apparently we're horrible cruel animal abusers...

[AmbrosiaWriter]

I have a Facebook friend who is a big proponent of raw food for cats. .

Just so you know, there is no scientific evidence that there is any benefit to feeding cats (or dogs) raw food over a brand well balanced dry/wet food you can get at the store (If you are in the USA, we actually have super strict regulations on dog/cat food before it can be sold in terms of proper nutrients/protein levels!)

However, there is PLENTY of scientific evidence that shows feeding raw (meats) exposes both the pet and the owner to dangerous bacteria if not sourced and handled properly.

So don't feel bad about feeding a good, dry kibble to your kitty family, and know that despite what some manufacturer's might spout, you CANNOT tell the quality of a food just by reading the ingredients label

*Works at a vet and took classes and lessons in pet nutrition, also am going to another CE tomorrow on the subject.*

[WishfulSpirit]

As I exclaimed with dismay that the poor turtle kept getting stuck in the water, my mother in law kindly suggested that maybe the turtle kept going back there because it liked it there, so I left it alone. I'll bet that turtle hated me even more than the crow did.

Turtles are a lot more agile than they look, and can get out of a lot of places it doesn't look like they'd be able to. They have claws and grippy feet after all. American box turtles (one of the breeds often kept as pets) can be FAST too, as can snapping turtles. DO NOT try to pick up any turtle, if it's a snapping turtle you can loose a finger that way.

[TopEndDave]

It is the dry season at the moment and I get Straw-necked ibis visiting my yard. Why? It was a poor wet season and all the water holes/wetlands have dried up. I have irrigation in my yard so it is good place to forage for food. When the rains start then they will leave the suburbs for the bush. These are wild birds just stopping in for a feed along with the pigeons and finches that hang around the place. My neighbor's cat also likes to sit in my yard (no dogs or children to harass it) and I have seen it once with kill. It has never tried to get an Ibis since the bird is twice its size.

It did try to get at a Sulphur-crested cockatoo that had lost most of its feathers. The cockatoo was sitting in a small tree, ripping branches of and dropping/throwing them at the cat. I went out to see what was happening and the cat ran off. The cockatoo climbed more trees until it was high as it could go. It couldn't fly and I don't know what become of it as it disappeared while I was at work.

[Mr Hero]

If I don't save the wee turtles, who will?

[EricKei]

Taking care of turtles is easy. Feed it pizza.

Don't forget -- For every four turtles, you need one rat to watch over them.

My parents also get deer in their yard on occasion, who are also just left alone and watched from a window.

We get a fair amount of deer around here, too. One time, I was driving thru a subdivision, when I saw a couple of young ones standing at the side of the road, looking at my car. I flashed my brights at them to say "Go ahead"....and they did! ^_^

On a sadder note, I was visiting someone the other day -- I saw an adult deer's body on the side of the road where I was turning. About a block further in, I saw a young deer who appeared to be looking for something...

[Monterey Jack]

If I don't save the wee turtles, who will?

Ach, save me from the wee turtles...!

[Slave to the Phone]

In my defense, out here in the land of "we don't need no more stinking sunlight", we don't keep water in ponds. Hence, we don't have turtles. I thought it was a tortoise that kept ending up in the water because it was downhill and was worried that the poor thing was going to drown.

OK, I've got nothing. Go ahead and call me stupid, but at least I didn't call the fire department to rescue it. I also didn't mess with it after my mother in law told me that I should leave it alone.

[raudf]

My mother seems to think I am an animal rehab person. I'll get calls to come get baby bunnies that have their eyes opened and plenty of fur. I finally had to tell her to stop taking these away from their dogs, because frankly, by the time I get the fluff, it's in shock and unlikely to survive the next minute. I've also told her to stop "rescuing" them if she finds them laying there in the grass. They're old enough to be on their own and it's up to them to survive. Frankly, our rabbit population is too high anyways.

In November I had an ginger tabby move her butt into my house and refuse to leave. She is now known as Princess Ember the Ginger-Butted, lap and petting slut of the house. We don't look for cats, because of stuff like this It's like my house population of cats can't be below three, because a cat WILL FIND OUT AND MOVE IN.

[BlaqueKatt]

Crows are assholes, btw. When I saw it, I just let it go. One would think that it would be grateful, right? One would be WRONG!!! It hated me and told all of its friends about me. It was years before I could go in the back yard without being harassed by crows.

I only get harassed by crows for food
I have one that after two years will eat out of my hand.

[WishfulSpirit]

Speaking of wildlife, up in the mountains here in the Centennial State we have what we call a "Colorado traffic jam." That's when you have to stop and wait for a herd of something (usually elk) to cross the road. During the fall they like to hang out in mountain community parks and golf courses too. It's not at all unusual to see a 10 point buck just kind of looking at you while keeping an eye on his harem. When I lived in a more rural area (the only wildlife I see in the big city is rabbits, raccoons, and the occasional fox) I also once saw 3 wild turkeys just walking along the edge of a secondary road like it was no big deal. I'd never seen turkeys before.

[An Haddock]

I've also told her to stop "rescuing" them if she finds them laying there in the grass. They're old enough to be on their own and it's up to them to survive.

The mother will often hide them in the grass while she's out and about, too. Either way, 99% of the time they don't need rescuing. Unless someone ran mom over with a lawnmower.

[WishfulSpirit]

The mother will often hide them in the grass while she's out and about, too. Either way, 99% of the time they don't need rescuing. Unless someone ran mom over with a lawnmower.

Noooo!

[Monterey Jack]

The mother will often hide them in the grass while she's out and about, too. Either way, 99% of the time they don't need rescuing. Unless someone ran mom over with a lawnmower.

One time nearly twenty years ago, my brother was mowing the back yard of my mother's house, and uncovered a nest of little baby rabbits. He put them in a basket with some grass (careful not to handle them too much) and later put the basket on the back porch with the door open enough to hopefully allow the mother to find them by scent and collect them overnight. The next morning, the babies were gone, and as there was no blood or other evidence of wrongdoing, we assumed that the mother did find her kids and collect them.

[WishfulSpirit]

Yea mama bunny! Except for kittens (which we found homes for), we haven't found any baby animals yet. The muskrat was an adult that got a little lost. We did see what we thought was a lost dog when it was below zero F, and were going to see if it would come to us so we could check it for a tag (btw this was at night and the animal was silhouetted between us and a streetlight so we could only see the outline). Until it climbed a tree. It was a raccoon! They know how to deal with weather so we just watched the little Trash Panda.