Cat does cheetah impression

This evening I went out to water the trees near the house. The air was cool and pleasant. As I approached the faucet Raven, the cat, watched me from a distance. The faucet squeaks when I turn it on. There could be something in a cat’s brain that triggers the run response when that sound is made, for he instantly took off and did a remarkably realistic impression of a cheetah. In fact, if you consider his smaller stature compared to a cheetah, his speed was probably proportionate to that of the bigger cat.

It’s odd that a sound that doesn’t have an analogue in the natural world should trigger such a response. It must have been something he learned. Hm-m-m. I wonder if perhaps he experienced being squirted by a garden hose, and associates that with the sound of the hose being turned on. That sure would explain his odd behavior. But who would have done that?

I’ll have to ask around.