Braess

Braess was a paradox, a lingering rhetorical question like; was God being ironic in commanding Eve not to eat fruit from the tree of wisdom?

Braess the fox cub; born the same night as his mother’s death; Bella Renard. Born alone to fend for himself. Fortunate to be reared and nurtured by an unusual community of seven stray cats, and a dog. A cat community cobbled together by the compassion of Pluto and Luna, with a mission to protect each other, to survive the many threats, and share the perilous dangers facing the vile gang; jaws of death. Fauces de la Muerte. Braess; the offspring of the evil shape changer and the legend of the wilds; Lycanthrope, the servant of the eyes of the mountain. Les yeux de la montagne.

Braess would not know his destiny, his legacy, his purpose in life until he was a fully grown adult fox. For most of his fox cub life he thought of himself as a stray cat with peculiar, pointed ears. It wasn’t an everyday occurrence for any animal to peer into a mirror at their reflection, and to discover that they were misplaced. For a stray animal the main objective is to try to survive and stay alive. Self-reflection and understanding their place in the world are something for the minds of the philosophical Ba. For a stray animal, living in a feral semi-wild world life was full of daily danger. Staying alive was more important, and Braess lived in blissful ignorance of any societal rules as a wild fox cub being suckled by a community of stray cats and a dog. Mothered by Pluto, the seven cats of Kubbeli Evler, and Neptune – all stray cats, Plus, Lady the property site’s guard dog. Living each day side by side with cats and dogs became Braess’ world, burrows and life underground was never in his fox cub's upbringing and experience.

Braess grew up in a cat community, a stray cat society. Breaking all the unspoken and unwritten rules of the natural animal kingdom.

Foxes are a part of the Canidae family of animals, which makes them canines. They are closely related to domestic dogs and wolves. The canine family also includes coyotes, jackals, and even raccoons. Canines, also called canids, are characterized by their slender build, long legs, bushy tails, and long muzzles. Foxes have all these canine features. The most distinguishing feature of the canid family is the teeth that share the same name. Canine teeth are specifically suited to grabbing onto and holding prey, cracking bones, and shredding flesh. The canine family is carnivorous, but a lot of canine species are omnivores. Foxes are remarkably like dogs in that they prefer meat but can eat a wide variety of food. Like other animals such as stray cats, foxes are opportunists and will eat carrion or scavenge for food in human trash. Foxes are attracted to farms, especially the henhouse as they love eggs and dairy food.

It is not surprising that many individuals compare foxes to house cats.

They share the same preference for smaller mammals, such as mice, voles, and rats. They also prey on small birds and squirrels. Like cats, foxes also rely on their finely honed senses to detect prey and can hear a mouse squeak from over one hundred yards away. They also have a 260-degree field of vision that relies on movement detection, a trait they share with felines.

However, even the bravest stray cat would think twice about going for larger animals like wild pigs, pine martens or snakes. Only the larger species of foxes, like the red foxes, have no problems hunting larger animals like young wild pigs and house martens.

Like cats, foxes also have vertically slitted pupils and sensitive whiskers that help them navigate in the dark. Foxes are also the only member of the Canine family that walks on the balls of their feet. There are two species of fox that have partially retractable claws, with the ability to climb trees.

Foxes generally possess attributes from both dogs and cats, but their ancestral trees originate on the lineage of dogs and wolves.

It wasn’t surprising that the abandoned fox cub named Braess felt comfortable growing up being mothered and fathered, by Pluto and the seven cats, and Lady with her pups until they were sold, and Neptune the cat psychopomp.

Neptune the clairvoyant cat, always stated emphatically that Braess was the reincarnated spirit of Ethel Beaver – the murdered cabaret singer Cygne Noir, come to claim her debt of karma in this realm. We know that Ethel was determined and steadfast, naturally stubborn with a fiery temper that could be triggered easily. It was no surprise as Braess did have a similar nature, so Neptune’s shrewd observation could easily be rationalized.

Thankfully, Lady had enough milk for the hungry newborn Braess when she gave birth to her pups at the same time Braess was discovered helpless next to his dead mother Bella Renard. The early days of Braess life were lying next to Lady’s pups sucking on her teat, feeling the security, warmth of Lady and the pup’s warm bodies. Lady’s milk sustained and nourished Braess, unaware that he was beyond comparison as the runt in Lady’s newborn litter. He was blissfully ignorant that he was being nurtured and looked after by a bunch of stray cats, and a benevolent guard dog.

