Summer is for - SKUNKS! (July 2014)

Boris

After a long, cold, snowy winter, followed by a long, chilly, wet spring, it is finally HOT!  So AT LAST we are again able to run outside in the morning and do all the fun things we do every summer!

Tessa, Hershey

Farah

 If you look closely at the following picture, you can see Tess staring out the window:

Boris, Tessa in the windows, Summer Cat

Taffy

clockwise, from Farah at the top: Boris, Hershey, Summer

Cocoa

Natasha, Dandy

Tootsie

  The neighbors behind us have built a tall fort that is SO fun to climb:

Boris

Dolly

Hershey

And in our pen, there is a watering hole that Pat fills with fresh water every morning:

Summer

Pat has been saying that she thinks we are a bit better behaved this year than in past years: we stay closer to home and some of us even come inside when she calls us.

Taffy

Pat thinks that maybe we are becoming more "mature." (Which doesn't sound like all that much fun to us, actually.)

But today something happened that made Pat think, perhaps we are not such good cats after all . . . in fact, Pat says that this morning we were very BAD!

Natasha

Here is how it all started.

We were playing in the back yard when suddenly, Dan (on the right, in the picture below) spotted a big, beautiful SKUNK (on the left):

We were all so excited that we came running to get a better look (CLICK the picture to enlarge it):

In no time at all, we had the Skunk surrounded.

And then - the Skunk lifted her tail! She STAMPED her feet!

Pat started calling for us to get away, QUICKLY!

But we stood our ground, until -- the Skunk turned tail and scurried off!

The Skunk ducked underneath the deck of our next door neighbor! And naturally, we followed:

In fact - Dandy and Cocoa went right underneath the deck after the Skunk!

Pat was SO alarmed at the thought of Dan and Cocoa being confined with the Skunk in such a small place . . . but then . . . the Skunk calmly strolled out from under the deck, observed by Tessa and Dolly:

The Skunk headed around the corner and across the front of the next door neighbor's yard:

So of course we hurried after her:

 

 

Which is when Pat gave up and ran away herself!

Pat was SO relieved when, one by one, we each came wandering back. . . .

Pat told us that the Skunk has more sense than we do!

Tessa

Then Pat said that any cat who gets sprayed by the Skunk will have to take a bath in hydrogen peroxide + baking soda!

And that's not all: any cat who gets sprayed will have to live full time in the pen, not coming into the house until the bad smell disappears!

Dandy, Cocoa

Which leaves us wondering: is it worth the risk to continue playing with the Skunk?

Maybe!

Boris

To be continued .....

Hershey

Summer

UPDATE - July 29

every morning (between 6 and 6:30 a.m), Pat puts on our collars and we DASH out into the yard, eager to see if we can find Skunk!

And on two different mornings in the week following our first encounter, we did find Skunk, poking about in one or another of the groves.

As a result of Skunk's poking, lots of tasty insects flew into the sky -- insects which we chased and caught and ate!

Pat says she is very happy that Skunk made the choice to ignore us completely.

But we were NOT so happy -- because -- we wanted Skunk to play with us!

Dan was particularly insistent. He repeatedly dashed right up to Skunk. He jumped up and down in front of her, he ran in circles around her . . . hoping that Skunk would respond: it would have been SO much fun if Skunk had decided to CHASE Dan!

but all Skunk did was turn her back on Dan and wander off in a different direction . . . still poking in the leaves for insects ....

which gratified Pat but not us ....

And now it has been several days since we saw Skunk.

Pat warned us this would happen:  she said Skunk would move out of the neighborhood if we didn't stop pestering her!

we are still hoping that one of these mornings Skunk will change her mind and re-join us in the back yard ....

Baby Skunk pays a visit and is trapped!

Breaking News - July 19, 2007, 9:40 a.m.:
This morning, because it was raining, Summer Cat and the Four Golden Jets stayed inside to play in the basement. That's when Baby Skunk decided to come looking for them:


"I know you guys are in there" - says Baby Skunk:


Oh no: Baby Skunk is unable to climb the corrugated metal of the window well. How will he escape?


Hershey is so concerned that he goes outdoors in the rain to give Baby Skunk some advice: "Climb the plank, not the window well!":


But Baby Skunk seems unwilling to attempt the plank.

"Can we get some help over here, PLEASE?" - Hershey:



Update - July 19, 2007, 12:30 p.m.: crisis resolved:
The crisis has been resolved by the intervention of a resident human, who, while wearing oven mitts, carefully lifted Baby Skunk out of the window well and placed him gently on the ground. Our trusting Baby Skunk made no smell whatsoever as he happily trotted underneath the deck. Hershey and the other feline residents are so relieved!

---------------------------------------------------------

Note: Some readers of this blog have asked whether it is safe to allow cats and wild skunks to socialize together. In fact, cats and skunks get along quite well: According to one website, "it's not uncommon to find skunks and domestic cats dining peacefully together. There have been cases of skunks entering homes through pet doors, dining with the family cat and finding a quiet closet or empty bed to spend the night. As long as the skunk does not feel threatened, it won't spray." (http://www.projectwildlife.org/living-skunks.htm)

But, skunks should NOT be allowed to eat cat food: Skunks can die as a result of eating cat food, which contains more protein than a skunk can metabolize.

--------------------------------------------------------------

A Day in the Life (July 2007)

(hosted by Ms. Cocoa Puff:)


Every morning Summer and the Jets are out by 7 a.m. Their first task of the day is to reconnoitre with the skunk who lives in the grove. In this picture, looking counter-clockwise from Skunk, you can see Hershey; Summer, who blends into the shadows; Cocoa, with tail held high; and Tootsie:


Cocoa, Tootsie and Taffy move forward:




Tootsie gets up close and personal:


In early afternoon, it's time for a nap. The Jets often settle down with Farah on their collection of furniture. Hershey insists on being highest. Tootsie likes to stretch out on the top of the condo, even though it's too small for her:


Hershey:


Taffy still loves her chair. Compare this photo to the one taken in September 2006
(spot.com/2006/09/taffy-in-her-chair.html):


Of course, there are plenty of other good spots for napping - just ask Cocoa:


or Taffy:


or Tootsie:


And - "Did I mention this is MY flowerbox?" - Summer Cat:


In late afternoon, everyone goes out for more fun and games (see "Question of the Day: What are your favorite things to do outdoors on a hot summer afternoon?")

But by 6 pm, everyone is back inside for the night. After eating, they hurry down to the basement to play indoor games like "tag, you're it" and "ambush." Because there is a separate staircase from the basement to the garage, anybody who gets tired of playing games, can run upstairs, climb through the open car windows, and cuddle up on the car upholstery.

Summer in the driver's seat: