Strays that came to stay...

Uncarved · Oct 29, 2010

Ok, I have three dogs and around 21 or so cats depending on what day you count them (they are various rescues, feral strays, and miscellaneous ones that I feed). For the past month I also have two other things that come to stay during the night curled up on the pet pillows and eats out of their dishes...... two possums. While they are skittish to be around the dogs, when they aren't around the two possums will sit on the banister railing and just watch you. One even let me come right up to it with a bowl of food and eat out of it. They just hang out in the adjacent shrub, wait til evening, and then curl up with the cats and sleep.

Yea.

regdog · Oct 29, 2010

Our garage possum is cute as can be and loves to munch the slugs that eat the cat food.

Wayne K · Oct 29, 2010

I thought this thread was about me

LaurieD · Oct 29, 2010

My neighbor puts out bowls of cat food all over her backyard.

I've seen raccoon, possum, and too many cats to count stopping by her place for a snack.

Several years ago we had a rabid raccoon fighting its way through my backyard fence, hissing and spitting at my dog.

I'm not a fan of my neighbor's small animal buffet service.

Uncarved · Oct 29, 2010

LaurieD said:
My neighbor puts out bowls of cat food all over her backyard.

I've seen raccoon, possum, and too many cats to count stopping by her place for a snack.

Several years ago we had a rabid raccoon fighting its way through my backyard fence, hissing and spitting at my dog.

I'm not a fan of my neighbor's small animal buffet service.

Yea, I keep a bowl of water and a bowl of food on the porch for my outdoor brood. I also have 10 acres of land that surrounds my house with an empty lot of 5 acres on either side of me. So I'm hoping that my bowls aren't bothering anyone else. I will also admit to throwing out bags of corn during the winter to feed the deer. Typical winters have around 10 deer that come to eat.

Vito · Oct 29, 2010

tinasamuels said:
Ok, I have three dogs and around 21 or so cats depending on what day you count them

LaurieD · Oct 29, 2010

tinasamuels said:
Yea, I keep a bowl of water and a bowl of food on the porch for my outdoor brood. I also have 10 acres of land that surrounds my house with an empty lot of 5 acres on either side of me. So I'm hoping that my bowls aren't bothering anyone else. I will also admit to throwing out bags of corn during the winter to feed the deer. Typical winters have around 10 deer that come to eat.

My neighber has 5 acres, my side of the fence has 2.5. Deer sleep in my backyard - we have tall grass growing under some of the trees from storm damage we weren't able to clean up before the snakes woke up this spring - and they love the berries that grow along my fence.

Your ten acres, with its empty 5 acre lots on either side, sounds better suited to feed the smallish wildlife than my neighborhood.

Watch out for the crazy critters though.

Uncarved · Oct 29, 2010

Yea we get some odd ones throughout the year. Had a fox that stayed for a week or so and a few over-excited chipmunks that would rush the porch for a couple of days. But so far only the possums have been the ones to "get comfy". The deer do tell their friends where the yard buffet is I believe.

While I'm a "feeder"....I do really try to make it to where it won't cause grief to those around me, I know it would irk me if I was living close to someone that just randomly set out food and made my yard an interstate to get to it

Vito · Oct 29, 2010

tinasamuels said:
Yea we get some odd ones throughout the year. Had a fox that stayed for a week or so and a few over-excited chipmunks that would rush the porch for a couple of days. But so far only the possums have been the ones to "get comfy". The deer do tell their friends where the yard buffet is I believe.

Set up a beer keg and order a few pizzas, and I'll be there too!

brainstorm77 · Oct 29, 2010

Vito said:
Set up a beer keg and order a few pizzas, and I'll be there too!

Susan Coffin · Oct 29, 2010

Wayne K said:
I thought this thread was about me

It is.

Vito · Oct 29, 2010

brainstorm77 said:

Susan Coffin · Oct 29, 2010

My cat, Buddy, and I met about six years ago. His family ignored him and kept him outside all the time. Finally, he started just showing up at my place. Good thing, because his family moved away a few months later and asked me to keep Buddy. I did.

My boyfriend lives out in the country. He has three outside cats- a mom and two grown cats which she gave birth to. He also has a raccoon family who hangs out, a wild rabbit, and plenty of deer who graze in the hill area behind his house.

MaryMumsy · Oct 29, 2010

All of our cats have been strays/ferals. We're on number 5 right now. When we had outside cats, the raccoons would come by for a snack. Also the occasional skunk. We also have neighborhood coyotes. No one feeds them on purpose, but they have taken a few cats and several sheep.

MM

Uncarved · Oct 29, 2010

If skunks or coyotes ever came near the property the buffet would cease and I'd find a way to figure out a better system. I don't mind possums, or even that one lone fox that didn't stay long, but coyotes would not be under the "cute" category

Button · Oct 29, 2010

My parents had something like that going when my siblings and I were little. They would let us get cat food and all these cats from the neighborhood would come over. As long as we kept them outside, it was OK with them.

But I remember the cats would have kittens, would disappear one day and never come back, would get into fights, and some became feral because they would be born, we didn't know/couldn't find them, and then we would have mean ones to deal with.

Now I've just got two, indoors, and they are plenty enough, especially having to pay vet bills and all that.

Uncarved · Oct 29, 2010

Definitely the vet bills for the possee have been expensive. I've had them all fixed so at least they can't multiple onward

Wayne K · Oct 29, 2010

tinasamuels said:
If skunks or coyotes ever came near the property the buffet would cease and I'd find a way to figure out a better system. I don't mind possums, or even that one lone fox that didn't stay long, but coyotes would not be under the "cute" category

How do you feel about the Irish?

And before you ask, yes, I'm cute

Uncarved · Oct 29, 2010

I'm thinking the vet bill to get you fixed may run me a little more than $200

Wayne K · Oct 29, 2010

I'm sterile. I have to be or I woulda slipped one past the goalie by now

Vito · Oct 29, 2010

tinasamuels said:
I'm thinking the vet bill to get you fixed may run me a little more than $200

Uncarved · Nov 11, 2010

The two were sitting on the porch rail, both jumped into the shrub before I managed to get out my cell phone. Sorry its fuzzy but here is one of our nightly sleepover crew.

http://twitpic.com/360ut4/full

BeatrixKiddo · Nov 11, 2010

We want photographic "evidence" of this strange yet intriguing combination.

Example:

Uncarved · Nov 11, 2010

Oh thats fab. Thats precisely whats going on in my porch. Except where there is one cat, imagine like 20. (Is it 20? I should go count them again).

But I never can get the pic snapped, my good camera is FUBARED and I have to use a cell and then I need proper lighting and it .... gah!!!

robeiae · Nov 11, 2010

Wayne K said:
I thought this thread was about me

SusanL said:
It is.

And Cray. And Quicky.

Strays that came to stay...

I aim to misbehave

The Scavengers

aka Skwirrel

I aim to misbehave

Recalled to life

aka Skwirrel

I aim to misbehave

Recalled to life

practical experience, FTW

Tell it like it Is

Recalled to life

Tell it like it Is

the original blond bombshell

I aim to misbehave

Resident in Question

I aim to misbehave

I aim to misbehave

Recalled to life

I aim to misbehave

Is it summer yet???

I aim to misbehave

Touch and go