Animal antics

Friday, November 11, 2005

You know what I really hate? When I spend an hour writing a post and suddenly press a button by accident and 'poof' its just gone. I had a Part II for our France adventure and just as I was finishing up the last two paragraphs hit some dumb button and now its floating somewhere in space. And I had put a lot into that one. And trying to recreate that mood is nearly impossible so I figure I will take a day to re-collect my thoughts and venture into some other aspect of our life. Our animal farm and other various animal antics we've experienced living out here.

I love animals...I know, I've made that very clear already. I do tend to repeat myself a lot. Currently we have 2 cats and 2 dogs. My cats are so anti-social unless their food bowls are empty, then they dump flower vases, sit on my crossword book, lay across the keyboard of the computer, put their butt in our face, or find some other way in which to say "Hey, feed me!" I like how they communicate actually. Not for the things that they do but because it is interesting to see how animals will try to 'speak' to humans.

Cats don't require all that much care. Ours don't really. They are mostly outdoor cats. They love to bring home bodies of dead mice or birds and in the summer raid the bunny nests which I usually reprimand them for. Mice and birds, well, if they are still alive I will try to save them from eminent death but most times I'm too late for that. Bunnies require much more effort from the cat though and I have pretty much always saved the bunnies. I know, it's just part of the life cycle of living creatures and I should just let nature take its course but when I see my cat walking proudly with a baby bunny squirming and screaming I have to step in. Funny, the summer before last, I saved 3 or 4 baby bunnys and took them away from my cat and scolded him. This past summer, he never brought any home. Maybe he understood?

What I find so funny is how cats will place their kill right in the walkway of the house or on the door step or sidewalk where everyone can see it. The normal reaction of all of us is, "Oh man, that is gross!" It is a disgusting site but when we look at that cat, they are standing there proud as can be just waiting for that pat on the head and the praise. They eat it up. And I will put aside that nauseous attitude long enough to do that just for my cat. Especially with mice.

Mice are cute and all but in the winter they seem to find a way into this house and every year I have to put out the decon. I hate to but it is not sanitary to have mice running around this house. And since my cats have transferred their hunting skills to the great outdoors, well, it is up to us to find a way in which to keep the mouse population to a bare minimum.

Our lovely dogs. They are so needy!! I spend most of my day tripping all over the Retriever. He will be in a dead sleep and I will attempt to slip away to go to the bathroom or something and that doggone dog with be right next to me when I least expect it. I cannot walk around this house without that dog at my side. The beagle, all I have to do is say "wanna go to bed?" and he perks right up and follows me around until I sit down on the couch and cover up. Our house is not exactly the warmest house so we sit under blankets all the time. Anyway, I get my blanket situated and then the dog will lift it with his nose and commence getting himself situated right up against my leg. The Beagle is a freeze baby.

He is constantly shivering. I just purchased him a sweater but somehow he keeps wiggling his way out of it even though I think he likes it a lot. then at night he sleeps in our bed and Pat hates it. Although with the colder weather I think he secretly appreciates the extra heat at his feet. I love my doggies, they are so loyal and so friendly. They love to be talked to, love to be pet, and love to be loved.

We had two dogs previous to these and lost them within 6 months of eachother--it was a sad, sad time. One we had for 11 years and the other for 13. They were outside more than they were inside but everytime we would let them in the house they wanted to go back out. They loved to be out there until their bones couldn't handle it. As they aged they wanted to be in the house more. What I always thought was funny about our big dog, a husky/lab/shepard mix was he was a 90 lb. dog but he was terrified of thunderstorms. He would run around in this house whining, hiding...just like a child of 4. I do miss my Roland, he was my dog and the best dog. Schnooks was a little white maltese and a yapper. He was one of those 'big' guard dogs who thought he was the king. It was comical that this little 6 lb. dog thought he was as big as me. Funny how bigger dogs think they are the size of a crevice in the wall but those little ones think the exact opposite.

I have all sorts of animal tales to share. Ducks, chickens, hamsters, cows..that is a funny one.
Pat and the cows.

Written by louie0768 .