Bullying is no longer a problem that is confined to the schoolyard. Although it may have been where we first experienced a problem with a bully, we recognize that it is now an epidemic that has reached people of all ages and areas of life. It doesn’t matter if we are at work, at school or sometimes, even home, a problem with bullying is a serious issue.
When you hear stories about bullying taking place, it is likely that you wonder why somebody didn’t step in and do something about the situation. We have all had those feelings and sometimes, we wish we would have been there to take care of the situation ourselves. As you are about to see, however, not every story of bullying has an unhappy ending. In fact, this story is certain to leave you with a smile on your face.
It happened when a five-year-old boy named Ethan was playing soccer with his two-year-old brother. They were out in the front yard enjoying the day but a group of older boys walked by and began to give them trouble. They were yelling directly in their faces and Ethan, the five-year-old, even got thrown to the ground.
Many of us recognize the difficulty of the situation and we may wonder who could be there as their hero. As it turns out, there was a hero available and he came from a most unlikely source.
You see, the boys had recently received a new cat from their mother, a ginger tabbie named Smudge. The previous cat had passed away and this cat was purchased as a replacement. The boys were able to form a tight bond with Smudge and the mother even admits that the cat is more of a brother than a pet.
When Smudge saw what was happening to his brothers, he couldn’t handle it. He ran toward the bullies, spitting and hissing and when they didn’t run off immediately, Smudge leapt on the boy who was responsible for shoving Ethan to the ground.
That was all that it took. The bullies were forced to run from the situation crying. As it turns out, they weren’t quite as tough as what they were when they first came up to the younger children. The mother, Sarah, was shocked that Smudge would have acted in such a way, but she is also very grateful.
“He has never done anything like that before but it was absolutely brilliant seeing him look out for Ethan like that,” she said.
She did note that Smudge was keeping a close eye on Ethan ever since it happened.
“He has slept outside his bedroom keeping guard ever since it happened,” she said. “I actually feel so much safer knowing Smudge is around after seeing him defend him like that.”
Smudge received a nomination for National Cat of the Year Award through the Cat Protection Charity. He didn’t win, but he will always be a winner in the eyes of this family.
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