The only animal that took a dislike to Braess was Dag, the mate and father to Lady’s pups.

Dag the farm dog became increasingly jealous of Braess. He was a proud parent of Lady’s litter, and very serious and protective. Seeing the baby fox cub being suckled alongside Lady’s pups was something to behold, and like everybody else Dag was enchanted with the wonderful view of the suckling cub and pups. He didn’t just watch, he provided necessary food items from the smallholding farm, especially containers of Yasli the cow’s golden milk, and other milk products to sustain the strength of Lady in the early suckling period.

Dag’s attitude changed the day the pups were taken away from Lady. The irreversible event changed everything, and for many watchers it was to become a turning point. Lady was devastated and distraught the day her pups were removed. The Ba owner sold the pups for profit, while Dag stood by watching on helplessly. He took his bitter disappointment deep inside, and it morphed into a dark vengeance. In trying to appear supportive, while Lady dissolved into an emotional wreck, which was most unusual for Lady, the dog, always statuesque, always on guard, the reliable sentry supposedly preserving the Ba properties from unwelcome Ba visitors. Nonetheless, secretly sheltering and protecting the lives of Pluto and seven cats of Kubbeli Evler from the continuing threat of the savage Lupus Vulpes, the servants to the evil eyes of the mountain.

Whenever Dag saw the remaining baby fox, hiding around the Kubbeli Evler site, his hidden and suppressed rage and vengeance clenched at his heart and mind. His normal jovial demeanour was consumed in hatred, and the disappointment that Lady’s pups, his children, had been taken away by Ba, never to be seen by Dag or Lady ever again.

Braess’ dependency on Lady’s suckling was complete after about four weeks, the same time the pups were removed and sold. Never to be seen again. For the small fox cub, the departure of the Lady’s pups was equally disturbing. After days of nestling against the warm bodies of Lady, and the small pups suddenly to be left alone without playing and fighting with the other siblings left a void. It was a sudden change, without explanation, and the event disturbed Braess’ small world.

The void was replaced by the next stage in Braess’ upbringing and was supported and maintained by the seven cats of Kubbeli. They had been there at the very beginning when Bella Renard died the night of the birth of Braess. They were instrumental in carrying the tiny blind package of flesh and bones and introducing him into Lady’s suckling litter and telling Pluto about the discovery of a newborn fox cub.

Now it was time for lessons and teachings to prepare for the symphony of the street. The life of a stray animal in the world of Ba is a lot different than living in the wild. Survival is the daily objective, and survival means finding food, staying alive, and to avoid being hunted down.

Each of the seven had a lesson to teach, Sun the ginger and white, the leader by default because of his ability to stay calm, and thoughtful when the other cats became feisty, and started to squabble and fight amongst each other. All the other cats had bequeathed their allegiance to follow Sun. There was a significant difference in Sun, as he had started out in life in privileged circumstances as a domesticated cat, living in a house, and amongst a Ba family. That experience stood out amongst the seven, especially in understanding the mannerisms and ways of Ba creatures. Sun wasn’t afraid of the inside of a Ba dwelling. The others had no experience of a domesticated life, and all their experience gained as a street stray animal, resulted in never being comfortable inside a Ba dwelling, even if it was empty. The distinct smell of Ba dwelling, and the unfamiliar sights of cleanliness and tidiness disturbed the other cats. It was too perfect and comfortable; it must be a trap – was the thoughts of the other stray cats.

On occasions the other stray cats would look inside the Ba dwelling, through the windows where the occupants were concentrating on their domesticated lives, such as eating or preparing food, watching TV. The stray cats enjoyed the voyeur experience, but were always on the lookout for discarded food, or the interesting flicking pictures on the screens of the TV. Nonetheless if they were invited inside by a kindhearted Ba owner, they would run away, as though the invitation was a sentence of imprisonment, or some evil trap to end their freedom outside at the mercy of the year-round weather and elements. Some of which were harsh, and extremely uncomfortable.

The domesticated animals in the Ba world such as cats and dogs were not envied at all. The seven cats of Kubbeli Evler pitied their lives, trapped in the Ba dwellings, only free at the behest of their Ba owners, without the freedom to roam around with the continued company of the whispering wind in their ears. However, there was one privilege envied of the domesticated pets in the Ba world, and that was regular food and feeding, without the need to forage in the nearby rubbish bins to find it!

*Ba means human beings and their world.