OUTSIDE DAYS ARE OVER.

My indoor-outdoor cats just suddenly became strictly-indoor. Beginning
today.

We had our Christmas dinner today (nurses in the family have to work
Sat. & Sun.). Because of the hustle and bustle, it was later than usual
when DH started rounding them up and making them come inside. The sun
was barely down, but it wasn't dark yet.

He opened the back door and briefly said "Here, Kitty, Kitty", then
stopped. I heard him say in a low, controlled voice, 'I NEED YOUR
HELP." I could tell by his tone something was dreadfully wrong.

I looked out the back door and saw Bootsie, in full puffy-tailed
stance, doing this funny stiff-legged dance around the biggest skunk I
ever saw. I don't know *what* she thought she was doing. It looked for
all the world like she was challenging it. Or just picking on it.

We just stood there helplessly. "Here, Kitty, Kitty, Here Booty-girl".
She looked at us and kept dancing. I was afraid if I went to try to
retrieve her, we'd just make things go from bad to worse.

*Finally*, I guess she grew tired of the game, looked at us, and
trotted right in the back door. The skunk seemed relieved himself, and
immediately left the yard.

It just makes me sick to think about the worst-case scenario. At best,
we could have ended up with Bootsie in a bathtub of tomato juice all
night. At worst, she probably could have been injured very badly.

I don't think rabies is a consideration. The skunk was eating the bird
seed that falls out of the feeders. I think he just came to freeload a
meal and wasn't interested in a fight. Thank God.

I don't think anybody's going to care that they're grounded the rest of
the winter at the very least, except for Boots and Frank. They're going
to *hate* it. They're going to pester me to death to let them outside.
Guess they just better get used to it. Meowmie is solid on this one.

Sherry

wrote in

I looked out the back door and saw Bootsie, in full puffy-tailed
stance, doing this funny stiff-legged dance around the biggest skunk I
ever saw.

I guess you didn't think to grab the camcorder in time?

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 21:27:03 -0800, sriddles wrote:

My indoor-outdoor cats just suddenly became strictly-indoor. Beginning
today.

We had our Christmas dinner today (nurses in the family have to work
Sat. & Sun.). Because of the hustle and bustle, it was later than usual
when DH started rounding them up and making them come inside. The sun
was barely down, but it wasn't dark yet.

He opened the back door and briefly said "Here, Kitty, Kitty", then
stopped. I heard him say in a low, controlled voice, 'I NEED YOUR
HELP." I could tell by his tone something was dreadfully wrong.

I looked out the back door and saw Bootsie, in full puffy-tailed
stance, doing this funny stiff-legged dance around the biggest skunk I
ever saw. I don't know *what* she thought she was doing. It looked for
all the world like she was challenging it. Or just picking on it.

We just stood there helplessly. "Here, Kitty, Kitty, Here Booty-girl".
She looked at us and kept dancing. I was afraid if I went to try to
retrieve her, we'd just make things go from bad to worse.

*Finally*, I guess she grew tired of the game, looked at us, and
trotted right in the back door. The skunk seemed relieved himself, and
immediately left the yard.

It just makes me sick to think about the worst-case scenario. At best,
we could have ended up with Bootsie in a bathtub of tomato juice all
night. At worst, she probably could have been injured very badly.

I don't think rabies is a consideration. The skunk was eating the bird
seed that falls out of the feeders. I think he just came to freeload a
meal and wasn't interested in a fight. Thank God.

I don't think anybody's going to care that they're grounded the rest of
the winter at the very least, except for Boots and Frank. They're going
to *hate* it. They're going to pester me to death to let them outside.
Guess they just better get used to it. Meowmie is solid on this one.

