Backyard critters

[1995hoo]

Yesterday morning, as part of an e-mail about something else, my mom mentioned the following:

One of our squirrels was drinking from the hummingbird feeder.  Every time I saw him on the feeder I opened the door and made a loud noise.  It seems to have worked—hasn't gone near the feeder in several days.

Mom, you dummy, don't jinx yourself! She and my father go to Mass on Saturday night and when they got home last night, she sent me the following! 

Darn squirrels—while we were at church, they drained the hummingbird feeder.  It's as if they knew we weren't home!!

[wj73]

Kind of bummed today as we finally put our chihuahua to rest. She had a good run at 18 years, 2 months and few days. The worst is that the wife will take a while to get over it and nothing I can really do to make her feel better.

I'm so sorry about your chihuahua.  Everyone's right - there will always be a chihuahua-shaped hole in your heart, but you will start to feel better as time passes. Glad you have a grandpet to spoil.

I'm not a great believer in most afterlife traditions, but in the back of my mind I'd like to believe that Rainbow Bridge is there.     https://www.rainbowsbridge.com/Poem.htm

[wj73]

We picked up the box turtle from the wildlife vet Friday and released him back where we found him.  I put down some strawberries and blueberries to give him something to tide him over for the first few hours.  He and the fruit were Saturday morning.  We spotted him later in the afternoon, and there was no sign of the abscess, so hopefully he's happily moseying through the forest again.  I wonder how he's explaining to the other box turtles that he was kidnapped by aliens and put through painful medical procedures before being returned home.   

We finally saw our first bear of the year.  This guy had ear tags and a radio tracking collar on - we've never seen that before.  Apparently Maryland DNR routinely tags and collars cubs every year to monitor their movements throughout their life.  We grabbed a few pictures then chased him off so he doesn't become too comfortable about human dwellings.   

[skippy1999]

We picked up the box turtle from the wildlife vet Friday and released him back where we found him.  I put down some strawberries and blueberries to give him something to tide him over for the first few hours.  He and the fruit were Saturday morning.  We spotted him later in the afternoon, and there was no sign of the abscess, so hopefully he's happily moseying through the forest again.  I wonder how he's explaining to the other box turtles that he was kidnapped by aliens and put through painful medical procedures before being returned home.   

  seriously that turtle is like hahahaha

[mitlen]

  seriously that turtle is like hahahaha

Turtle sez, "I'm gonna keep these humans."

[1995hoo]

So...it's been a bit over three years and the cat my wife has named Fraidy still shows up just about every night seeking food. We still feed her. Her behavior has not changed a bit. Last month we went to Miami for a week to visit relatives and our neighbor fed Fraidy. When we got home, his wife told us, "Wow, we thought you were exaggerating, but that is one seriously Fraidy Cat!"

So late last week, I want to say Thursday, I was slow bringing in the cat food bowl. Went outside to cover the grill and I could have sworn I saw TWO cats running away, one to the right and one to the left. I covered the grill and came back in and left the cat food out in case the cat came back. A little while later, sure enough, a different cat from Fraidy came to eat.

This one showed up again last night and tonight and I'm convinced it's either someone's outdoor cat, a new stray, or an abandoned cat because tonight I was able to go outside and walk right up to it and let it, scratch its head, etc., and it meowed happily (whereas in over three years, Fraidy Cat has never made a single sound). No collar. I guess the thing to do is to e-mail the neighborhood to ask if this is someone's cat and maybe to post some flyers. Seems like a very nice cat and it's certainly a beautiful animal, but I'm not sure we would be good at caring for a cat if we got it to come inside. I know it doesn't belong to anyone in our row of five townhouses.

[mitlen]

So...it's been a bit over three years and the cat my wife has named Fraidy still shows up just about every night seeking food. We still feed her. Her behavior has not changed a bit. Last month we went to Miami for a week to visit relatives and our neighbor fed Fraidy. When we got home, his wife told us, "Wow, we thought you were exaggerating, but that is one seriously Fraidy Cat!"

