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Atop My Hill 6/5/2014 4:05:26 AM
pretty quiet, some might say boring, Thank Goodness! Two mornings ago I was awakened to the sound of infant raccoons squalling, protesting, and yowling.
As a rule, and as most times in nature, young critters are kept pretty quiet by mom. Yowling of infants DOES attract coyotes and others all in search of tasty morsels. And, nothing tastier than an infant raccoon, unless it is two.
Little Mathile has been coming to the front porch for several years, her kittens are always quiet, stay close to mom and make little fuss.
Not so this year, these little rounders apparently didn't want to venture out across the pasture, Mom, on the other hand was driven by hunger and need to get these kids onto solid food.
I peeked out, Mattie was in the kid's wading pool we use as a watering hole on the porch. Babies were in the flower bed, howling and yowling.
I have never heard such a racket.
In years past the quiet c h h h h r r r r r of mom and kids signaled the approach of Little mothers and their offspring.
Mattie quickly grabbed handsful of food, dipped into water to aide their sliding down the throat, and chhhrrred to the babies who remained in the flower bed yowling.
Older raccoons, intent on their own breakfast, ignored the whole group.
Several dashes by Mattie into the flower bed DID finally bring 3 of the howlers up to the porch where they screamed even louder, turned and ran right back into the plantings and howled louder than ever.
At last, Mattie, not really finished or replete gave it up, gathered her loud critter kids and began the trek back across the pasture.
I listened for, but thankfully did not hear coyotes signaling the call to easy prey.
This morning has been quiet, no Mattie and no howling hand tall infants.
Thank Goodness.
I was treated to the sight of a new feline visitor, a shy and lovely snowshoe Siamese.
Angelica, the Asian Leopard cat and Bubba are become more acclimated to the fact that I am the one who puts out the food - a fact I continue to try to keep hidden from the raccoons who assume the food is for them.
If I can get the felines tamed enough, off to the vet they go for rabies shots, tests to determine communicable disease etc and neuter.
I healthy, felines can live their lives in peace and quiet, despite noisy raccoon kids, in the barn, yard, trees and pasture.
Now we have a quandary, Angelica, Asian Leopard cat is a member of an endangered species per the book regarding those mid level cats, not quite a house cat, not really a small predator on the scale of bob cat.
Several years ago T Bone Piggins, another Asian Leopard cat came to live with us, a more loving lad we have yet to find. T Bone's life was not long, perhaps that is why they are endangered, he only lived with us about 8 years as opposed to the general crowd of 20 or more years.
If and when Angie agrees to the cat carrier and getting her testing and shots we'll let the vet sort out what to do about any other procedures.
