Heidi Chronicles: Where Are Those Silly Raccoons Anyhow?

OMG! If it doesn't snow (kidding), I'll be back later to respond to posts, but I just couldn't wait to tell you this news.

I got home a little early tonight. It wasn't dark yet. The 1st thing I saw before I even turned the car off was the little black kitten sitting in the flower bed - out in the open, in daylight, staying put even as I pulled the car in the drive a mere 20ft from him. I was so surprised to see him sitting out in the open this way that I looked again to be sure it wasn't Tom, but, no, it was the kitten. I put the car in park, shut it off, and opened the door fully expecting him to run away with any one of these changes, but he continued to sit there.

At the door, I sat on the bench and petted kitty for a while. She rubbed on me and I rubbed her back and scratched her head and behind her ears. The black kitten came right up to within 2ft of us, maybe less. He sat watching intently and in amazement as I petted his mom. You could see he was just like, "Wo-o-o-w!" as I rubbed her head and back and she continued to rub on me and look like she was enjoying it. A few times he got scared and took a step back. Then he would realize I wasn't hurting her and would stop, but his eyes never left my hand as I petted her.

I went inside and returned a few minutes later with the Iams bag and a tuna-sized can of Evo 95% duck. Usually, I put the dry food in the dish immediately and dump the wet stuff on top. This time, I tried a different approach. This time I sat back down on the bench still holding the can, the bag at my feet. Kitty hopped up on the bench beside me moving as though an imaginary line attached her nose to the can.

The kittens were again about 2ft or less from me, their eyes glued to the can. Everybody was clearly hungry having forgone breakfast, and everybody wanted the contents of the can - and it wasn't even open yet.

As I popped the top on the can, it was all I could do to keep Kitty's face out of it long enough to remove the top. I held the can out in front of her and she began licking the top of the fairly solid mass of wet cat food. The kittens moved closer, right up against them bench and only maybe 6-8in from me, their eyes fixed on the can like small children looking at candy. One kitten let out a big "me-ow" to voice his angst at watching Kitty lick the food that was out of his reach.

I shifted moving the can down to within an inch of the cement 'floor'. Kitty barely missed a beat as she hopped down with the can and continued licking. The kittens, their little eyes still glued to the can of duck, which BTW smelled good even to me, inched closer and closer still and closer still until finally their little noses were but a mere inch or two from the food.

Finally, the little tabby put her nose to my hand, sniffed me even as Kitty continued eating, and then having satisfied herself that I smelled safe, stuck her face 'in' the can and began licking along with Kitty. Not just content to lick the stuff, the kitten began forcing her little face into the semi-solid mass taking little bites out of it, chugging the stuff at such a pace that Kitty decided to let her have it for the moment. Kitty walked away, leaving the kitten alone there eating from the can I was holding.

My hand was in a semi-circular shape, like a horseshoe, and wrapped around the can, or at least as far as my small hand would reach around the can. Although I hadn't done so intentionally, the top 1/2in or so of my hand was above and slightly inside the rim of the can. Given the size of the can (same as regular tuna can) relative to the size of the kitten's mouth, she could have eaten the cat food without ever touching my hand, incredibly, so intent was the kitten on gobbling up that yummy food that soon she was actually burying her little nose UNDER the top part of my hand, the part that lapped over the edge of the can, pressing her face hard against my hand to reach the food underneath it. It was just the most awesome feeling, I must tell you, to have that tiny kitten who had been so scared of human now not only eating from my hand but actually squishing her little face up against my hand while doing so.

Eager to reinforce this behavior and reward the kitten for her courage, I let her eat from the can for a while before I finally moved to fill the dish with both types of food and come inside. The little black kitten came very close, so close his nose was an inch or less from the can, but he never quite either got the nerve to try it or found a way to get his head in there with his sisters' head in the way.

