Today I am sending out a reminder to everyone with pets. If you have cats or dogs that go outside you will want to keep an eye on them. Spring is here…or at least it is in some places. Spring means baby animals will be popping up everywhere.
Of course if you have pets of your own, you will want to get them spayed or neutered if they aren’t already. Double check that your pets also have all their shots updated. More warm weather will mean more time outside and possibly stray animals in your yard or even other wild animals that could carry disease. You want a bit of assurance that your pets are safe. Wild animals with babies will be very protective and if your pet is a threat they could be bitten or scratched which could pass disease.
If you are in a warm area that has snakes…they are coming out. The ones I have to worry about most in my area are rattle snakes and whip tails. A cat or dog getting to close to one of these snakes that is out sunning itself could be deadly.
Now for the wild animals with babies…keep your pets away from them. Many people welcome the wildlife to nest in their areas. These people love seeing the babies and are very protective of them. If your cat or dog is loose and happens to go after nesting animals…your pet is in danger. Even if the animal that owns the nest can not hurt your pet…the person who is “watching over” the wildlife can be dangerous.
Just this week, we had 2 baby rabbits killed by a neighbors cat that she lets out to roam at night. Trust me when I say that people were mad. The cat had no real need to kill the bunnies, we all know it is fed regularly and was going on instinct not hunger. So even though the rabbits nest was in a somewhat safe area, the cat had no problem getting over the neighbors fence and right to the baby rabbits. All of this led to threats to the cats life. After heated phone calls to the cats owner saying keep your cat out of my yard…or you won’t have a cat…the cat has been kept inside. For the cats sake, that is good. I really do think the cat was in danger if it was caught out.
I don’t know as I would go as far to threaten to kill the cat, but I was really bummed out about the baby bunnies. However, I am glad the other neighbor is now keeping their cat inside because I have some doves nesting in my tree and doves are very easy to abandon a nest if they are in fear. I’d like for the nest to be left alone and the dove babies be safe. I even keep my own dogs away from that tree. If you haven’t seen any babies in your area yet…check out Phoebe Allens Humming Bird Nest on Live Cam. This is an example of some baby animals that people all over the world are enjoying and would be “mad” if a loose cat bothered them.
We also have coyotes around our house. Last night we saw 4-5 kits following their mother. We have been hearing them and last night was the 1st night they were out of the desert and and under a lamp where our road meets the desert. The adult coyotes have no problems coming in our area and the kits are starting to follow. We hear them right to the side of the house. We know that the adult has carried off at least 1 of the neighbors cats. I would say that the adults would love to show their kits how to catch cats. So, that is one good reason to keep them indoors. A small dog that is loose could also become a lesson for the kits, in catching food.
I love my pets and I love the wildlife so, I try my best to keep the 2 separated. Although many animals can get in our yard, we keep our eyes peeled for them. I don’t want my dogs hurt nor do I want my dogs hurting them. Most wild animals will get out of the yard if they have a moments notice that the dogs are coming out.
I am sure that in other areas people are seeing raccoons, opossums, all kinds of birds and rodents. All of these animals are a potential danger to pets and should be given leeway. Keep your pets in safe areas and just be alert. We can have pets and wildlife around our houses if we just take the time to check fences, leashes, and avoid doing things that will draw the wildlife into our yards.
Are you seeing wildlife in your area? If so what is out wandering around?