Really? So if you’d been attacked by an osprey and called your doctor to find what to do, they might prescribe some anti-itch ointment?
8 Likes
But not whatever is in its belly. Kinda creeped out that a couple legs/paws are visible pushing out a bit, if you look closely. Also the color shift of the scales. 
9 Likes
13 Likes
One less mouse/rat/mole under your porch!
12 Likes
It’s the only way to see the very elastic skin underneath the scales. So smart, how they can expand like that. I like it even more than the jaw-that-unhinges!
10 Likes
The other morning on the way to work this family was crossing a 50mph highway. I stopped and turned on my hazzards to stop traffic behind me, they weren’t happy but screw 'em.
I rarely flip off people but a pick up truck coming toward us (not the one that was stopped) didn’t even try to stop and drove between them. He got the one finger salute from me and my wife.
We see dead swans on the highway occasionally and it really ticks us off.
12 Likes
that reminds me of redneck assholes that will swerve in order to murder a tortoise in the road. 
the mum was known for stopping traffic on the 41 in pasco county to move tortoises off the highway. her nine acre property was a designated gopher tortoise sanctuary and she had the blessing of FWC to relocate them to her land.
still, it never stopped bothering me that some people will delight in the killing of something innocuous like that. sick muthafukkas, i yell ya.
16 Likes
We see a lot of turtles and we both stop and move them.
If I see a squished turtle in the road, accidents happen, but when I see one off to the side on the shoulder it’s because someone aimed and I just want to find them and squish them.
For anyone thinking about moving a turtle off the road, always, always move them in the direction they are going. And grab snapping turtles by the shell as far back as you can. Their necks are surprisingly long and reach pretty far back.
I once moved a turtle bigger than this one across 5 lanes of traffic, no one would stop or even slow down.
Either me or my wife are gonna get creamed one day moving an animal in traffic.
Good tips here.
13 Likes
So I was feeding two cats, and before I leave I like to be sure they’re accounted for. One was on the couch.
But I couldn’t find the other. I looked everywhere—upstairs, downstairs. And everywhere again. Finally I thought maybe he had snuck past me when I had briefly stepped out onto the enclosed porch. As I reached for the handle of the front door, I saw him—on the table that’s next to the door, curled up in the bowl that’s there for the day’s mail.
15 Likes
Laser pointer?
Nah, what a cat needs is a mouse pointer!
11 Likes
The bunnies’ bond broke yesterday. Thursday they were cuddling together, Friday a.m. there was fur everywhere and they’d charge and bite each other. I had to separate them and am beginning with stress bonding which seems to be working quicker this time.(I put them on a towel on the washing machine and wash a load. They don’t like it much and they’ll cuddle together for comfort and safety.)
When the bond breaks the doe usually bullies and attacks the buck.
Once he was “safe” he flopped out of happiness:
Unfortunately he doesn’t like getting his picture taken, and gets up as soon as he sees a camera.
16 Likes
I posted over here about the protest march we attended yesterday, there was a bonus for my wife.
This guy was wandering around the crowd getting all kinds of attention.
And if there’s a horse nearby my wife is extra happy. We were standing under a tree listening to the speakers when these two showed up, we didn’t even realize they were there until the little one on the left neighed really loud when the crowd cheered for one of the speakers.
The big one on the right was huge it stomped it’s foot as if it was counting and you could feel the ground shake.
But wait, who was going to clean up the mess they made on a city street? They have a department.
And no one knew where this guy came from but it was a cool sight.
19 Likes
12 Likes
Our daughter saw the photo of the mystery horse rider I posted above and said she’s seen him in her neck of the woods.
Here is a story about the guy, seems like a wonderful young adult.
14 Likes
I failed to fasten the front door yesterday evening, and Gremlin got out. I went around the front of the house and into the street with one of the metal food bowls shaking some croquettes for her to hear, but I’ve had no response so far. I am so worried.
She is a big cat, and enjoys fighting, but she’s never successfully escaped the house before so I don’t know what her chances of survival would be. There are stray dogs and cats all over this neighborhood. 
7 Likes
Some things to keep in mind to not lose hope.
Cats who are afraid or injured will seek areas of concealment such as under a deck, under a house, under a porch, or in heavy brush.
Most critically, these cats will not meow. Meowing would give up their location to a predator. Their behavior has nothing to do with whether the cat loves you, recognizes your voice, or whether s/he can smell you. It has everything to do with the fact that a panicked cat will hide in silence. So just because you do not see or hear your cat does not mean that s/he is not very close to home.
The “Threshold Factor” in Cats
An interesting behavioral pattern that MARN has observed with displaced cats is that many cats will simply not respond to food or break cover (from their hiding place) for several days, sometimes even weeks.
Cats with confident temperaments initially hide in silence, but within hours (or sometimes days) break cover and meow, return to the front door, or finally enter a humane trap.
Cats with more skittish, fearful temperaments may take several days before they finally reach a threshold point (typically ten to twelve days) and before they will finally break cover. In one case, an extremely timid cat hiding inside the attic of a veterinarian’s office did not enter a baited humane trap for twenty-two days, most likely due to barking dog noises that kept the cat in a constant state of fear. Cat owners should be encouraged to continue with trapping efforts even if their cat does not immediately enter the baited trap.
7 Likes
Yeah, we have a small terrier dog that lives in the courtyard here. The landlord’s son Luis said he knew Palomo had a cat cornered among the planters by the washing machine, but there’s no indication she’s there now. Palomo was barking at the gate at the top of the stairs to the other apartments this morning, so I think she may have ran up there for safety. Anyhow, I will wait until a reasonable hour before I ask permission to poke around up there so I don’t bother the neighbors.
8 Likes
Old Man is still having a rough go. He now gets a daily dose psyllium fiber because he’s having bad bathroom episodes(the fiber really helps) and when he’s not making a mess in the liter box he’s throwing up on himself. Today it was both so he got another bath. We knew he was losing weight but boy does it show when he’s all wet.
He has some bad moments and then he’s his old self so we just keep going.
13 Likes