Sherry


If there is food to be had, the skunk will return. Good luck. MLB

mlbriggs wrote:
If there is food to be had, the skunk will return. Good luck. MLB

Yes, that's what I thought. The plan now is to move the bird feeders
way out back in the garden. I hate to do that, because I won't be able
to see the birds anymore. I don't ever leave garbage or cat food out
because I knew we had occasional oppossums.
I have a real problem with killing this animal though. The plan is to
just try to get the food source away from the house and hope it won't
come back. The cats will just have to stay inside whether they like it
or not.

wrote:

It just makes me sick to think about the worst-case scenario. At best,
we could have ended up with Bootsie in a bathtub of tomato juice all
night. At worst, she probably could have been injured very badly.

I don't think rabies is a consideration. The skunk was eating the bird
seed that falls out of the feeders. I think he just came to freeload a
meal and wasn't interested in a fight. Thank God.

I don't think anybody's going to care that they're grounded the rest of
the winter at the very least, except for Boots and Frank. They're going
to *hate* it. They're going to pester me to death to let them outside.
Guess they just better get used to it. Meowmie is solid on this one.

Sherry,

There are, I'm sure you know, some good reasons to keep cats
indoors. I don't think this is one of them.

I grew up with outdoor cats on a farm where skunks were a common
sight, and I had indoor/outdoor cats for a dozen years at my
present location, while feeding birds -- and therefore, of
course, skunks. No cat in all my experience has ever been
sprayed by a skunk. Other cat people have reported the same
lack of incident. No doubt it can happen, but it must be
extremely rare.

(I hasten to add that I never saw one of the cats deliberately
teasing a skunk. But since their interactions take place mostly
after dark, it could well be fairly common.)

Skunks are very confident in their defensive abilities and are
not at all belligerent, so they are not trigger happy at all,
and I guess they don't see cats as much of a threat. If your
indoor/outdoor kitties are current on their rabies shots, I
don't think you need to keep them in for fear of skunks.

--

Wayne M
(indulged by Will and Heidi)

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 23:54:45 -0600, "Pat" wrote:


I looked out the back door and saw Bootsie, in full puffy-tailed
stance, doing this funny stiff-legged dance around the biggest skunk I
ever saw.

I guess you didn't think to grab the camcorder in time?


Now that would have been cute !!!!


http://members.aol.com/larrystark/

Wayne's right, the skunks would have to be very frightened by the cats to
spray, and even then they'd stomp first. Spraying really is their very last
resource.

Nanny

"Wayne Mitchell" schreef in bericht
...
wrote:

It just makes me sick to think about the worst-case scenario. At best,
we could have ended up with Bootsie in a bathtub of tomato juice all
night. At worst, she probably could have been injured very badly.

I don't think rabies is a consideration. The skunk was eating the bird
seed that falls out of the feeders. I think he just came to freeload a
meal and wasn't interested in a fight. Thank God.

I don't think anybody's going to care that they're grounded the rest of
the winter at the very least, except for Boots and Frank. They're going
to *hate* it. They're going to pester me to death to let them outside.
Guess they just better get used to it. Meowmie is solid on this one.

Sherry,

There are, I'm sure you know, some good reasons to keep cats
indoors. I don't think this is one of them.

I grew up with outdoor cats on a farm where skunks were a common
sight, and I had indoor/outdoor cats for a dozen years at my
present location, while feeding birds -- and therefore, of
course, skunks. No cat in all my experience has ever been
sprayed by a skunk. Other cat people have reported the same
lack of incident. No doubt it can happen, but it must be
extremely rare.

(I hasten to add that I never saw one of the cats deliberately
teasing a skunk. But since their interactions take place mostly
after dark, it could well be fairly common.)

Skunks are very confident in their defensive abilities and are
not at all belligerent, so they are not trigger happy at all,
and I guess they don't see cats as much of a threat. If your
indoor/outdoor kitties are current on their rabies shots, I
don't think you need to keep them in for fear of skunks.

--

Wayne M
(indulged by Will and Heidi)

On 23 Dec 2005 22:15:11 -0800, wrote:

I have a real problem with killing this animal though. The plan is to
just try to get the food source away from the house and hope it won't
come back. The cats will just have to stay inside whether they like it
or not.

