I have been given the honour of being the first one to tell my story. Let me introduce myself. I am a gorgeous cat. My name is Kitty Blossom. This name was given to me as I was picked up in Blossom Street. Yes, I was abandoned as a very young kitten, before I had learnt the art of hunting and caring for myself. All I really remember from this dreadful time was being very afraid, very hungry and oh! So cold! I didn’t know what to do, so miserable and unhappy as I felt, I just sat and cried and cried. My kitty guardian angel must have been looking after me, as amidst my piteous cries I heard approaching human footsteps. This rather frightened me as I remembered it was a human who had abandoned me. To be safe I stopped crying. Then I realized I needed help if I was to survive, so I cried as loud as I could. I was lucky, I was picked up by two gentle caring people. They wasted no time in taking me for medical care. I could just feel the love they had for animals.
When I was well my new friends collected me from the animal hospital and took me home to someone they called Granny. I’m not sure how grannies fit into the human chain, but I know, beyond doubt, they are ladies with lots and lots of love to give. I need to tell you a bit about Granny before I go on with my new life.
It would seem that Granny had lived all her life in or near big Cities. As her children were all grown up she decided she had had enough of city lights and the hustle and bustle of city life. Together with her younger brother, Granny bought a property in the country, which her family found rather strange, as Granny was petrified of creepy crawlies,(as she calls them), and also of mice and snakes and all other creatures you find in nature. However, Granny was determined she wanted to live with nature. That is how a city Granny became a Back to Nature Granny, not without some very frightening moments I might tell you. These moments will be made known as our stories unfold. Oh yes, there are quite a few animals waiting to share their stories with you. As a young kitten I soon realized I would be Granny’s friend for life if I caught any moth that came near her. This didn’t last too long as Granny finally got used to the moths and didn’t want them killed anymore. Granny felt that all creatures have a right to live in their own environment; so unnecessary killing was a no- no in our lives. We were only allowed to hunt for food when necessary and as Granny pointed out, we were all well fed, so no need to hunt. However I was allowed to catch the occasional mouse but never a bird!
Sometime ago a monkey arrived at our home. Our home being in the mountains it is not unusual for wild animals to come calling, but this time it was the first time we had a monkey visiting. Rather fascinating creatures, monkeys. They seem to like to tease. Well, this one certainly did. The dogs fell for the monkey’s tricks hook, line and sinker. Being a wise cat, I lay in the sun pretending to sleep but keeping one eye on the monkey so as to learn new tricks to tease the dogs with. I do so love teasing dogs, they get so agitated, especially when they think they have me cornered and I just jump up onto the roof or into a tree. But I digress, back to the dogs and the monkey. At first the dogs couldn’t fathom out which animal kingdom the monkey belonged to, so they presumed he was a dog. They rushed up as they do to greet other dogs. Fortunately for them they have an excellent sense of smell and before they ran into real danger, they stopped in their tracks having caught the whiff of the wild. So this way they learnt that monkeys are wild and therefore possibly dangerous.
Granny was not too sure how to handle this new visitor on her property. The monkey, on the other hand seemed to have taken a special interest in Granny. As granny walked down the rows of her seeds, planting, weeding and watering, the monkey, keeping his distance, would walk up and down with her. Should Granny look toward the monkey, he would quickly turn his head away from Granny. At first he wasn’t very popular as he went into Granny’s kitchen and stole food, always the freshest fruit and vegetables, then he would climb up to the rafters inside and happily eat his stolen goods. Granny tried chasing him with a broom, (Granny’s favourite weapon, as you will soon realize), but monkey was not afraid of the broom After a few days Granny started feeding the monkey, this stopped his stealing, but we were all very worried that he may decide to stay and he certainly wasn’t being friendly to any of us although he didn’t try to harm us either. Soon he went back to his thieving habits and made the mistake of his life. He stole a sandwich which was filled with hot mustard and peppers and chillies. It wasn’t hot from cooking, oh no, it was one of those hot, spicey foods that humans seem to like to eat. Poor monkey! His mouth must have started burning, he rushed for water, the more water he drank the more his mouth seemed to burn. When he finally got his mouth under control, he jumped into a tree, turned round bared his teeth at us, which I presume was a monkey smile, and took off, never to be seen again. He must have decided living with humans was not the kind of life he wanted.
Before I hand over to the other animals to tell their stories I need to tell you I was not the first animal that came to live with Granny, neither am I the last. As you read the following stories you will see how Granny’s property soon became a place of safety for all sorts of interesting animals. You will also come to realize how wonderful it is when people and animals live in harmony. We all have so much to teach one another. Hopefully you will keep on reading all about us. That way you will also get to know and love Granny the way we do.
In South Africa today security plays a vital part in any business or private home. This book and the volumes to follow, will guide you step by step through the essential precautionary measures to be taken in protecting your family and valuables. From employing security guards, evacuation of your site and security measures to burglar bars and alarms in your private home.
a Book compiled by me from experience gained after 10 years in the security industry as Industrial relations officer with Nosa qualifications, 1st Aid, fire protection and also S.O.B. grade A.
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