Fight for supremacy, Kietel, the Nidar or no fear, Athaena the cautious cat
Athena and Nidar: A Small Story of Caution and Courage
Athena, the orange cat, is now fourteen years old. She has grown into that stage of feline wisdom. At this stage, unnecessary fights are avoided like bad weather. She is careful, measured, and deeply protective of her well-earned comfort. But place a stuffed mouse in front of her, and she transforms instantly into a ruthless hunter. Give her a table-tennis ball. She plays football with it like Madonna doing a solo on the world stage. She shows flair, rhythm, and attitude.
With real cats, however, she becomes surprisingly deferential. Athena moves around them with soft, friendly meows. Her approach is almost apologetic. Meanwhile, the neighbourhood stray shamelessly gulps down her food. She watches, uncomplaining, as if good manners are a burden she insists on carrying alone.
But there was one encounter where her gentleness met its match.
Nidar is a flightless pigeon. His name literally means “No Fear.” He has claimed a small square of your balcony as his personal kingdom. A disability hasn’t dimmed his spirit; if anything, it has sharpened it. He guards his dining area with the confidence of a general and the stubbornness of a saint.
One afternoon, Athena wandered too close. Not to eat — she wasn’t hungry — and certainly not to fight. She was simply updating her observational skills, as any responsible huntress must.
But Nidar would have none of it.
He puffed up and marched forward. With a series of assertive hops, he pushed the old queen back from his dining tray. Athena blinked, stepped back politely, and offered a soft meow of mild surprise. He advanced again. She retreated again.
And just like that, a flightless pigeon became the unlikely conqueror of a veteran cat.