The little tabby amazed me though because while she was eating from that can that I was holding, the kid next door dragged that huge, noisy city trash receptacle out to the curb just on the other side of my driveway. I would have sworn the kitten would have bolted from the noise of the big plastic wheels on the sidewalk and the site of the kid so close to us, but she didn't. She did pause for a moment lifting her head from the can to look. I said, "it's ok", and instantly the tension flowed from her body, and she dropped her head to continue eating.

This, I was sure, had been a major step forward in our relationship. The kitten had reached a level of trust sufficient to chance being that close to my hand, and I had rewarded her with a tasty treat all her own, not mixed with dry food and not shared with the others.

Even though Kitty is still interacting with the kittens, from the day I set her free and they came running to her, I could see signs that her relationship with them had changed ever so slightly but noticeably. I usually put one of those 3oz cans (smaller than the one today) on top of the dry food, just dumping it on top but not stirring it in.

Lately, Kitty has been resistant to sharing that small portion of wet food with the kittens. She is still willing to share the dry food with them, and the 3 are often seen sitting around the one dish to eat, but ONLY after she finishes the majority of the wet food leaving them only the small bits that cling to and wedge between bits in the layer of dry food below. They get to taste the wet food, but she eats the bulk of it. If they try to stick their faces in earlier to eat the wet food, she swats them with her paw.

The little tabby has been the most determined to have some of the wet food all along and will sometimes keep sticking her face in there repeatedly despite being smacked by the paw each time. Every now and then if she hangs in there long enough, Kitty will storm off allowing her to eat the last bite or two, but she never gets a descent portion. I'm sure this dynamic went a long way toward motivating the kitten to come up and eat from my hand. She had watched her mom do it w/o harm and, seeing the opportunity to get some of that good food for herself, had finally seized the moment. And I, too, had successfully capitalized on the situation to get what I wanted.

This proves beyond a doubt that you will be able to socialize the kittens so that they can adopted out. I am so happy! I'm pretty sure that in the next day or 3 the black one will be eating from your hand and soon, you will be able to pet/handle them.
^_^

Hi June,

The Machiavelli reference and related names are cute.

As for the PT class, unlike Ruth, I have great insurance but often lament the irony that while I have the insurance to cover pretty much any reasonable thing I need, I can't afford to take the time off from work (the same work that provides the insurance, hence the irony) to attend even the necessary appointments much less the optional ones. I long sense used up my available paid leave with all of the 2 day stints for 'back' shots. When you add in annual checkups, various recommended tests we are all supposed to have, dental checkups and cleaning, plus 2wks for the flu, etc, etc, etc, much of the time I'm going 'on my own dime' so to speak meaning that I have to 'pay' for my time off from work. And that's not the worst part. The worst part is the concern that I make myself less valuable to the company by not being available.

I'm going to tuck that info away though for future reference. Actually, I usually do a pretty good job of falling w/o injury. A lifetime ago and due to my horseback riding experience I learned to go limp and let myself fall. That has worked well for me over the years.

In this particular situation, I didn't actually fall. I caught the stair rail and regained my balance remaining upright. I wrenched my knee or the ligament(s) around it when my two feet suddenly slid in opposite directions. I don't think I had any ability to control or prevent that. It happened too fast. (Although, I could have prevented it by picking up the paper Widget spread while I was gone as soon as I came in the door, but I was tired and figured I would come back and deal w/that having no idea the lights would go out before I could finish my nap.) The thing is, a person with normal, undamaged knees probably could have slid the same way I did w/o injury. My knees are already damaged and are more susceptible to repeat damage. Most of the cartilage was removed when I had surgery. Also I had tears to a couple of ligaments. The surgery I had years ago helped but did not make my knees 'like new' again - sadly. I suspect I will be needing knee replacement in a few years - if not sooner.

I will keep that info stored away for later use though. Thanks.

