Was my cat copperhead bit?
mulberryknob
15 years ago
Featured Answer
Comments (21)
susanlynne48
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Copperheads
Comments (15)In a past life (way back in the late 70's) I owned a small pet shop. I was in business with my older brothers ex-girlfriend who was a licensed and well respected dog groomer. She was also very good at training dogs and has won many national titles. So dogs were always in and around the shop and her house. As a hobby she also liked to coon hunt on mule back. So one fine day she buys a new and already trained mule, one that apparently doesn't care too much for dogs (this aint none to good fer coon huntin). So one day her favorite border collie runs out into the pasture to "herd" the new mule and takes a hind hoof right to the jaw. 4-5 weeks of vet care, reconstructive surgery (so he could chew his food, not for aesthetic reasons), and braces (he even wore a retainer!) and a gajillion dollars later he was ready to come home. Now he was so unstable on his feet that poor Linda had to lift him up into her pickup cab and calm him constantly on the long drive back home. Once there he was still to wobbly to get down out of the truck unassisted - so she came around and lifted him up and out. And this was no easy feat, he as almost as big as she was. He wimpered and whined and took a few tentative steps towards the house. Linda felt like it was all worth it to see her favorite pooch back at the old homestead following her through the yard to the front porch. That is until he saw the same mule in the same spot in the same pasture!!! he, somehow suddenly miracle-cured, jumped the fence and ran out after the mule which quickly turned and kicked. Same spot. Same jaw. Same problem all over again. Only this time Linda found the dog a home in the city far far away from hooved stock while she explored replacing the mule. some times old dogs don't learn a thing!...See MoreYesterday's Adventures with a Copperhead and Pesky Raccoon
Comments (16)Well, not everyone who lives out in the country carries a gun and shoot poisonous snakes, but I have chickens and grandchildren and myself to protect. Some country residents just have a home and yard and most yards do not have lush cottage gardens. It is like an oasis to the wildlife, and for the most part, I love that about it, but it's different when you have livestock and pets. They attract predators and predators are not cute and friendly if you are the one they are after. I am not afraid of snakes, just wary of them. If you leave them alone, they won't bite you. Only when they are protecting themselves or their nest do they become aggressive. Even rattlers and copperheads will run away if they can. But I have to admit, the "silent but deadly" thing makes me a bit uneasy, and I'm not talking about passing sneaky gas! So living in the country does not mean you would have the problem I do. It is just a way of life for ranchers & farmers and small homesteaders like me. Comes with the territory. Even deer can be deadly. Their hooves are razor sharp. And wild turkeys are fierce birds. Nothing you want to fool with unless you know what you are doing. As for the raccoon, I have never shot at one before. I don't want to kill anything, but after seeing what they do to chickens, I had gradually gotten to the point that I couldn't just live and let live. They are NOT the cute and friendly little bandits you see on Walt Disney films or other movies. They can be very aggressive and certainly murderers of farm fowl. They enjoy killing for the sport. And THAT ticks me off! I've lived here 14 years and seen what they do to other animals and it isn't pretty. This is the first time I ever shot at one though. Just fed up! Actually, I AM very feminine, but I was taught to be self-sufficient. I grew up around wildlife and was taught how to deal with them. We had orphaned wild animals for pets many times and we were taught how to take care of them. Living next door to my grandparents like we did was so interesting. It was really like living in the Old West, being around Grampa & Grannie. He had an old Model-T truck and drove very slowly. Grampa would say to people as they sped by us on the highway, "Durned fools - going so fast they can't see anything!" or he'd say, "Slow down! You're gonna cause a wreck!" Grampa was ALWAYS looking at the scenery everywhere we went. Grannie would tell Grampa, "Look where you're going and stop going where you're looking! People will think you're drunk or something!" You can imagine the looks and honking they got when he drove on those busy California Freeways and in the cities in that old truck. (hehehe) One time when he and Grannie took us grandkids to Calico Ghost Town, we were walking around the town like other tourist, looking at things and taking pictures. After awhile, Grampa got tired, so we sat down to rest on one of the benches outside the general store. Grampa had on his favorite Stetson hat, a pair of old, comfortable boots, striped bib-overalls, a pair of tobacco-stained, long handled underwear with a plaid flannel over-shirt. Grannie had on blue jeans, a blouse with a man's plaid flannel over shirt, a big straw hat and sturdy walking shoes. As we sat there looking around, Grampa took out his wheat papers and his pouch filled with Prince Albert pipe tobacco and began rolling himself a Taylor Made cigarette. They were hideous looking things. All misshapen and slobbery from licking it when he sealed it, but he wasn't making it for looks. When he finished, he took out a match, struck it on the seam of his overalls, held it in the air for an instant and then carefully lit his Tailor Made, taking long drags with deep satisfaction. The aroma was very pleasant. We always watched this magical process with the deepest interest and admiration. And then we looked up and saw that some tourists who were walking by about that time, were also looking on with great interest and they began taking pictures of my grandparents. Pretty soon other people stopped to take pictures, too - they thought my grandparents were part of the ghost town attractions! We all got the biggest kick out of that. "Durned fools!" Grannie said under her breath. "You'd think they never saw a man smoke before." Shy little Grannie was a bit embarrassed being the focus of their interest, but she had a good sense of humor, and afterward, she thought it was funny too. We kids always loved going places with them, but this was especially cool! I had an very unusual childhood, to say the least. Feminine but able, ~Annie...See MoreOT: maniac mower's dog bit my cat
Comments (3)Just another vote for making a police report. If you feel silly about it, think of it this way: next time, it could be a child. A history of aggression is needed to establish that the dog needs to be controlled. A few police reports on cats being attacked and adults harrassed could save a child. And if the dog is so territorial that it will come into your yard and attack a leashed animal (and make sure the police know the cat was leashed!) then it may be a danger to children, too. (even if you don't think so--are you willing to risk it?) Call the cops, vet bills in hand....See MoreCat bit off the top of my sprout!
Comments (1)Of course you can keep caring for it and see where it goes. : ) However, sprouts are very tender to their environment, and have specific needs. My cat also bit the tops off of my sprouts, and they all died. Sprouts don't have the energy or immune system to keep going. They're very simple little things....See Moremulberryknob
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agoOkiedawn OK Zone 7
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agosusanlynne48
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agocelaena
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agojaleeisa
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agoOkiedawn OK Zone 7
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agojaleeisa
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15 years agolast modified: 9 years agomulberryknob
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agoOkiedawn OK Zone 7
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agoOkiedawn OK Zone 7
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