Two points. Torture is a relative term. Is it torture when a lion catches an antelope and begins eating it before the antelope is completely dead? Is it torture for the antelope to be chased by the lion? Is there really any difference between the terrified antelope and a cow being forced up a killing chute and killed quickly with a blow to the head? Humanoids have eaten plants and animals since before we were Homo sapiens. We killed animals however we could. Forcing herds over a cliff and leaving most of the animals to rot, since there were too many to eat before the rest began to decay. Most people in the US are appalled by the thought of eating dog or horse meat. Because we have enough wealth to keep those animals as pets, making them more special to us. I can't visualize eating monkey meat and I would never open a clam/oyster and eat the insides. I have tried roasted opossum(once was enough---greasy, nasty tasting) and like rattlesnake. I've butchered chickens, hogs, and cows, processed them, cooked them, and enjoyed eating them. What people eat is what they grow up eating. Point two. Everything dies. Some things die quickly, some die slowly. Ever see a cow or deer with wasting disease? Or a starved horse or a dog? Pitiful sights. Makes me mad. People have the ability to choose what they want to eat. Those same people have no right to force me to abide by their beliefs---like PETA(I like my version of P(eople)E(ating)T(asty)A(nimals). You want to eat chocolate covered spiders? Have at. Don't be surprised if I say "No Thanks".

My cat is a rescue cat & has PTSD & I don't think she would even sit between my thighs like that. It's taken TEN years for her to feel safe enough to even sit on my lap! I tried putting the fairly large half a tablet in her mouth but she just screamed, went berserk & clawed me! I've already wasted 3 doses. She's barely eaten for 3 days & would rather starve than take it. I think it would have gone better with liquid although I wouldn't swear to that. I have to give her Metacam & she just about accepts that from a syringe. Trouble is she has bad teeth & I'm just so afraid of hurting her because she even screams sometimes when she's not even eating! I've already paid £380 for some teeth to be removed but within 3 weeks she was screaming again & it seemed like I'd wasted all that money for half a job! A different vet said she needed more teeth out for another £380! I don't have that amount of money, it was only good timing that I had enough money the last time! So I spent £100 to take her to the PDSA (taxi fare) & another £10 for a donation. The vet wanted to see how she got on with the antibiotics before taking more teeth out because her kidneys are so small (I never see her drinking water) but she HAS to have these teeth out regardless of risk because she's in pain & it would be unkind leaving her with with toothache & a possible untreated abscess because I know what that feels like & it's a horrible pain..Never mind the fact that I have to chase her round the room to catch her & that's not easy either! I'm just in despair now & don't know what to do for the best.

Claire, It was lovely here today as well, up into the mid-50's. I went for a walk near one of the oxbow ponds and although the water still had ice on about half of the surface, the birds were enjoying the entire area. Ravens and gulls walking on the ice, geese, ducks, and 2 kinds of mergansers in the water, and chickadees and a mockingbird in the shrubs on the margins. There was also an eagle overhead, but I didn't have a camera with me. Do you put the lawn dragon in the same spot each season or does he migrate around a bit? Jane, your chipmunk looks about set to pop with all that seed in his cheeks. I love the kestrel photos. Kestrels are another favorite bird of mine; they are quite common in Ohio, and their rarity here was one disappointment when I moved to New England. I love the feather patterns for both sexes, and also like watching them fly - they can hover to look for potential prey.

LOLOLOL...The squirrels have been horrible for me too in area I didn't think to put repellant....They are eating strange things..Mines sit on my fence eating my Lilac leaves and the other day my Roses, stems and all? Did they come from another planet planted by aliens this year? Just NUTS...lol Thank God mine don't touch my Citrus, although one did get stuck in my greenhouse and chomped on my Orchid bulbs...Then drowned in the pond in there...