Hi June,

Think so? I was beginning to think that I wouldn't be able to 'get to them' in time. They are getting bigger now. I feared I was running out of time. What happened earlier tonight really shocked me. It did give me some hope that I might have a chance with them after all.

I don't know if you noticed, but the 2 kittens have changed 'positions'. It used to be the black one that trusted me more. Before she got caught in that trap, the little tabby would never have anything to do with me. She would sit back at a distance. Even the looks she gave me were 'rough', like she hated me. Everything changed when I let her out of the cage that night. If you look back through the posts, that was the turning point where she started coming closer and closer to me, getting ahead of the black one. It's almost as if she understood that I let her out of the cage so I must not be too scary.

I really was SO excited earlier tonight. Could you tell? She didn't just brush my hand briefly either. She shoved her little head up under my hand over and over. I would estimate that 2/3 of the time she was eating from the can she was pushing her face against my hand - and she didn't have to do that to eat.

Marylyn,

What you described for snow, is what we normally get, too. We get a 'dusting', so light that you can't even find a spot thick enough to collect any for snow ice. This was most unusual for us. It has been 3 or more decades since we had that much snow.

Oh, and it was SO beautiful. Everything was gorgeous, just like the photos on Christmas cards. Even ugly stuff looks awesome with a thick coat of snow over it. It's amazing how that works. And you could see quite well outside even though there wasn't a light anywhere in sight. All that endless 'white' stuff reflected a heck of a lot of moonlight.

As for your girls loving it. Not so much, I'm afraid because the darned thing started after dark on Friday and was melting fast by 9:30AM on Saturday. It took all day Saturday and part of Sunday for the last bits of ice to melt, but the fun stuff was gone by mid morning on Saturday. Basically, we had gorgeous snow all night while we were sleeping - and while we didn't even have a porch light or street light for playing and then it disappeared quickly the next morning. If the kids got up at dawn they would have had 2 or 3 hours to play in it while it was melting. That part was a bummer even for adults like me.

KyWoods,

Did you get that 5 to 9in of snow you were waiting for?

On cable (national) news they were lamenting the fact that Canada didn't have snow for the Olympics. I guess they had to truck snow in for some things. Anyhow, the newscaster suggested maybe they could move the winter Olympics from Canada to Savannah since the south seemed to have plenty of snow. It was an odd week.

Ruth,

I never quite thought of cats that way before. Your assessment of them as 60's flower children sheds a whole new light on their behavior. LOL.

Linda,

I do know what you mean about the kittens. I've been worried that they are getting too old and I might not be able to help them at this age. All I can do is try though. What happened tonight really gave me more hope. What do you think now? Does tonight's news change your outlook at all?

Wilma is very lovely. I'm starting to notice a trend here though. Either gray/brown tabbies are a lot more common than I realized or people who read this thread are somehow drawn to (or chosen by) gray/brown tabbies. Have you noticed that? Seems like everybody is showing me their gray/brown tabby.

Actually, I've had 'tame' cats who were one person cats. My Himalayan, the one I described previously, would hide any time we had company. You couldn't find him until the company left. He didn't have much to say to anyone except me. I could take him to the vet and he would 'behave' around others, but for the most part he avoided everyone except me. And that Siamese I mentioned a while back, the one that was in my yard for a while, belongs to people a few houses down. She's a pet, but she wouldn't come to me. I just wanted to pet her, but she said, "no way." Seems like a lot of cats are like that. It's smart really. That way they are less likely to get stolen.

