Wildlife Woes

[Stacy]

Do you ever wish for just one moment that you didn't have dogs? I mean, I love the dogs like they're my kids. I wouldn't be able to survive life without dogs. Because of that I think sometimes I forget that they aren't in fact little children in fur suits. But then they do something that makes me remember...

 

My love of animals extends to all my backyard friends. I’m the critter girl.

Sometimes the squirrels drive me nuts when they dig up my flowers. But they’re so cute when they play together. They tease the dogs and they always make me laugh when they yell at us. I know there are a few chipmunks around here, though I rarely see them, but the rabbits seem half tame. They let me walk right up to them before they run off. I want the girls to love the furries they share the yard with, but instead they love to eat them. When I chose doodles prey drive was not one of the boxes I was trying to check off.

 

In the last week Ava came to the door with a squirrel tail hanging out of her mouth like it was a literal toy. Now, that squirrel wasn’t freshly dead. So I think it died of other causes and Ava just found it. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.) Then it stormed last week and Katie found a baby bird that she snuck into the house and proudly took to my bed. And tonight is the worst. The absolute worst.

 

Here it is, midnight. I just got home from work. It was a busy evening. I fed the girls and we went outside. I was minding my own business scrolling through facebook on the porch when I hear this… crying. It didn’t register for a second, but then I realized, oh no the girls have something. The next thing you know I’m running around the backyard barefoot, by the light of my cellphone flashlight screaming like a lunatic. I can only imagine that my neighbors think I’m insane.

 

I see Ava drop something and I called her to come with me, and then I found Katie and I saw another one. And I’m begging them to come back inside with me. They were actually pretty cooperative considering how excited they were with their find.

 

I got them into the screen porch and was about to go look for the problem when I realize that the crying is now coming from inside with the dogs. I couldn’t see anything, but it only took a second to figure out that the crying was coming from inside Ava’s mouth. I pulled her mouth open and a baby bunny fell out.

 

A teeny tiny baby bunny that was still naked. It nuzzled into my hand and shirt like I was it’s mommy. I’m pretty sure that I’m in love with this bunny and want it to have a spot in the bed with the dogs. It was pretty active and it didn’t have any visible injuries. I made the girls stay inside while I’m out searching the backyard – again, by cellphone light. I managed to find the nest, and the second baby bunny that didn’t fare as well. I took that one out and put the one that seemed okay back into the nest. It burrowed back in. I didn’t see more, but maybe there were siblings in there for it to cuddle with – I didn’t want to disturb them if they were there. It’s like Operation Wildlife over here. I think there should be a version of 911 for animals. I would have called it an ambulance. But since there isn’t, I hope I did the right thing. I hope the mommy comes back. I wanted to keep it, but I’m pretty sure I am ill equipped to keep a newborn bunny alive.

 

Now the dilemma is that the dogs know they’re there. How am I going to ever keep them away from that nest? And why on earth would the bunny pick my yard to have her babies? My nextdoor neighbor has a perfectly good yard and no pets to go on a bunny killing spree. I feel like I’m harboring two felons. Do I need to turn them in for assault? I keep telling them how naughty they are, but I’m pretty sure they think I’m telling them that they’re pretty.

 

I accept the dogs for who they are. I know these are the things that dogs do (but for the record, Papillons do not do things like this!) I just wish someone would explain to them that they are supposed to act more like little furry people and less like murdering heathens. I’m not sure how much backyard homicide I can take!!

Does anyone else have this issue? Better yet, has anyone else solved this issue? I feel like they need a class in loving their neighbors. I also wonder if we had a bunny of our own that the dogs would understand that it was part of the family and they couldn’t hurt it. Because now I really want a bunny to join our family!

 

[Stacy]

I love the wildlife too. Except for that possum that kept pooping in the yard. He finally went away on his own, but I did not love him. I imagine that your deer are frolicking in a field somewhere. And if for some reason they aren't I don't want to know anything about it.

[Amy and Annabelle]

Possum are on New Zealands eradicate list. I think they eat bird eggs. I like to think my deer are happy frolicking somewhere. 

[Amy and Annabelle]

So this evening I am inside cleaning up dinner dishes. My husband and Annabelle go outside like they usually do. About 15 minutes later I hear the basement door shut and Annabelle running up stairs. She was panting heavy and acting kind of weird. She really wanted to go back outside. So I took her downstairs to let her back outside with my husband. He was just coming in through the gate. He tells me that Annabelle caught a bunny and it was crying. She dropped it and it flopped down on the ground. He thought it was dead, but he thinks it was just playing dead so Annabelle would lose interest. It got up and ran toward the fence and he shooed it out the gate.  I looked inside her mouth and didn't see any bunny parts. Apparently she did this once before and he neglected to tell me because he knew I would freak out. I need a drink. Pretty much just venting. Not a happy wife or doodle mom at the moment.

[Stacy]

You should definitely have a drink! Bunnicide is traumatic. Maybe you could sit Annabelle down and have a serious discussion about how the bunnies are our friends and that we buy them expensive dog food so they don't need to hunt for their own snacks. 

I have further wildlife woes - not a bunny this time, but another mouse. I caught it and I haven't seen any evidence that it invited friends over, but I seriously don't understand why there is so much wildlife around this house. I do not live in the country!

[Amy and Annabelle]

I do live in the country with woods at the end of my property. So I should not be surprised, but I am. Annabelle needs an intervention.