So late last week, I want to say Thursday, I was slow bringing in the cat food bowl. Went outside to cover the grill and I could have sworn I saw TWO cats running away, one to the right and one to the left. I covered the grill and came back in and left the cat food out in case the cat came back. A little while later, sure enough, a different cat from Fraidy came to eat.

This one showed up again last night and tonight and I'm convinced it's either someone's outdoor cat, a new stray, or an abandoned cat because tonight I was able to go outside and walk right up to it and let it, scratch its head, etc., and it meowed happily (whereas in over three years, Fraidy Cat has never made a single sound). No collar. I guess the thing to do is to e-mail the neighborhood to ask if this is someone's cat and maybe to post some flyers. Seems like a very nice cat and it's certainly a beautiful animal, but I'm not sure we would be good at caring for a cat if we got it to come inside. I know it doesn't belong to anyone in our row of five townhouses.

(Image removed from quote.)

Cat whisperer  ....  thanks for the follow up.   

[skippy1999]

That cat is so stinking cute!! Are you on Facebook? A lot of communities have a lost and found pets page, check out your areas and see if someone has posted that cat as missing or post the pic yourself and ask if anyone is missing a cat, I'm amazed at the pet reunions that take place daily using Facebook. 

[1995hoo]

The timing was so bizarre because our relatives near Miami have four cats (I joke they live in a cathouse) and yet they have a stray who's been sitting outside their house for a few months now, no doubt because my brother-in-law's wife and daughter feed him. He's very friendly too and he meows because he wants to come inside; he also eats the ubiquitous lizards. So after seeing him every day when we were there, it was so bizarre to find a new visitor coming to our deck so soon after coming home.

That cat is so stinking cute!! Are you on Facebook? A lot of communities have a lost and found pets page, check out your areas and see if someone has posted that cat as missing or post the pic yourself and ask if anyone is missing a cat, I'm amazed at the pet reunions that take place daily using Facebook. 

I'm not, but my wife is. I'll see if she can do that. Sounds like a very good idea.

[1995hoo]

The white cat just showed up this morning too. Never seen this one in the morning before. Meowed quite loudly and plaintively when I put out some food....makes me wonder if it's been abandoned. I posted something on a forum for our neighborhood and surrounding areas on the Nextdoor network. No replies yet.

[skippy1999]

The white cat just showed up this morning too. Never seen this one in the morning before. Meowed quite loudly and plaintively when I put out some food....makes me wonder if it's been abandoned. I posted something on a forum for our neighborhood and surrounding areas on the Nextdoor network. No replies yet.

Sadly that's another thing that I see just about daily on the lost and found site, animals being dumped by their owner

[Minty Fresh]

Sadly that's another thing that I see just about daily on the lost and found site, animals being dumped by their owner

We actually had a chinchilla show up in our yard once - they aren't even native to our CONTINENT.  Some jerk left her behind and our cat beat the stuffing out of it.   

[1995hoo]

I sent the picture to our two immediate neighbors and one of them wants to adopt a cat, so if we don't find the white cat's owner, she's interested in giving it a home! Positive news.

[Minty Fresh]

I sent the picture to our two immediate neighbors and one of them wants to adopt a cat, so if we don't find the white cat's owner, she's interested in giving it a home! Positive news.

That is great news.

There are kind souls all around if you're willing to find them.

[skippy1999]

I sent the picture to our two immediate neighbors and one of them wants to adopt a cat, so if we don't find the white cat's owner, she's interested in giving it a home! Positive news.

Wonderful!!!

That is great news.

There are kind souls all around if you're willing to find them.

There truly are but man it's still tough to realize how many soulless people walk amongst us

[mitlen]

I sent the picture to our two immediate neighbors and one of them wants to adopt a cat, so if we don't find the white cat's owner, she's interested in giving it a home! Positive news.