I think it's possible that the kittens might follow their mother's example to some extent. It might help that Kitty is more used to humans than the mother of the kittens around here seems to be. The male kitten I took for neutering used to sometimes let me lightly touch him occasionally when I would go feed them. I took him in because I thought he was a she, to tell the truth! My theory was that it's a priority to get the females spayed.Then after he and the female were trapped and neutered, I put them into my large shed and fed them in there. The male no longer let me touch him afterward. After a week, I would leave the shed door open from time to time, but they didn't leave. Finally they left the shed but did not go back to the next-door vacant property where the other cats stay most of the time. They are underneath my mobile home or in the yard...or on the property. Lately, the male seems to be letting me touch him just briefly, but he seems to be more afraid of me than before. The female only tolerates me being near just while she gets fed...can't blame her. Another male kitten at the next door property lets me pet him a bit when I go feed over there...I think he enjoys it, although he gets skittish. A second female kitty I also got spayed is a bit older...most likely from a previous litter of the same mother. But that one was more afraid of me to begin with and I kept her in a large crate in the shed for a week, then she went back next door as soon as I moved the crate outside the shed and opened the door. I'm not sure what sex the fourth kitten is...it hides a lot.

Linda,

I'm certain that Kitty's trust in me helps a LOT with the kittens. Now that they are a little older and are willing to come closer, they really are watching and noticing how Kitty and I interact. You should have seen the little black kitten scrutinize our interactions today. From his reaction, I realized that he is watching her body language and noticing that she is not afraid and that she is actually 'reciprocating'. By that I mean I pet her and she 'pets' back by rubbing against me and against my hand, and the kitten was noticing that and reacting to it.

The fact that they can see her interacting with me in this way and not only not being harmed but actually getting treats has to be a huge plus for us. Actually, Kitty is not just somewhat tame. She is practically 'normal' now. The events surrounding the spaying and the time she spent upstairs with me visiting several times a day, sitting on the floor with her, petting her, playing with her, and bringing her treats really made a big difference. She's acting like a regular pet now. Comes every time I call her. Lets me pick her up, carry her around, etc.

It's great, BTW, that you care enough to get all of the stray cats/kittens 'fixed' that way.

Forgot to mention that Sunday night I was just in a mood. Kitty was at the door poking her head in, so I held it open and called her inside. I sat in the foyer with her for a little while, then she headed down the hall. It was interesting to note that with so many options and forks in the road she headed straight for the kitchen even though it's at the back of the house.

When she took off down the hall, I sort of freaked out for a minute there worrying about her getting loose and me not being able to catch her, but when I called her, she turned around and came right back to me. She really is doing quite well these days. : )

I just took Widget for his last walk of the evening. True to our daily ritual, Kitty and the kittens were waiting at the front door, except this time the 2 kittens were lying on the rug I had used to cover the trap that night when I caught her and then left outside. I was pretty sure they had been using the rug, but this was the 1st time I had actually seen them lying on it.

The rug is right beside the door. Until the last day or two the kittens were always hiding when I came out of the door. Recently they got where they might be down at the other end of the walkway when I came out - and that was an improvement over hiding. But tonight, for the 1st time, they were lying on that rug by the door, both of them, and they didn't get up and run away. They stayed right there.

It's a very nice rug, a thick, plush bathroom rug with 'nap' 2 to 3in long and very soft. I really shouldn't have left it out there at all, but they do seem to be enjoying it. It's pretty chilly out there at night lately. I was thinking maybe tomorrow I'll go out there and put the kennel out there with warm bedding in it. Maybe if I leave it out there (with the door taken off) they will start using it and get comfortable with it.

The week before Kitty went to the vet, I had bought them a little plush toy, not sure if it's a cat or what. It came with a bottle of catnip to stuff the toy with. It has a velcro closure. Unfortunately, outside it quickly got soaked. Still I noticed that it keeps moving around. Seems like it's in a different place every day relocating to different parts of the walkway and porch. Last night I noticed one of the kittens sniffing it, apparently still attracted to the catnip. (I have more to replace the old stuff. probably should do so.)

