Showing posts with label ducks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ducks. Show all posts
This is a bad week to be a pet at our house!
Bodkay is now with the Doctor Jean, who said yesterday that it was time to put him down, because he was having seizures constantly. But then she couldn't do it! She asked if she could take him home with her and try some experimental procedures. She said she could very well overdose him on valium-- but I said that was okay, anyway, because the alternative is death. Either way, if there is some chance of him living, of course she can take him home. So she took him home last night, and I haven't heard from her since. This is for free, by the way. I don't know why she is not charging, but that's fine. I love her. Doctor Jean is forever on my Christmas list.
This is the second night Bodkay has spent with Doctor Jean. The first night, when he was initially terribly ill, we were actually in Iowa, and our friends watching the cat found him, almost dead. There was an actual trail of blood across our floor, to the front door, from where they carried Bodkay away and took him to the vet's. We don't know what happened! He is an indoor cat, of five or six years. What did he get into? And the other cat, Tigery, is fine. The night they brought Bodkay to Dr. Jean, there was what the newspaper called, "a monster storm running through." We saw evidence of it: every tree in town seems to have a limb fallen, and some of the trees are snapped in half entirely. Big, old trees. At our house, two buildings blew over and away, and a bee hive is tipped. Luckily, the sheep are fine.
So, in the midst of this crazy storm, our friends (who have a deathly ill grandmother at home) took Bodkay to the vet. Dr. Jean's clinic has no basement, so she then took Bodkay home with her and had him sleep on the bed next to her. The next day, we picked him up, and it looked like we nursed him back to health- he was jumping on the sink again! And then he started having these seizures, and they just kept getting worse and worse, until it was a constant seizure. Which brings us to yesterday, when I took Bodkay in to have him put down (at Dr. Jean's recommendation) and she couldn't do it. She stepped out into the hall for a moment, and I heard her say,
"I'm taking that kitty I can't give up on home with me."
"The little black one?" asked the person in the hall.
"No, the little orange one," said Dr. Jean. Apparently, this is a thing with her!
Still haven't heard back today, though. I called and she was on a house call.
Meanwhile...
We woke up this morning the find three of the ducks, dead in the yard, and pieces of Goose (his heart and one wing). The two Mallards (who had just learned to fly) must have escaped, but I don't imagine they'll come back home, after witnessing the massacre. So yes, Goose, my favorite, is dead. And the three white ducks. We loved them so. Really. My daughter is absolutely devastated. I think the idiots just didn't go inside last night. They have an automatic door and everything. I built them a perfectly secure building, that didn't blow away in the storm. And they didn't use it last night. The mistake was fatal. It was either raccoons or coyotes, most likely. I buried them by the coop.
Goose is dead. Long live Goose.
Update: Bodkay died today at around 2 PM. He seemed much better, and the vet left me a message on the answering machine that he was really improving. Then I called her and she said he just stopped breathing.
So. Damn. Seven pets gone in one day. Bodkay counts as ten geese, at least, in the emotional scale. And now who will Tigery cuddle with? Big Z says, "This is the worst day ever." While I'm complaining: It's hot as hell outside. Too hot to dig a hole and bury your favorite orange cat.
Bodkay is dead. Long live Bodkay.
This is the second night Bodkay has spent with Doctor Jean. The first night, when he was initially terribly ill, we were actually in Iowa, and our friends watching the cat found him, almost dead. There was an actual trail of blood across our floor, to the front door, from where they carried Bodkay away and took him to the vet's. We don't know what happened! He is an indoor cat, of five or six years. What did he get into? And the other cat, Tigery, is fine. The night they brought Bodkay to Dr. Jean, there was what the newspaper called, "a monster storm running through." We saw evidence of it: every tree in town seems to have a limb fallen, and some of the trees are snapped in half entirely. Big, old trees. At our house, two buildings blew over and away, and a bee hive is tipped. Luckily, the sheep are fine.
So, in the midst of this crazy storm, our friends (who have a deathly ill grandmother at home) took Bodkay to the vet. Dr. Jean's clinic has no basement, so she then took Bodkay home with her and had him sleep on the bed next to her. The next day, we picked him up, and it looked like we nursed him back to health- he was jumping on the sink again! And then he started having these seizures, and they just kept getting worse and worse, until it was a constant seizure. Which brings us to yesterday, when I took Bodkay in to have him put down (at Dr. Jean's recommendation) and she couldn't do it. She stepped out into the hall for a moment, and I heard her say,
"I'm taking that kitty I can't give up on home with me."
"The little black one?" asked the person in the hall.
"No, the little orange one," said Dr. Jean. Apparently, this is a thing with her!
Still haven't heard back today, though. I called and she was on a house call.
Meanwhile...
 |
| We think the two Mallards survived, but we haven't seen them. |
We woke up this morning the find three of the ducks, dead in the yard, and pieces of Goose (his heart and one wing). The two Mallards (who had just learned to fly) must have escaped, but I don't imagine they'll come back home, after witnessing the massacre. So yes, Goose, my favorite, is dead. And the three white ducks. We loved them so. Really. My daughter is absolutely devastated. I think the idiots just didn't go inside last night. They have an automatic door and everything. I built them a perfectly secure building, that didn't blow away in the storm. And they didn't use it last night. The mistake was fatal. It was either raccoons or coyotes, most likely. I buried them by the coop.
Goose is dead. Long live Goose.
Update: Bodkay died today at around 2 PM. He seemed much better, and the vet left me a message on the answering machine that he was really improving. Then I called her and she said he just stopped breathing.
So. Damn. Seven pets gone in one day. Bodkay counts as ten geese, at least, in the emotional scale. And now who will Tigery cuddle with? Big Z says, "This is the worst day ever." While I'm complaining: It's hot as hell outside. Too hot to dig a hole and bury your favorite orange cat.
Bodkay is dead. Long live Bodkay.
Duck Wednesday
No Wanda Wednesday today, but I do have a silly duck story.
The ducks and geese always quack at me. I don't understand what they are saying, but they seem hostile.
Last night, I went out to put the ducks in their little house. If the ducks don't go inside for the night, they are literally sitting ducks. They can't fly. We have coyotes and raccoons who would eat them right up. Sitting ducks! They're just sitting ducks.
When I want out to shut the door to their little house last night, the ducks (and two geese) were in this little marsh area, a little ways off. I was tired. I was beat. I did not want to coax them into the house from the marsh. Marshes are really not for people, you know. They are icky. But ducks and geese love them! They were having a grand time. It was a dangerous hour, getting dark. I really didn't want to chase after them.
Then, in a moment of inspiration, I yelled out,
"Hey you ducks! It's time to come inside!" And I swear by the Flying Spaghetti Monster, they came! They came in a row, single file, quacking all the while.
A little perimeter check, walk around the house, and they went inside. All I had to do was ask.
And here I thought they didn't like me.
Duck, Duck, Duck
The white ducks (Pekins) were supposed to be for food, while the Mallards were to be Little Z's pets.
The ducks have turned out to be much more interesting than I ever expected. For example:
* One day, the Mallards set about teaching the Pekins to fly. [Pekins are flightless birds.] A few Mallards quacked at the watching Pekins (giving instructions, certainly), went for a running start and then up, up into the air! Then, flew in a circle, and landed back by the Pekins, and said, "Quack. Quack quack quack. Quack." [That's how you do it. Now, it's your turn.] Then the Pekins, while the Mallards stood and watched, would run and run as fast as they could and flap their wings, but never get off the ground. They waddled back to the Mallards, disgruntled, but the Mallards encouraged them to stick to it and try again. They demonstrated again. And so on. The Pekins tried again. Same result. We think that the Mallards, getting ready for their flight south, clearly do not wish to leave their friends, the Pekins, behind.
* The ducks run through the sprinklers in hot weather, just the way small children do- except that, instead of squealing like little girls when they run through, they quack enthusiastically. Then they wiggle their tale feathers and quack a lot and say, "Let's do it again!"