Outstanding

[1995hoo]

This cat is so completely the opposite of Fraidy Cat. Tonight when we opened the door to feed her (we've been able to determine it's a "she" based on when she rolls over) she came on inside and tried to explore the house, although we didn't let her go beyond the kitchen/family room. In reasonably short order she wanted to go back outside for food, although when I went outside a while later she constantly rubbed up against my legs and meowed.

I feel like we have to post some flyers because the cat is SO friendly. If it were my cat and I let it roam, I'd want people to know the cat had a home, but then I'd also make sure it had a collar! Someone at the office gave me two tips—(1) if the cat starts pawing at the door to leave it means it has a home and (2) if the fur on its neck starts to look unkempt it's a sign of a domestic cat who lost its home and can't groom itself correctly. Does that sound right to those of you who know more about cats?

I'm sort of torn. This cat is so super-friendly that I hate the idea that she'd be abandoned or would run away. On the other hand, it's kind of nice how happy she seems to be when she comes to our deck and it makes me want to see our next-door neighbor give her a nice home.

[imref]

What about taking her to a vet to see if she's chipped?  Also, is there a Facebook group for your community?

[Count Walewski]

A few days ago in South Arlington, just two blocks south of the Pike, I saw an enormous Leopard Slug slowly crossing the sidewalk. It was about as long as my hand.

I wanted to pick it up and put it on the other side, so it wouldn't get killed by a kid on a bike or something, but I figured that if it had gotten that big it must have at least some survival skills and would be OK. I hope it was.

[1995hoo]

What about taking her to a vet to see if she's chipped?  Also, is there a Facebook group for your community?

We may take her (we've determined it's female) to a vet next weekend if nobody responds to the flyers. Wanted to ask around the neighborhood first. Last night Ms1995hoo let the cat into the house and she proceeded to explore everywhere except the bathrooms. Crawled under both beds and I had to chase her out from both. Also figured out she has her claws when I had to stop her from trying to use the carpet on the stairs as a scratching post! Eventually she jumped up onto the living room windowsill (we had the windows open) and she sat there watching the birds fly by. After a little while we took her back outside to the deck so we could make dinner.

I'm not a Facebook member and my wife doesn't know anything about a group there for our neighborhood, but most of our community belongs to a site called Nextdoor.com, so I posted on there and included a picture. So did a lady up the block (she may have done so in response to my flyers). Guess we'll see what happens. The flyer asks the owner to let us know even if the cat is an outdoor cat who's allowed to roam simply so we'll know she has an owner. If that doesn't net results, maybe I can catch her Friday morning and take her to the Kingstowne Cat Clinic and just go into work a bit late.

[mitlen]

You gotta friend.

[1995hoo]

You gotta friend.

Sure seems like it.

[whytev]

We may take her (we've determined it's female) to a vet next weekend if nobody responds to the flyers. Wanted to ask around the neighborhood first. Last night Ms1995hoo let the cat into the house and she proceeded to explore everywhere except the bathrooms. Crawled under both beds and I had to chase her out from both. Also figured out she has her claws when I had to stop her from trying to use the carpet on the stairs as a scratching post! Eventually she jumped up onto the living room windowsill (we had the windows open) and she sat there watching the birds fly by. After a little while we took her back outside to the deck so we could make dinner.

I'm not a Facebook member and my wife doesn't know anything about a group there for our neighborhood, but most of our community belongs to a site called Nextdoor.com, so I posted on there and included a picture. So did a lady up the block (she may have done so in response to my flyers). Guess we'll see what happens. The flyer asks the owner to let us know even if the cat is an outdoor cat who's allowed to roam simply so we'll know she has an owner. If that doesn't net results, maybe I can catch her Friday morning and take her to the Kingstowne Cat Clinic and just go into work a bit late.

Most 2 coloured cats are male I think.

[GburgNatsFan]

Didn't know that. Interesting.

Most 2 coloured cats are male I think.

[1995hoo]

All I can say is that we could find absolutely no sign whatsoever of "male accoutrements" when the cat rolled around happily on the deck and on the carpet!