Tonight after I fed them the 2nd time (a little while ago), as they were over at the bowl eating and I was walking back inside, I glanced over at the rug where the 2 kittens had been lying moments earlier. There in the center of the rug right where they had been was the little plush toy. Awwwhhhh!!! They had actually taken it to bed with them like children with a teddy bear! Ok, ok, they probably took it over there playing, but let me have my fantasy please. The adorable sight of the 2 kittens nestled on the rug one minute and then getting up to eat only to reveal the 'teddy bear' that was in 'bed' with them is now permanently etched into my memory. : )

Awwww!

Hi KyWoods!

Yeah, "Awwww!" That's what I was thinking, too. This really was a good kitty night at my house.

Hi, Sharran!

We understand that you are busy. It's good to see you though! Glad you stopped by.

So you keep track of the raccoons so do I. Since we had the big snow I saw the mama Raccoon once , she is fat as ever. Th oppossum at least five six time . He usually come at the same time every night .As always I leave some kitty food and applesor left over for them on the porch, who ever gets there first well...the other night I made pizza and my house was smelling accordingly , the possum came a little later looked at the cat food and was so attracted by the pizza smell that he came to the storm door and waqs looking inside, went back to the cat food came back to the door , I am sure that the pizza would have been welcome on his menu. I have not seen the raccoon but plenty foot prints by my porch and in front of my sliding door.. Pictures of mama raccoon last year

When this picture was taken we found out later that she had four pups that she brought to the house many times.

Cheryl you have really made progress with the kittens and Kitty. It is so rewarding (mentally) when a plan comes together as it very well seems to be in this case. The fun part is simply a bonus to the fact soon you will be able to get them where they will have the chance to live inside(or outside) with a loving family of their own.

Orchidfancy that is a great picture of your mama raccoon. With all this snow I wondered if our raccoons would hibernate for a while,but since the snow just keeps coming I have still been putting the cat food out and except for the blizzard nights something has been at it. If its not gone by morning the crows and starlings seem to be flocking for a wonderful breakfast of leftovers. I got lazy the other night (it was so cold out there)and didn't put any food out behind the fence at all. About 12 A.M.my dog started barking like crazy. Since I didn't see anything out there I let her out and she treed a raccoon that had come into the yard to complain about no dinner,so I walked on top of the frozen 10"of snow to the back to put out food for them. Have they got us trained or what? We had gotten an additional 1 1/2" of fresh snow that night so I could see the raccoons exact path into the yard due to the brushing of its tail in the fresh snow. Isn't it wonderful to be a tiny part of the wildlife's existence and to help out where we can?

Judy,

You said it so well. It really is wonderful to be able to play a tiny part in their world, to be able to help them a little w/o altering their lifestyles, without taking away their independence and ability to care for themselves and their young. I like that with Heidi and the gang, unlike with pets, I'm not making them dependent on me for their survival. I'm giving them something, but I'm not taking anything away as part of the deal. I'm not asking them to forget all their eons of combined knowledge of how to thrive in their environment and hand over responsibility for their future to me. I think this works well for both of us, the raccoons and me. They get to retain their independence, and I get to help them and observe them w/o having to take on the added burden of being responsible for their welfare. I can enjoy them w/o needing to own them.

Yes, it is nice that way.

And, yes, I do so hope that I will be able to help the kittens to become eligible for a new life with a wonderful forever family who will replace their current lives of hiding in fear with happy, carefree, playful days showered with love and support.

I just came back from feeding the cats. I petted the kittens - both of them. I know, I know. I still can't believe it either, and I was there. It is true though. It seems so unfathomable. I couldn't even have imaged such a thing much less made it up.

I gave them large chunks of chicken breast left over from a meal or 2 last week. Naturally they were thrilled. The little gray tabby had her back to me as she was eating. I was seated on the bench. Suddenly, I just had the urge to pet her. The time felt right. I have no idea why. I had to stand up and take a step forward to bend down and reach her. Normally, that 1st step alone would send her running for cover, so I can't explain why I thought I could pet her all of a sudden, but I did. I figured she would run when she felt me touch her, but, although it went against everything I had believed the entire time I'd been working with them, at this instant I felt as though even if she ran she would remember my touch as having been gentle and non-threatening - after she stopped to think about it.