* There was a turf war one day between the chickens and the ducks. The ducks were outnumbered, three to one. Corn was at stake. Lots of corn, laying on the lawn there, free for the taking. A plucky rooster was guarding it all, pecking at whoever wanted a bite or two. The chickens all bickered amongst themselves, but the ducks soon discovered that, if they worked together as a team and ganged up on all of the chickens, they could win the corn. So, they did. They worked together and drove away the chickens, charging at them full steam and quacking with vigour. The ducks won. Teamwork takes the day!
* The ducks actually cross the road way more often than the chickens do.
The ducks have turned out to be much more interesting than I ever expected. For example:
* One day, the Mallards set about teaching the Pekins to fly. [Pekins are flightless birds.] A few Mallards quacked at the watching Pekins (giving instructions, certainly), went for a running start and then up, up into the air! Then, flew in a circle, and landed back by the Pekins, and said, "Quack. Quack quack quack. Quack." [That's how you do it. Now, it's your turn.] Then the Pekins, while the Mallards stood and watched, would run and run as fast as they could and flap their wings, but never get off the ground. They waddled back to the Mallards, disgruntled, but the Mallards encouraged them to stick to it and try again. They demonstrated again. And so on. The Pekins tried again. Same result. We think that the Mallards, getting ready for their flight south, clearly do not wish to leave their friends, the Pekins, behind.
* The ducks run through the sprinklers in hot weather, just the way small children do- except that, instead of squealing like little girls when they run through, they quack enthusiastically. Then they wiggle their tale feathers and quack a lot and say, "Let's do it again!"
* There was a turf war one day between the chickens and the ducks. The ducks were outnumbered, three to one. Corn was at stake. Lots of corn, laying on the lawn there, free for the taking. A plucky rooster was guarding it all, pecking at whoever wanted a bite or two. The chickens all bickered amongst themselves, but the ducks soon discovered that, if they worked together as a team and ganged up on all of the chickens, they could win the corn. So, they did. They worked together and drove away the chickens, charging at them full steam and quacking with vigour. The ducks won. Teamwork takes the day!
* The ducks actually cross the road way more often than the chickens do.
The Life Pastoral: Duck Edition
When I went outside this morning, five of the ducks (all of them Mallards) were outside of the electric fence. I opened up part of the fence, and instead of everyone else going out, the five who had escaped went back in. Home bodies, I guess.
They stayed inside their fence with the gate open until about five PM this evening. They timidly ventured forth. Little Z said,
"One of them looked me in the eye. I think he wanted to kiss me!"
I soon discovered that their favourite food is dandylions! I should have let them out a long time ago. Now I am about to go out and see if they decided to go back home for the night, so I can protect them with the electric fence. I hope so!
Update: The ducks went home for the night. Good ducks.
They stayed inside their fence with the gate open until about five PM this evening. They timidly ventured forth. Little Z said,
"One of them looked me in the eye. I think he wanted to kiss me!"
I soon discovered that their favourite food is dandylions! I should have let them out a long time ago. Now I am about to go out and see if they decided to go back home for the night, so I can protect them with the electric fence. I hope so!
Update: The ducks went home for the night. Good ducks.
Duck, duck, duck... where?
Well, nobody got eaten, but clearly something happened during the night:
He's on the wrong side of the fence!
It's nothing my trusty friend, Net, can't fix.
And all is once again right in duck world.
I wonder why he escaped? Usually, it takes something very frightening to make them try to jump the fence. They like staying home, I think.
P.S. Later on now-- I've been wondering all day about how that duck got out of the fence. It's an electric fence, and it holds the ducks in even when it's turned off. But it was on. And when I turned it off in the morning, the duck wanted to get back in, but needed help to do so. What a mystery!
It's nothing my trusty friend, Net, can't fix.
I wonder why he escaped? Usually, it takes something very frightening to make them try to jump the fence. They like staying home, I think.
P.S. Later on now-- I've been wondering all day about how that duck got out of the fence. It's an electric fence, and it holds the ducks in even when it's turned off. But it was on. And when I turned it off in the morning, the duck wanted to get back in, but needed help to do so. What a mystery!
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