Max was feral when we found him. He was skeletal at 37 kilos/81 lbs and was perfectly able and willing to attack anything that looked like food. For months he would not come near me, no matter how non-aggressive I tried to be when I approached him. He would either shy or snarl; neither option was comfortable.
Yeah, he's not a half-ton grizzly bear, but he's certainly able to kill the cats. He won't do that, though, because he recognizes that cats have Sharp Pointy Bits at the end of their paws. He respects the cats, and the cats respect him.
He's also capable of killing *me*. You don't ever live with a hundred-pound animal without having that somewhere in the back of your mind. The reason he doesn't get obnoxious when we're irritated with each other, I think, is that he understands that I respect him and recognize his autonomy. I never give him a command without reason, but at the same time, if he disobeys the command (like "sit/stay"), he knows I'll take a second look at the situation. One hundred percent of the time, so far, I've deferred to his judgement.
Yeah, no. He's not a bear. But I kind of understand what this is like, to rearrange your life a bit so that a critter can have Thanksgivings in your house (although Max doesn't care for turkey; instead, he gets his own plate of pumpkin pie).
He's a good boy. A good boy. And he eats birthday cake just like the grizzly does.
*shiver*
Having a wild friend who lives outdoors is one thing. Having wild animals as pets in your home, unless you are properly trained, is another, and even that bugs me. If you really know what you are doing, rehab it to the wild.
ReplyDeleteThis is how it should be, if you are going to stay friends with them. Brutus could leave if he wanted, he just knows he has a good thing.
Yes, they all have emotions, and are worth our care and rearranging our lives a bit.
Nice .
ReplyDeleteWhile cuddling with a giant grizzly does look like hella fun, I don't know that playing chase with one is really a smart idea.
ReplyDelete