So, I did it. I got up, stepped forward, reached down, and stroked her back very gently, and ...
nothing. Nothing at all. She didn't run leap and run away. She didn't even flinch. She reacted like any pet. She just went right on eating. Wh-a-t?! This didn't make sense. Were these tame kittens all along? I stroked the kittens back about 3 or 4 times and then stepped back to sit on the bench once more. After I was seated, the kitten turned her head around to look at me, and then resumed chomping on the chicken.

Wow! That had been much easier than I'd thought. Now the black kitten was standing beside his mother, the two sharing a piece of chicken breast. Surely, this skittish little one wouldn't let me touch him. Besides, unlike his sibling, this one was positioned with his side to me. He would definitely see my big hand coming at him and run away. Right?

Nope! As I stood up from the bench, stepped forward, reached down, and gently touched his back, the black kitten behaved just like the tabby before him. He didn't run or even flinch, just went right on noshing on the white meat. The 1st time I only touched him lightly. Now I lifted my hand to stroke his back a few times before stepping away to sit back down. Nothing still!

This was madness. What crazy world had I entered as I stepped out my door this evening? Perhaps it was all a dream and I still napping comfortably in my bedroom. It made about as much sense as any explanation. I stepped forward to pet the tabby again just for good measure. At some point she ran about a foot away and stood looking back at me. I called her, and she came back to her food. I touched her back again and then came inside figuring it best to leave on a high note.

Hi Ruth,

I knew you weren't expecting an apology. It was just that as I read your words I suddenly realized, perhaps aided by the hindsight of my own recent unpleasant snow experience, that so many of you all around the country are in pain to one degree or another from all of the unexpected snow all around the country, and here I am running around saying things like "yippee, snow" and then wining about my brief 12hr of relatively minor discomfort. It all suddenly seemed so insensitive of me, so I thought I would acknowledge my lack of sensitivity and apologize.

Oh, if you think DC was bad - if we had even a fraction of the snow they got, we would have shut down the entire city, hung a giant "out for snow" sign on the entrances and gone home - major and all. As it was everything in Charleston closed Friday night and Saturday even before the 1st snow flakes fell. That's our idea of planning ahead.

ROTF at your cat and the TP confetti! Now that you mention it, I guess that is the normal cat response to everything. My Siamese of a few decades ago used to hop up on the counter even as I was sitting across the room holding the spray bottle of water safely out of reach. When I yelled at her to get down (for the 1 millionth time), she would look back at me calmly as if to say, "Oh, you mean you didn't want me to get up here?"

Now that I think of it, I wish I could adopt a little more of that attitude toward life. Could that be part of the almost universal appeal of cats, as wise sages who stand on the counter tops and lead by example, demonstrating how we might all benefit from taking things a little less seriously.

Hi orchidfancy,

Nice picture of your mama raccoon. She's a very pretty and healthy looking lady.

I enjoyed the image of the opossum waiting at the door for some pizza. You said you give them leftovers, so I guess she was just waiting to see if there might be any leftover pizza. : )

It's fun to watch them, isn't it? And sharing the leftovers (instead of sending them to the landfill) seems very 'green' to me.

Ruth,

Still thinking about the TP confetti and the comparison between cats and dogs when caught breaking the rules. In stark contrast to cat behavior, while Widget still breaks a few rules now and again, I can always tell he has done so as soon as I step through the door because he looks so guilty. Widget could never get away with a 'crime'. He not only looks totally guilty even before I find the evidence, but in his guilt he will actually take me to the evidence and show it to me, his head hanging down looking all pathetic as though he had done the worst thing possible on the planet. Totally the inverse of cats.

