Please Don't Hurt Me

Please don’t hurt me,

just calmly watch me.

You took part of my yard

and most of my paths

when you built your manse

in the woods, out in the countryside.

I have to eat, and my hunt is hard,

so if your kitty or small dog

meanders near my watchful eyes,

they must be smart and fast or

both I will eat!

Be loud on the hiking trails,

bring a whistle, pay attention,

look big but don't stare at me,

never, never run from me -

you cannot outrun me and

I love to chase, so remember

these tips to not be dismembered.

Please don’t hurt me, don’t shoot me.

Don’t use hounds to tree me,

making me your bullseye,

taking easy aim from below,

while I crouch above you

in mortal fear, snarling at your

barking, snapping hunting dogs.

Cruelly chasing, watching me

leap upward to safety for me,

but I'm easy prey for you, so unfair.

I lived here before you moved in,

before the other developments

pushed me near human houses.

I might have cubs or, consider,

maybe my mom just recently

gave me the boot

thinking I’m grown enough

to pull my own and I'm tired

and scared, hungry and lost.

Your pets should be inside and safe

where pets belong.

I’m not meaning to hurt you or yours,

but I am a cat, you know.

We are smart and sometimes vicious,

for our wild outdoor life is hard.

Please live beside me or near me

in peaceful harmony,

that is really what all wild ones want:

to live our lives away from man,

to hunt in peace and raise our young.