I really applaud you for this. A life is a life whatever it is and they are just probably
looking for food also. My mother-in-law has killed a lot of ossums just because they come
around looking for food this winter. I tryed to get her to think of it as one of her cats
out there trying to stay alive and looking for food. Would she kill it ?!?!? I finally
got her to stop.


http://members.aol.com/larrystark/

wrote:
My indoor-outdoor cats just suddenly became strictly-indoor. Beginning
today.

We had our Christmas dinner today (nurses in the family have to work
Sat. & Sun.). Because of the hustle and bustle, it was later than
usual when DH started rounding them up and making them come inside.
The sun was barely down, but it wasn't dark yet.

He opened the back door and briefly said "Here, Kitty, Kitty", then
stopped. I heard him say in a low, controlled voice, 'I NEED YOUR
HELP." I could tell by his tone something was dreadfully wrong.

I looked out the back door and saw Bootsie, in full puffy-tailed
stance, doing this funny stiff-legged dance around the biggest skunk I
ever saw. I don't know *what* she thought she was doing. It looked
for all the world like she was challenging it. Or just picking on it.

We just stood there helplessly. "Here, Kitty, Kitty, Here Booty-girl".
She looked at us and kept dancing. I was afraid if I went to try to
retrieve her, we'd just make things go from bad to worse.

*Finally*, I guess she grew tired of the game, looked at us, and
trotted right in the back door. The skunk seemed relieved himself, and
immediately left the yard.

It just makes me sick to think about the worst-case scenario. At best,
we could have ended up with Bootsie in a bathtub of tomato juice all
night. At worst, she probably could have been injured very badly.

I don't think rabies is a consideration. The skunk was eating the bird
seed that falls out of the feeders. I think he just came to freeload a
meal and wasn't interested in a fight. Thank God.

I don't think anybody's going to care that they're grounded the rest
of the winter at the very least, except for Boots and Frank. They're
going to *hate* it. They're going to pester me to death to let them
outside. Guess they just better get used to it. Meowmie is solid on
this one.

Sherry

Thank you for deciding to keep her indoors!

Jill

wrote in message
oups.com...
My indoor-outdoor cats just suddenly became strictly-indoor. Beginning
today.

We had our Christmas dinner today (nurses in the family have to work
Sat. & Sun.). Because of the hustle and bustle, it was later than usual
when DH started rounding them up and making them come inside. The sun
was barely down, but it wasn't dark yet.

He opened the back door and briefly said "Here, Kitty, Kitty", then
stopped. I heard him say in a low, controlled voice, 'I NEED YOUR
HELP." I could tell by his tone something was dreadfully wrong.

I looked out the back door and saw Bootsie, in full puffy-tailed
stance, doing this funny stiff-legged dance around the biggest skunk I
ever saw. I don't know *what* she thought she was doing. It looked for
all the world like she was challenging it. Or just picking on it.

We just stood there helplessly. "Here, Kitty, Kitty, Here Booty-girl".
She looked at us and kept dancing. I was afraid if I went to try to
retrieve her, we'd just make things go from bad to worse.

*Finally*, I guess she grew tired of the game, looked at us, and
trotted right in the back door. The skunk seemed relieved himself, and
immediately left the yard.

It just makes me sick to think about the worst-case scenario. At best,
we could have ended up with Bootsie in a bathtub of tomato juice all
night. At worst, she probably could have been injured very badly.

I don't think rabies is a consideration. The skunk was eating the bird
seed that falls out of the feeders. I think he just came to freeload a
meal and wasn't interested in a fight. Thank God.

I don't think anybody's going to care that they're grounded the rest of
the winter at the very least, except for Boots and Frank. They're going
to *hate* it. They're going to pester me to death to let them outside.
Guess they just better get used to it. Meowmie is solid on this one.

Sherry

Well, I think it's best to keep cats indoors for any number of reasons, but
this one will do! ;

Good luck - I know it can be done because I've heard people say they keep
former ferals indoors (some who never want to set paw outside again, some
who try to escape every chance they're given).

Hugs,

CatNipped