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Post by strat-0 on Jul 26, 2004 17:47:47 GMT -5
Gonna find a way home to the animal zoo...[/b]
Discuss your pets or swap animal stories.
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Post by strat-0 on Aug 10, 2004 19:16:17 GMT -5
Little Cassie is in hog heaven again, with a big house to roam and her very own woods and creek to explore. I hated having to keep her at that condo with nowhere interesting to go. She's one happy kitty now. I guess this calls for a classic from the old RS pets board...
Author: strat-0
Number: 37 of 4492
Date: Nov. 4, 1999 4:03 AM
Ok, it's time for a few tales (tails?) from the annals of "Cassie's Conquests of the Hunt."
If fowl is on the menu, she'll usually try to bring down a little brown sparrow or mocking bird. I don't like her catching songbirds at all, but at least those two are very prolific breeders. One day, I heard a scuffle outside, and she had a full grown (beautiful) male cardinal in her mouth, flapping around. I grabbed her and shook her a little, telling her to let go. It was like Sylvester and Tweety (I guess that makes me "Granny") but she finally dropped it and it hit the ground, bounced up and flew into the air and perched in a tree, looking at us rather contritely. For ground- based prey, she has a variety of mice, moles, and the occasional squirrel or rat, when the more delectable (and stupid) chipmunks are scarce. (I do hate for her to get squirrels and chipmunks, but at least they are also extremely prolific, and I have no soft place in my heart for mice, moles, and rats, as we shall see).
This is all leading up to the rat story. We used to live in an apartment in the city, not a bad part, but there is always an occasional rat somewhere, looking for opportunity. Well, I was letting her in one day, and before I realized it, she was in the house with a great big, ugly, filthy rat in her mouth. I picked her up to throw her outside, and... remember the cardinal? You guessed it. She dropped it. The rat sat there, dazed for a second, and I held her down there, yelling, "Pick it up! Pick it up!" but nothin' doin'. So he scampers under the couch, and Cassie just sits there. I think she planned to make a hobby out of stalking it around the apartment for a few days, but I had other ideas. Did I mention that I don't like rats? I picked up a baseball bat and started trying to lift up the furniture, but I couldn't even find him, much less get a good shot at him. I was hollering a good bit (especially when he ran over my foot) so now Chloe came to see what was up [golden retriever]. What fun! Bless her heart; he was too quick for me, but he couldn't escape that nose of hers; he'd get under a chair, and she'd point him every time. I finally got him cornered behind a speaker, up on the squared baseboard. There was no room to get him, back there, but my speakers are Peavy sound reinforcement loudspeakers, about 3 feet tall and 60 or 70 lbs. Gently, I tilted the far edge of the speaker towards me, as I watched him. Then he made his fatal error and jumped down under the speaker. I guess you can figure out the rest. Flat rat.
But turnabout is fair play! I went to let her out one time, and there was a 3 foot possum (not counting the tail) right outside on the landing. That was the biggest "rat" she ever saw! He hissed and bared his teeth (they're nervy little beggars). That was one rat she didn't want any part of... We live farther out of town now, and one day a beautiful golden eagle landed in a tall pine tree right in our back yard! He made that pterodactyl screech, and I went to the door and opened it to get a better look. When I did, who do you think bolted from under the stairs a few feet away and ran into the house as fast as she could? Cassie-Wassie!
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Post by Dr. Drum on Aug 23, 2004 8:28:10 GMT -5
 Some day I will share the complete story of our Blue-Fronted Amazon parrot, Mrs. Jacob: 'the story' being her 1993 escape from home and subsequent 16-day jaunt up and down Halifax peninsula before we caught up with her. Some day... |
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Post by phil on Aug 23, 2004 8:38:35 GMT -5
SET MRS. JACOB FREE !!!
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Post by Dr. Drum on Aug 23, 2004 10:34:24 GMT -5
She was free - for 16 days - at the end of which she decided to come back and land on my shoulder.
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Post by Meursault on Aug 23, 2004 19:06:18 GMT -5
Thats hilarious. Those bird must have pretty good sense of direction eh?
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Post by phil on Aug 23, 2004 19:52:06 GMT -5
They also know smooth peanut butter
doesn't grow on trees
in the Halifax wild nature ...
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Post by stratman19 on Aug 23, 2004 19:53:35 GMT -5
Good point Phil! ;D
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Post by phil on Aug 23, 2004 20:18:45 GMT -5
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Post by strat-0 on Feb 23, 2005 19:36:02 GMT -5
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Post by rockkid on Feb 25, 2005 11:29:52 GMT -5
Well my poor baby fell out of bed yesterday  (you kinda had to be there) It was afternoon nap time & he sucked me into going up stairs (that was so hard  ) Well he must have stretched or something cause I was awakened by a little gasping yip as he hit the floor. He lay there stunned then needed help going back down stairs. Poor lad (remember he turned 17 this month) I think the air was knocked right out of him. That is my most recent pet story, dull but true………. On a strange aside…… he let me vacuum him yesterday! This from a dog who used to run when he even saw the machine what’s up w that??? Senility? |
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Post by strat-0 on Feb 25, 2005 23:06:09 GMT -5
Aw, your poor little pooch, Rock. I had to put down a good dog at 18 once.
This crazy little black cat doesn't even realize she's over sixteen years old. Cassie-Wassie follows me around like a puppy dog and comes running when you call her. She used to be so ruthless and independent; now she is much mellower and very lovey-dovey. Still, we don't have any pests around here. Even though she is semi-retired, just her presence is a big deterrent.
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Post by Dr. Drum on Feb 26, 2005 6:56:12 GMT -5
What kind of dog is your boy, RK?
I'd never try to vacuum a dog - in my experience, most dogs are indeed scared (or at least wary) of vacuum cleaners - but my black Lab actually likes to "fight" with ours. I think it’s because its a central vac, so you don’t have the sound of the motor right there in the room.
Anyway, we go at it with the floor brush sort of like a mongoose and snake – each trying to outflank the other. She has a great time. I have to be careful not to get her too wired up, though, she’s put her tooth marks in the brush a couple times!
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Post by strat-0 on Feb 26, 2005 22:47:18 GMT -5
Every dog I've ever known would run the other way at the sound or appearance of a vacuum cleaner. They are natural enemies. Like cats and combs.
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Post by rockkid on Feb 28, 2005 9:00:08 GMT -5
Well I wasn’t actually trying to vacuum him Drum. That’s the whole thing…… he used to run away as soon as he saw it even before it got turned on.
I was about to do the arm chair when he decided to sit in it so I figured Ah ha I’ll just put it near & he’ll be off.
Turns out he wasn’t.
He’s half husky half collie.
I finally got xmas film done & he of course is on there. Once I scan I’ll put him up here.
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(you kinda had to be there)
)