Butter caught a snake!!!

[Logan]

My busy boy wouldn't come inside when I called him last night. Usually he makes a beeline to the door immediately. I could see him sitting in the flower bed messing with something. Finally he picked it up and brought it to me. As he was walking towards me, I thought he might have a bird or a mouse, but NO !!! It was a little snake, about as big around as a pencil, and about a foot long. He was throwing it up in the air, dropping it, and then doing it all over again. The snake was definitely dead after all that tossing and Butter thought it was the best toy ever!

I absolutely hate snakes, all snakes, and hate the thought of any of them being in my yard. Just a couple of months ago, my Golden Retriever, Honey, caught one a little larger in the backyard and did the exact same thing as Butter, played with it until she killed it. I am just glad that these are more like garden snakes than something larger and more dangerous. I know these snakes are harmless...but for me a good snake is a dead snake. Sorry to any of you snake lovers out there.

[Gio]

I agree with you on this one Logan. Snakes are the only animal I'm absolutely petrified of. Luckily the one Butter caught is harmless!

[Ben E Gas]

Do cat's like rabbits?
Does anyone own both? and How do they get along?

and no i'm not buying one, i'm just curious.

[4 feline house]

Cats can and will kill baby rabbits who are still too small and young to run from danger, especially is the cat is large and a good hunter.

[Karen]

Cats will also, some of them, kill adult rabbits. The mama cat next door would bring home pieces ... A cat CAN be trained to live with a house rabbit, but it takes patience and time and a non-hunter of a cat, too!

[Logan]

From snakes to rabbits....we've had a rabbit victim too, thanks to Mimi. And unfortunately, she decided to leave it in her normal dropping place, right on the front steps of the house. What a mess!

[Troy]

When I was young(er) we had a large Tonkinese called Taica (Tie-sa) who would routinely bring home fully grown rabbits and ducks. We lived on a farm in New Zealand and he would drag these critters home, through the cat door, and leave them live and healthy under Mum's bed. Despite it being "the thought that counts" Mum never seemed too appreciative

I still don't know how he managed to get a fully grown duck from the wild all the way home and through the normal size cat door without harming them...

[Ben E Gas]

That is amazing!

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Igor Inc. (c)2001

[Edwina's Secretary]

Spencer,

I live in the city of Chicago and we have rabbits all the time in the yard. On evening walks it is not usual that we might see a dozen or more. Edwina has never caught one nor tried real seriously but she does enjoy the thought. When she sees one there is alot of "I could if I really wanted to" behavior but most of the rabbits are bigger than she. Once a baby rabbit was in the yard when she was out and she was facinated - close enough to be sniffing it. Don't know what would have happened if I had not taken her in the house when I realized the situation.

In any case rabbits seem to adapt well to urban conditions. I don't see "road kill" rabbits around. The only problem is their fondness for my tulips. You may find them "window entertainment" for your brood.

[4 feline house]

My cats chatter at the squirrels just like the birds, and I've always wondered if cats have ever been known to capture squirrels. My mom feeds the suburban wildlife in her backyard. At night possums and raccoons come to feed at the large trays of el cheapo cat food she leaves out and to get a drink out of the pool. Sometimes the raccoons will even take a swim. One big guy even came in the cat door, looked around the living room, and calmly climbed back out! Her cats have never attacked or acted aggressively to these possums and raccoons, nor have the wild critters ever paid attention to the cats, even when they're snacking side by side at the food trough. The wild animals even bring their babies in the spring, and the cats just ignore them. Even the occastional skunk has never been spooked by the cats. My mom and I watched nervously on the patio once when one of her cats curiously sniffed a skunk rooting around in the ivy, but the skunk just nonchalantly walked around him.

So, I wonder, what makes a cat want to stalk certain animals and ignore others? Maybe it's because the possums and raccoons are so much large, and the skunks are about the same size, whereas most wild rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks are smaller than our well-fed domesticated cats.

[Logan]

I'm still learning about Butter, but Mimi has never successfully caught a squirrel. Even the dogs chase them, and stupidly will stare at the tree for hours, waiting for them to return. But, a possum has strayed in the backyard, once. Honey and Lilly rolled him around the yard while he played "possum". I threw him over the fence, late at night, and he was gone the next day. YUCK!

The largest thing my dogs have ever caught is rats, big ones. They got three before the exterminator took care of the rest. And Mimi's largest catch to date is the rabbit I mentioned earlier. It was not a full grown rabbit, but I'm sure it was quite a fight for a 6 pound cat. I hate these traits, and I felt terrible about the rabbit, but I have to say that I have not grieved one bit over snakes, possums, voles, rats or mice!!

[Logan]

Chuck aka Spencer,
You always know how to make me laugh!!!!
Logan

[pam_pesto]

If Pesto saw another creature of any kind (except for small insects) I am pretty sure she would turn and run in the other direction!! Her biggest "killing" has been a ladybug. She has never been outside except in her carrying case, and she is a huge chicken!

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Personal servant for Pesto
http://www.angelfire.com/80s/pestoswitzer/main.html
http://www.angelfire.com/pq/coolcatclub/main.html

[4 feline house]

And I guess here is where the reasoning for the argument comes in about whether animal abusers deserve the same punishment as human abusers - everyone draws the line somewhere. I don't have a problem with snakes and rats. If I find one has made its way into my house, I capture and release them. I let the spiders be, unless they have caught the cats' eyes, then I remove them from harm's way. I'd rather repel them than exterminate them. In fact, the only creatures I have no qualms about killing are house flies, mosquitos and roaches. You'd think I'm a vegetarian, but I guess I can resolve that with myself because I never witness the slaughter. If I lived on a farm, I might become a vegetarian.

[pam_pesto]

I absolutely cannot kill spiders or anything except flies, mosquitos, ants (only if they're bugging me), blackflies, and so on. I love reptiles. I am a little afraid of them, but I love them. I grew up on a farm, and I am now stuck in the city (I hate it here) and I never get to see reptiles anymore. We used to have frogs and toads and snaked all over the place! Sorry, a little off-topic. I am a vegetarian (except that i don't care much for vegetables) but I wouldn't try to force my values onto anyone.

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Personal servant for Pesto
http://www.angelfire.com/80s/pestoswitzer/main.html
http://www.angelfire.com/pq/coolcatclub/main.html