On a note related to the earlier discussion of injuries, have you ever noticed that as you get older those old injuries from your youth start to pop back up, not as fresh injuries but as sites for aches and pains. Today, for some totally unknown reason my left hand aches endlessly such that I keep grabbing it with the other hand and wrenching it this way and that to temporarily assuage the discomfort.

A few hours ago while wondering why my hand aches this way I remembered that i took a giant 10in or so Craftsman screwdriver through it a few decades back during the post Hugo cleanup effort. Once it healed it hasn't hurt for ages - until now. Oh, joy. Is every injury of my past going to come back to haunt me in my old age?

This is a relatively minor thing, of course, just an annoyance. Almost humorous in a strange sort of way as I sit here contemplating the idea of my entire youth returning now to haunt me.

Oh, wow, that is a scary thought!
Congrats on the kitten petting success!!

Sadly, I think you're right about earlier injuries coming back to haunt us as we age. Oh, not the kazillion minor dings we all experience as we go through life, but the major, "I really wish I hadn't done that" injuries: those do come back as wear and tear and age make those body parts vulnerable. I can trace my bad knee to the original really bad move that has now opened the door for arthritis, etc. Wish I'd known that when I was younger, but I probably wouldn't have paid attention, anyway. Growing old seems so theoretical when you're young.

Great news on petting both kittens! And no, I don't think they were actually tame at birth; it took too long for them to be comfortable anywhere near you. Remember that they've seen mama Kitty being petted, and appearing to enjoy it, and the fact that you released them from the trap; those are huge moments in building their acceptance and trust of you.

You're right about dogs always looking guilty when they misbehave; I think that's universal in the dog, and it's quite endearing in its own way. The difference to me is that, perhaps because they're by nature pack animals, dogs find it natural and right for us to set rules for them, and they fully expect consequences when they don't obey the rules. Cats, on the other hand, are definitely not pack animals. They really see no reason why we should get to make the rules; and as far as they're concerned, rules apply only when we're watching....if then. Dogs are so hard-wired to try to please the pack leader that they'll learn behaviors/tricks just to earn a word of praise. If you want to teach your cat a trick (why??-get a dog, lol), you'd better offer a much more tangible and consistent reward than just praise or you'll get that trademarked cat expression that oh so clearly says, "in your dreams...". There are ever so many people who hate cats in a very basic and visceral way; and I think it's this feline indifference to our opinion that evokes that hate in some. I saw a bumper sticker a couple weeks back that I have to find for my own car: beside a feline silhouette are the words, "Don't like my attitude? Call 1-800-GET A DOG." Yeah, that says it all.

Kudos and thanks to all who are feeding the wildlife to help them through this truly nasty winter!

How great that the kittens are allowing you to pet them. I hope you will find a home for them in time. They are both cute little things. It is funny how guilty dogs can act and how impossible it is for a cat to even think of feeling guilt. Just not in their nature. I had never thought of it being because they are not pact animals, but that makes perfect sense. I did have a cat once that would come when I call her and roll over when I told her to. I'd say, do you want your tummy rubbed? and over she would go so I could rub her tummy. Then I'd say, Want your side rubbed and she'd roll over to her side and I'd rub it. Then I say, want the other side rubbed and she's roll over to her other side. Company always found it amusing and thought she was a very smart cat to do tricks. Of course I knew she wasn't doing this to please me, she just loved having tummy rubs, but I'd convince them I had worked really hard to teach her to do it. After she got old and overweight she would sometimes get stuck in the on her back postion and I'd have to help her roll back over. She was always a fun cat and lived to be 17+.

Susan

JSchweizer: My husband and I really enjoy the wildlife around here , From the baby possums that i adore to the visiting raccoons. Couple years ago the framing around the chimney was slightly damaged and we were going to repair it as asoon as we could find someone to do the work (not always easy) Meanwhile mam decided this was the perfect place to move into to have babies . So for a month and half we could hear the babies make their noises in the wall behind the fireplace. Then she moved outOne evening she brought them on the back porch for dinner and was there almost every nights ... Now this past year she was back with four cubs this time instead of two. They are so much fun to watch.

