Looks as if Traveller saved me again, more or less.

We have two red-tailed boas in a large aquarium; one is five feet long, the other about eight. The larger one, Fluffy, is about as big around as my arm and very strong.

Today when I was cleaning the pen Fluffy kept trying to climb behind it. Traveller, Willoughby, and Sasha were all crowded round giving me moral support. I don't really worry about the snake attacking the cats, because they are just a little too big for him to eat, yet, and red-tails are pretty docile. They don't attack something unless they intend to eat it or to defend themselves. However, I do keep a close eye out. If Fluffy felt threatened she could kill any of the cats easily.

Anywho, Fluffy kept crawling over the back of the pen, so I picked her up, slung her around my neck and kept working. Immediately she began giving me the hug of death, or as well as she could, seeing as how she isn't strong enough to hurt me or even make me too uncomfortable.

Traveller must have thought I was in danger, because the next thing I knew he had all four paws wrapped around Fluffy's upper body and was trying to sink his fangs into her head. Fluffy started bouncing around trying to shake loose and damn near broke my neck. She is strong and fairly heavy. About the third time she slapped me up the side of the head with Traveller I pried him loose and dumped her back in the cage.

With help like that. . . [shrug], but I guess he meant well.

Here he comes again, chasing a fly. Oho, he's in trouble now. He just launched himself off the couch in hot pursuit of that fly and saw too late he was headed right for Sasha. He turned a back flip in mid air and tried to slam on the brakes, but it was too late. Sasha is a very serious-minded Siamese with no sense of humor at all. She snarled and hissed and jumped up and slapped Traveller cross-eyed. She jumped at him and took another swipe, but Traveller was gone by then. She'll get over it. Till the next time.

Copyright © David Yehudah
May 20, 1999