Tag: animals

Mouse Hunt

We are proud of our two cats. They have protected their house from an invader. A little, tiny, furry, squeaky invader.

They caught a mouse.

We saw them hunting when we got up this morning. There was something in a closet that they really wanted to get at. I saw it for a second. A little brown mouse. It was adorable. It was also a bastard of a home invader who needed to be removed. The mouse got away this morning. It did not get away for long.

Jen walked into a room and found it laying in the middle of the floor, seemingly dead. She turned away to get something to cover the body and when she turned back it was gone. A few minutes later she found it seemingly dead on the floor not far away. Was it actually dead this time or was it just playing dead? I scooped it up and took it outside. Pretty sure it was dead. Poor little sucker.

Good job, cats! Lily and Robin protected their home and their family. They are good mouse hunters. We gave them some treats in thanks. Good job, my little furry friends. We’re proud of you.

Big Critter

Woke up to this scene in the backyard:

286/365

Musta been a big critter. Is a deer big enough to do that? Probably. My first thought, and Jen’s first thought too, was a bear… I don’t think we have bears around here. I’m 99.999% sure we don’t. Still… a bear would be big enough. I’m probably overreacting to the size requirements though. I bet it was a fox or a coyote. Maybe a deer. Who knows.

I just know I need a new bird feeder post now. Oh well. To amazon.com we go.

Top of the Mountain, Mom!

I took this picture this morning. Lily is on top of the mountain.

Now for an unrelated story that involves both cats. I have the windows open next to my desk. The cats have been hanging out, sitting on the window sill, enjoying the breeze and the warm-ish Spring air, and stalking the birds and the critters hanging out by the back yard bird feeders.

They were sitting there, minding their own business, and I was sitting at my desk working and minding my own business when BAM! Both cats ABSOLUTELY FREAKED OUT and ran out of the room as fast as their tiny, furry, little legs would carry them. What the hell, thought me?

I looked out the window and there were no creatures by the bird feeders. What there was though, and I only saw it for a split second before it disappeared into the woods behind our back yard, was the back of a red tail hawk. I think the hawk saw our bird feeder as a fast food take out joint and stopped in for a snack. I couldn’t tell if it had anything in its talons in the instant that I saw it, but if it had something I hope it was a squirrel and not a bird. The squirrels try to steal the bird food from the birds and for that they have earned my hatred. Jerks.

I fully understand why the cats went nuts. If I were a little furry guy I would have flipped my lid at the site of a hawk hunting for lunch too. Yikes, babie. Yikes.

I’m an Animal

Daily writing prompt
Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?
View all responses

Given the frequency with which I post pictures of cats, the expectation here may be that I am going to compare myself to a cat. That comparison works in some respects but not others. Cats sleep all day. They are often considered to be lazy. Well, domesticated cats are at least. Those are qualities that I feel are accurate descriptions of me. Unfortunately, cats are also known to be ass kicking hunters who are always down with killing everything around them. They are very much pro-slaughter. Those are not accurate descriptions of me. I’m a peaceful guy. Maybe even a pacifist (unless we’re dealing with Yankees fans… or fascists).

So no, cats are not animals that I would compare myself to. Sorry. I asked Google Bard, or whatever it’s called now, to give me a list of animals that might work.

Here is what I asked, “give me a short list of animals that are known to be slow and lazy and are easy prey for predators.” (note, the response is slightly edited as it included images and some links which I have removed)

Here are some animals that are known to be slow and lazy, making them easy targets for predators:

  • Sloths: These masters of hanging around are incredibly slow-moving due to their low metabolic rate. This means they spend most of their day sleeping or hanging motionless in trees, making them easy pickings for jaguarandi, harpy eagles, and even some snakes.
  • Pangolins: These unique mammals are covered in tough scales, but they’re also slow-moving and have poor eyesight. When threatened, they roll up into a ball, which can protect them from some predators but not from determined ones like tigers and hyenas.
  • Armadillos: While some armadillos can burrow quickly, they’re generally slow-moving herbivores. Their main defense is their bony armor, but jaguars, cougars, and large snakes can still break through it to get to the animal inside.
  • Koalas: Koala spend most of their days snoozing in eucalyptus trees. This slow lifestyle makes them vulnerable to predators like dingoes and pythons.

It’s important to note that being slow or inactive doesn’t necessarily mean an animal is defenseless. These animals have evolved other strategies to survive, such as camouflage, venomous bites, or prickly defenses.

https://gemini.google.com/app/855452ea7906df52

Those are all good. Well, Koalas are super cute so they don’t work. Armadillos and pangolins… I think their defenses are too good to relate to me. That leaves sloths. Full disclosure, I was planning on using sloths for this post even before I went to the Google for advice.

Sloths! That’s the animal I compare myself too. Slow… lazy… all they do is eat and sleep and hang around… kinda painful to look at…

Yeah, that’s me. Call me Robbie the Sloth. Best animal comparison ever.

Creepiness

You know how when you live in the woods you often hear noises coming from somewhere in the trees and you can almost never see whatever it is that’s making the noise?

Why is it, when you go outside in the daylight, that noise always sounds like a squirrel or a chipmunk or something small enough that you can step on it and put it out of its misery, but when you go outside at night that sound always sounds like a deer, or a coyote, or a bear, or a gorilla, or a manbearpig or a Targaryen dragon?

While you ponder that, check out the moon. iPhone astrophotography and shit.

You Turkey

Last night when Jen got home from work she saw a huge turkey in the back yard. Right now, a few minutes before sunrise, I can hear gobble gobbling coming from out back. It sounds like a thanksgiving pre-game out there.

Once again, I love our back yard wild kingdom.

Back Yard Wilderness

I created a new set on Flickr to hold all of the pictures I take of various wild animals who come and visit our back yard.  I haven’t decided whether or not to include the snake I saw in the cellar today.