I don't have a pet although Jen and Wayne's dog, Sammy, does spend a lot of time with me. I've thought from time to time FOR MANY YEARS that I kind of wanted a dog. Other times I'd think I wanted a cat. Then I'd change my mind as I don't want the responsibility (and cost) that goes along with it. I decided I'd feed wild birds instead. I've become a bird watcher over the years, without even realizing it for a long time.
Bird seed has sure gone up in cost, along with everything else on our planet, I suppose.
I'm one of those people who have ALWAYS loved to rearrange furniture, and change where I keep various things in drawers, closets, the garage and on shelves. I cause myself a lot of grief with this habit as I'm often wandering and looking for where I put this or that. Why I do this I don't really know but I've carried it over to the yard too. I once had half a dozen bird feeders and I'd change the spot in the yard from time to time where I put the heavy black bird stakes holding the feeders.
The left corner of my back yard was my usual bird feeding spot as the ground was softer and I could get the stakes in nice and firm. One day, however, I noticed a critter in one of the feeders. I ran to get my camera (also a nutty habit I have) and took his picture. He didn't move until I wiggled the feeder and then he was over the fence and gone in a flash. Yuck! A rat!
Over time, however, I got over my disgust and hung another feeder ---just not in that corner! I kept my eye peeled for critters but never saw any so I hung some seeds in a sock for the finch population and put up some hummingbird feeders. Do love seeing them come in.
About two weeks ago, I noticed Sammy very interested in the old beat up "icky box" I have in the backyard to hold garden tools, bird seed, and other odds and ends. He stayed interested in that box too!
Last night as I was letting Sammy out for his last night-time pee, I opened the sliding glass door and stood there watching him. He usually went out to the middle of the yard but he seemed to have an interest in the icky box again. As I stood there, a little mouse? ran right in front of me. EEK! He was gone in a flash but I went to bed knowing there were rodents ON MY PROPERTY! I know. They've probably been there for years but I don't want to see them.
The "icky box" sits directly below my bedroom window. I woke up early, opened the window and listened. Yep! I hear scratching in there. I got dressed and ventured outside knowing I had to open that box. I was scared. Regretted not having a live-in boyfriend (and I don't regret that often!) ha ha
Anyhow, the RAT (not a mouse) took off in a flash. I yelled for Sammy to GET 'EM! Too late. As I proceeded to clean out the box (I'm storing more things in my "new" birthday patio bench that Jenni bought me) I noticed that Sammy was very interested in some cement blocks and old planter boxes I had stored on the side of the house.
The way he paced back and forth and then stood on two legs (with tail wagging?) I knew there had to be another critter there. I started moving things (I was scared) and then ANOTHER RAT makes a run for it! Sammy missed him altogether.
I looked over the things I had stored in the icky box and discovered they had eaten all the poison (I was told they go off to die somewhere) and they'd also chewed on my rubber/plastic thingie for kneeling on in the garden and had chewed on the plastic bags the seed was in. Sigh....
I put the rest of the seed in the bird feeder and when it's gone, the feeder is no more. Enough already with the rodents. I'll keep the hummingbird feeders, though, and in the spring, I'll hang the sock from the tree for the finches.
Jen and Wayne are moving into their new house his weekend so Sammy goes with them on Sunday. I've thought about getting a cat but I'll wait and see if any rats come into view first. The neighbors have chickens that they sometimes let run free in the yard so I don't want a cat bothering them. Or do cats bother chickens? I don't know. We never had a cat when we lived with grandpa who had over 200 chickens. I assumed it was because they'd bother them. We did have barn mice, though; I remember those. And we had a dog. Never once had a cat.
When I think about my friends and family that have pets, I think it's pretty evenly divided as far as who owns dogs and cats -- and who, like me, opt to not have either.
I've had various pets through the years -- dogs, cats, birds, and fish but I haven't had any since the 1990s. I guess that classifies me as a no-pet person but if I HAD to pick, I'd probably go with a dog. I love other peoples' dogs but I also love to hear the stories and see the videos of the things cats do. We'll see.....
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