kitten never knew his father, but acted so much like him that everyone wondered if the stories of cats having nine lives just might be true.

On a beautiful day in mid-winter, Sylvester Kitten strolled out of the house and through the front garden. "Don’t climb the big trees or bother the ravens," his Mom called after him. Sylvester Kitten mumbled something, but he wasn’t really listening. He chewed some grass and chased his shadow. Then something quite unusual caught his eye, and he stalked closer.

This January day was so warm, the birds were singing as if spring had already arrived. In fact, as this was the seventh warm day a row, the birds began to argue that spring had already come. "This isn’t spring," said the sparrow. "No, I’m sure this is spring," said the finch. "I want to be ready and have my babies raised before the weather turns really hot." So the finch went off to build a nest, and the sparrow went looking for food. The birds had no answer to why the days seemed so warm in January.

Just in case, Mr. and Mrs. Raven began building their annual nest, high in the tall pine tree at the front of the house. Up and down the two flew, carrying branches, twigs, wires, papers...any kind of scrap imaginable. Last year’s nest had blow down in a big wind storm, and they figured they had better get an early start at building this new one.

"This is hard work," said Mrs. Raven. "What a shame our old nest blew down."

"Yes," replied Mr. Raven, "It’s a beautiful day and I’m glad we can get an early start. Say, won’t this piece of plastic make a nice window?" Back and forth they chatted as they picked just the right materials to build their nest.

All this activity caught the attention of our silly little Sylverster Kitten who had forgotten his mother’s warnings about staying out of the pine tree and leaving the ravens alone. I say silly because he was thinking like a big cat and began stalking that pair of ravens, little knowing their sharp beaks could make short work of a pipsqueak kitten like him.

Sylvester stalked closer and closer, as the ravens went on with their serious nest building business.

Suddenly, a great cry went up from the tree. Seeing what they thought was a full-size cat peering from under a branch, the ravens began screaming, "Home Wrecker! Baby Taker! Thief!"

Tasha, Dee Dee and Bo raced toward the base of the tree, looking up and trying to see the problem. At first they could see nothing wrong. Then they saw a small black and white shadow up near the foundation for the new nest. It was Sylvester Kitten, poised to attack the two big birds, and paying no attention to the pointy beaks and razor sharp claws.

The ravens flapped around him. "Wait. He’s just a kitten," said Mr. Raven. "We can take him. He might even taste good!"

"Yes," said Mrs. Raven. "Let’s make him an example to all cats every where. I’ll be the decoy." She swooped in and bit at Sylvester’s ear, and he backed a bit down the limb, but still seemed determined to get those ravens.

Mrs. Raven landed just out of reach and began throwing things at the willful kitten. She broke off branches and pinecones and pelted him, all the while squawking loudly. Captivated by Mrs. Raven’s ploy, and completely oblivious to the danger, Sylvester kitten prepared to pounce. He did not know that Mr. Raven was circling for an attack. Mr. Raven planned to grab the small kitten around the middle or by the scruff of the neck, fly him into the air and drop him. This was no way to treat a kitten. Surely Sylvester Kitten was a goner.

Closer and closer came Mr. Raven, while Mrs. Raven kept tormenting the kitten with twigs and pine cones, always keeping just out of reach. Sylvester slipped and hung from one paw, high up in the tree. Mr. Raven moved into position and dove toward the kitten. He could just taste the feast his family would have!

From the ground, Dee Dee figured out the Raven’s plan. "Tasha, stop them!" she barked loudly. Tasha set up such a roar of barking and a flurry of jumping that the ravens were overwhelmed by the ruckus. Mr. Raven stopped his dive, and they both flew off at the last possible moment, leaving Sylvester to lose his grip and tumble safely to a lower branch.

Tasha bounced after the ravens, barking and leaping at them. With her long Doberman ears flapping and her long tail spinning, the bouncing Tasha convinced Mr. and Mrs. Raven that she was some kind of flying dog, and figured they had better give up their dreams of having kitten for dinner "Fly away," called Mrs. Raven. "Go quickly!" said Mr. Raven. Off they flew, with Tasha in hot pursuit, bouncing and barking along the ground, happy to chase off the feathered pair of would-be kitten nappers.

Within a few moments, Sylvester dropped safely to the ground. "Mom!" he shouted. "Did you see that? I almost caught that pesky raven! Aren’t you proud of me?"

Socks gave him a cuff with her paw that sent him spinning. "Dont’ you EVER do that again," she said. "What?" said Sylvester, receiving another cuff for "talking back". "Aw, I was just trying to help catch dinner...."

"You almost got yourself killed, young cat," Socks growled at her increasingly willful kitten, and then relented and licked his face and neck, giving him a loving bath.

Sylvester still was too young to realize how he had put his life in danger by not following directions.

The ravens learned a lesson that day too. From that day, they gave the cats and dogs a wide berth. In fact, they took such a fright at the thought of this "flying dog" with the high leaps, flapping ears and helicopter tail, that they moved their new nest to a higher pine tree that was even further from the house.

Another cold snap came, and the birds were just as glad that they hadn’t finished their nests. Spring was still another two months away. There would be plenty of time for nest building when spring came for real.