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Friday, May 16, 2014

Critter Seeker

I keep Becca on-lead for awhile to counter any "chase" mode
One of Becca's main delights in hiking in the desert every morning is the chance to see critters.  Even though we see them daily at our hacienda she loves the idea of chasing them in their natural habitat.  I say "idea" because she knows she is not allowed to engage in the hunt.  In the early days when I was still trying hard to break her of the instinct she came close to cottontails and jackrabbits, but never caught one.  Those critters are so fast and wily it's hard for any four-legged hunter to catch them.
Becca in the bobsled chute

Desert Cottontail that caught Becca's attention

Prickly Pear Cactus

Becca's dream of catching a Jackrabbit is thwarted yet again

Soaptree Yucca stalk

A stalk replete with buds

These buds will soon become . . .

beautiful cream-colored flowers . . .

 replete with bugs

3 comments:

Dr. K said...

That cottontail is adorable.

Scott said...

Our two cats are strays who have become strictly indoor cats. I know that I'm thwarting their desire to go outside to hunt, but that's one of the main reasons we brought them indoors in the first place (and to prevent them from getting hurt [or killed] in brawls with other animals). Nevertheless, when I see them sitting at the window with tails twitching as they watch a chipmunk or a mouse, I feel sorta' bad for them. Now, if I could just get them to kill and dine exclusively on grey squirrels, I'd be pretty happy since the squirrels are superabundant and periodically wreak havoc on our vehicles.

On the other hand, formerly abundant feral cats have completely disappeared from my preserve since coyotes arrived a few years ago, so I think that our kitties would be short-lived outside.

packrat said...

Your comment about the grey squirrels made me laugh, Scott.

We lost one cat to coyotes here, and shortly thereafter we made our other two cats indoor cats, too. I know exactly what you're talking about regarding watching them itching to get outside. Dr. K and I even built them a huge cat enclosure attached directly to the back of the house so we could let them have the "feel" of being outside. Then we had a company take out the enclosure and build a patio enclosure with four huge windows and three sliding-glass doors with screens. The cats loved it out there, but it just wasn't the same as being free.

We no longer have cats, even though we both love them, but I can't bear the thought of getting one or two and imprisoning them. You are right, though, Scott to keep them inside. All vets recommend doing so; it keeps them healthier and prolongs their lives significantly.

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