Why Milo? – The Surprises Brought by a Little Cat---4
Chapter 4: Milo's Courage and Wisdom
Design Description:
In this chapter, we dive into Milo’s journey of courage and wisdom as he faces new challenges with quiet strength. Through his actions, he teaches the family valuable lessons in resilience, patience, and understanding. From playful moments to moments of quiet reflection, Milo’s growth and emotional intelligence shine through, further strengthening the bond he shares with each family member. This chapter highlights the importance of facing challenges with courage, no matter how small or large.
Our neighborhood has spacious backyards, quiet and wide, making it an ideal place for neighbors to keep pets. Apart from our three neighboring families, each with two large dogs, there are many neighbors who keep cats. In this area, outdoor cat care is a good option.
At that time, Milo was the youngest kitten I’d ever seen in the neighborhood, but he was often bullied by the other cats. Two of them would always fight with him as soon as they saw him, but Milo couldn’t fight back. He would lie down on the ground, motionless, almost like he was surrendering. Every time I saw this, it broke my heart, and my daughter was nearly in tears. I couldn’t help but become the protective mom, sternly telling the bigger cats, "You’re not allowed to bully him." The big cats seemed to fear my stern tone, and whenever someone was around, they dared not bully Milo anymore.
As Milo grew, he became more confident and stronger. He was no longer as small, and he could no longer easily crawl under the couch.
When he was about ten months old, we took him to the park. He saw a large black dog and mistakenly thought it was our dog, so he excitedly ran over. When the dog noticed him, it suddenly broke free from its leash and ran after him. Frightened, Milo turned and ran as fast as he could. The dog, with its four legs like a horse galloping, chased him down. The dog’s owner was also scared and was shouting at the dog to come back. Milo ran like a low-flying swallow, so fast and smooth that it seemed like you couldn’t even see his four legs. Since the middle of the park was a large open grass area, he must have run about 80 meters before reaching a large tree. Without a pause, he agilely climbed up the tree, and we all breathed a sigh of relief.
He stayed in the tree for about half an hour, and after the dog left, Milo still wouldn’t come down, clearly scared. I kept calling him, but at first, he ignored me. Then he just looked at me without moving. We kept reassuring him, and after feeling safe, he cautiously climbed down. This experience not only showed me his cleverness and agility but also made me realize that he had learned the ability to avoid danger.
Milo became braver as time passed. Eventually, he conquered the 15-year-old orange-and-yellow tabby cat, and they became good friends. From then on, other cats that once wanted to fight with him no longer saw him as an enemy, and instead, they became his friends. Especially one black-and-white calico kitten, who followed Milo everywhere. Perhaps it was a female cat, but I’m not sure.
The boy from next door really liked Milo. He also had a black kitten named Rolo, who was a year younger than Milo. By the time Milo was almost two years old, Rolo had grown up, and it was hard to tell them apart. Rolo was shy and would hide when people approached, but Milo would patiently wait nearby, and once people left, Rolo would return to Milo’s side, and they would play together rolling on the ground.
The neighbor once said that Milo was very kind, not like other big cats who bullied kittens. He always took care of Rolo, teaching him many skills. The two of them were like brothers. Even when the calico cat came to visit, the three cats would play together, and Milo never showed jealousy. Instead, he seemed more tolerant, like a big brother. The calico cat seemed to stick closer to Milo, following him whenever he went outside, sometimes bringing Rolo along for adventures in the backyard.
There were often other cats around the yard, probably Milo’s friends. I often left some cat food at the door, just in case Milo came home hungry. Sometimes, when I secretly watched from the window, I noticed that Milo always let the little calico eat first, while he patiently waited by its side. Once the calico cat was done, he would begin to eat his own food. It turned out that Milo was not only clever but also considerate of his friends, which made me admire him even more.
There was also a curious encounter between Milo and a raccoon, as well as a fox.
Milo loved to join me in the garden. One time, I was so focused on pulling weeds that I didn’t notice my surroundings. When I straightened up and looked toward the back door, I saw him sitting quietly side by side with a brown raccoon with dark eye patches and a deep brown-striped tail. The raccoon was a little smaller than Milo, but quite round. At first, I was shocked, and then I carefully approached them. When the raccoon saw me, it quickly ran away.
I couldn’t believe it—could Milo and this little raccoon be friends? I had seen a big raccoon chased by the dogs before, but I had never seen such a cute little one. Since I didn’t see more details, I missed the chance to observe the interaction between Milo and the raccoon.
Not long afterward, a skinny fox began to appear frequently around our neighborhood. One evening, when Milo and I had just gone for a walk, we saw the fox run to the small tree across the street. Milo, noticing it, immediately ran after it. I was afraid he might get hurt, so I called him back. The fox was scared away by Milo’s presence, and Milo calmly returned to me. Our neighbor, Rein, later told me, “That fox is really silly. It’s even afraid of small cats.” I knew that was because of Milo. It was the first time I’d seen this moment, and I still don’t know what had happened between them before.
As Milo’s journey continues, the family faces new challenges and moments of growth. Chapter 5 is just around the corner, where we explore even more of Milo’s unexpected lessons and adventures.
20 Years in Canada: ...
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