Ruth,

While reading your post, I suddenly realized why young people need to be the way they are having no ability to really imagine themselves either dying or getting old. Any alternative would ruin one of the best times in life and leave us with little to look back on in our golden years. Can you just imagine a world full of teens saying things like, "No, I can't do that. I'll ruin my knees for when I'm 80." You only have to imagine that once to realize how much better the current situation is.

Still enjoying the image of your riding around with your bumper sticker.

Susan,

How smart to combine commands with things the cat wants to do anyhow. LOL

Thanks, KyWoods!

orchidfancy,

I can't believe you let the raccoon nest in the walls of your house. Now that IS nice. I pretty much draw the line at moving in and redecorating my house, but, thankfully, the raccoons have avoided that so far. I'm impressed though. Reminds me of a book someone recommended years ago (and I bought), Thistle & Co. The lady had raccoons living under the house year round, pulling out insulation, etc. There is no 'under my house', but I found myself wishing I could be like her.

I know that young people have to feel that they don't have to worry much about things like that happening later in life. Still, I wish they could be cautious about sunburn and tanning early on. I've had 3 skin cancer lesions removed from my face...fortunately they were all Basal Cell Carcinoma, not something worse. Still, I regret the frequent sun exposure that led to it..I grew up in Texas where the sunshine is pretty intense. I have one knee and elbow that is causing me problems so far. You get to be a certain age and you just feel like your body can't be relied on that much anymore.

Susan, your cat sounds like a delightful girl. So glad she was with you to a fine old age, though it's never long enough, is it?

Orchidfancy, I'm so glad you waited on the chimney repairs; so few people are willing to do that, and it makes a big difference to the litter's survival chances. Good for you!

Cheryl, I know you're right about the young needing not to worry about the far-distant future; but a middle course would be so very helpful. Actually I can remember my mother telling me often and worriedly to take care of my knees or I'd regret it later; but mentally blowing it off. And of course she was absolutely right. These days I'm watching the Winter Olympics, and sports like moguls skiing hurt the knees just to watch. I have the greatest respect and admiration for the athletes; but when you hear about an athlete in his or her early 20's who has already had six major knee surgeries...wow. Hard to imagine what they'll go through as seniors.

The repairs were done last year finally. We had them scheduled and Mama decided to visit the old nest , cut the wire of the fireplace fan and possibly got zapped, not too badly obviously since she had four pups. The year before when she had her pups she made a mess in the walls as we observed when we opened them to reframe the fireplace housing. Shredded insulation everywhere, the celotex was shredded also and had to be replaced. There again the fireplace housing was twenty five years old and the builder had done a very bad job and this is why it was so damaged. Last night my big fat possum was here having his dinner, cat food and apple wedges it is so funny to watch It drags the dish under the picnic table tips it on its side and has his dinner .... wildlife how beautiful.....

Love your mindset, orchidfancy: putting the blame on the builder, where it belongs, instead of on the raccoon who exploited the weaknesses he left behind. Glad you were finally able to set it right without interfering with nature!

I completely forgot to mention this previously. When the SPCA spayed Kitty, they put a small, bright green tattoo on her tummy to signify that she has already been spayed. If she gets picked up, all vets and agencies are supposed to recognize the tattoo and not try to spay her all over again. Of course, since I also asked for the micro-chip ID, this should not be a problem as they should contact me before trying to spay her, but it never hurts to have a backup plan.

Here they notch one ear of feral cats to show that it is neutered.

My little Missy Mau has the tattoo, although I can't get her to let me look at her tummy anymore to see if I can still see it. You would never suspect the spoiled sweetie was ever homeless. LOL

Mama racoon was the smartest ....She made the best out of a bad situation and made worse so we really had to fix it LOL. My husband could not postpone it anymore.