Trusting A Stranger

Today while in my kitchen, I looked out the window and noticed our mammoth cat, Bubba. He was on top of the netting on our strawberry plants. I'm not kidding, he weighs over 18 pounds and is only 2 years old. He looks like a gray lynx (he's part Mainecoon).

I was also hearing a lot of noise from neighborhood birds, which is uncommon in the afternoon. They prefer late evening or early morning.

Once I got out there, I realized that there was a robin stuck in the netting and Bubba was very interested in this hard-to-get "treat".

An American robin. Mine looked very much like this one.

At first, I tried to assess whether the bird was actually stuck or just trapped under the netting. I was trying to avoid touching it as I knew it was scared and I didn't want to get pecked. It was lying so still I thought perhaps it was playing dead. It then panicked and tried to escape, but I realized it was in pain from Bubba stepping on the netting and trying to get underneath.

I shooed him away and placed one hand on the bird, speaking in a soothing tone and shushing it much like I did for my children when they were babies. To my amazement, it became completely calm. I held it gently but firmly to the ground while I pulled the netting away from its wings and feet, but it was soon evident that this determined bird had put its head completely through the mesh square and I'd need to cut it free.

I asked one of my three girls to go inside and fetch me the kitchen scissors. Once she came out, I clipped the netting until it was free, but before I could actually remove the square from its head, it flew away from me. I was trying to pull the tiny square off its neck rather than cutting so close, but the bird could sense the net was no longer holding on. First it flew to our roof, and sat for a while just looking at us. It then turned and flew up high into our neighbor's maple tree.

There is something about making eye contact with a wild animal. And something truly amazing about getting to touch an animal that is not tame, but that is at peace with you. I don't recommend going out and trying to pet a cougar or anything, but this bird could sense that I was trying to help it and it was completely calm while I worked on freeing it.

My biggest concern was that Bubba had injured the bird, but based on its quick flight, I don't think the bird lost anything besides some calm and some downy undercoat feathers. I secured the netting better, and we've harvested some of those bright red berries, since clearly, they were ripe.

Genesis speaks of Adam and the animals in Eden. Revelation speaks of a new heaven and earth. I believe that there will be a trust between humans and animals in that new earth, and today, I had a glimpse of it.

It's a moment I don't think I'll forget.

~Tammy

This is Bubba. If I were a robin, I'd be scared too.