Yes, the Begonia is from a very recent cutting that a friend did of a not-so-healthy original; it had gotten an incredibly long cane prior to her attempts to cut and get new growth, so the one I have is from this attempt -- doing very well, other than the cat-chews, though. I do actually need to get some better fertilizer for her. The Begonia and I really appreciate your response!

well hey, elly! I know. it's been forever since I posted anything ANYWHERE. No excuses, I've been lazy. Though I have no shortage of encounters to relay since the last time I posted, and yes, some DO involve rustling dead things up off of highways. Unfortunately, sometimes that's where you get your best info... I once 24 miles with a deceased weasel packed in my spare water bottle cage! There are various level of dedication!! Firstly, the turtle corpse: I don't really know if there's any one way that's better than another, but I learned from trying to skeletonize a horseshoe crab that no matter where you do it, be ready for the smell. The actual cleaning job is usually no problem as there are legions of critters happy to be your janitor if you let them. I suggest placing a carcass in a slightly humid, warm, fairly open yet not too wind-prone area where flies and carrion beetles can locate it but not a fox or a possum or the neighbor's dog. I once saw a red-tail fly off with a week-and-a-half old snake carcass and I am still not sure how it managed to peel that up off the road. Or if there was even anything still edible about it, for that matter. If you have a hav-a-hart trap around, you might stick it in there for security against bigger diners. It will probably take a while to get all the tissue clean, and even then there might be some residual bits. The smell takes longer, maybe it's variable with different animals. Some things like skulls can be boiled and bleached, and you can read about doing this online. The good hot sun will do it too but it takes longer. But I don't think I'd try that with a turtleshell ...I'm not sure about spotted turtles but I know you have to watch the scutes on others as they will become loosened if it sits out too long in the elements. I am looking at the oversized red-ear slider shell hanging from my bookshelf...not sure how long it had been lying where it was when I found it but the "tortoiseshell" layer on the scutes was just then starting to get very slightly loose. I sprayed it with several thin coats of good poly and it's a truly beautiful thing to look at. Maybe you can get someone else to add info on this? I'd keep it too, if I were you. And another thing about having this process going on in your yard: keep an eye out for what's flying around in your proximity when you are walking near the carcass. I have been riding past dead deer and other creatures and had burying beetles smack up against my face and front and when this happens to you you will smell EXACTLY like whatever they just crawled out of. But it's a small price to pay for their services. Now the bird: I got some pins and a white background and took some frames and after having really gotten down and looked closely and it almost looks like this was a broken wing that healed...the wing appears so much smaller because it can't extend fully like the healthy one and the feathers are contorted and compressed from being unable to fully spread out. I will try to get the pics up and maybe you can tell me if it's a juvie or not...I have only been hearing yellowthorats here for maybe a week or two. This bird is not skin and bones though, it's been able to find food. I do agree though, I bet the injury had a lot to do with its demise. I just thought of something I need to add to all of this: anybody who is truly an admirer of nature has surely at one time or another picked up a bone, a shell, a feather. I must remind everyone that some of these things are considered illegal to have in your possession, for one reason or another, and I don't want to get into the legality of it here. Most of the laws concerning such materials are out there for good reasons, such as to protect an animal or plant from illegal activity/collecting. I don't always agree with the laws-- I know it's illegal to have but I can still find so much to admire in the feather on a sadly roadkilled hawk--but I know they are there to protect the things I love so I try to respect them. Find out what is ok and what's not in your areas before you add things to your knick knack shelf, as a conservation officer won't always know what was found dead from natural causes and what wasn't and in some cases it's against the law to have in your possession REGARDLESS.

I buy Merrick 96% meat canned food to add to the dried food my dogs eat, so seeing your need for a mostly meat food for cats caught my eye. I pay $2 a can for 13 oz or so at our bargain-basement independent pet food store. It is 9 % crude protein, 7 % crude fat, 1.2 % crude fiber, 78% moisture. It does not have the added taurine that cats need, though their cat food does have it. I have no idea what the cat food costs. You might want to look into it, though. I see it does have Guar and carrageenan, though. Merrick Before Grain Salmon Canned Cat Food Ingredients Salmon, Water for Processing, Whitefish, Dried Egg, Yeast Extract, Glycine, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Guar, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Carageenan, Mixed Tocopherols, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Complex, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Niacin, Lecithin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Cobalt Glucoheptanate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Sodium Selenite Guaranteed Analysis Crude Protein (min.) 10.00% Crude Fat (min.) 4.50% Crude Fiber (max.) 1.40% Moisture (max.) 78.00% Here is a link that might be useful: Merrick

My baby (age 9 months at the time) decided to open our screen door (didn't know he could do this) and bolt out of the house to chase a bear cub up a tree (first time seeing a bear cub in our yard, doors stay closed now). Anyways, Bear cub wasn't having any of it and before i could reach him, bear had swatted him out the tree. He fell on the base of his tail, let out a horrible scream and bolted back for the house. I ran in to see him struggling to walk in our kitchen. The impact must have created an abcess at the base of the tail as well, which i flushed and treated with antibiotics. Took a little over a week and a half for him to finally lift his tail again. He was on pain meds as well and i kept him secluded so he wasn't so active. I use to be a Veterinarian nurse, so thankfully i knew what to do since i live about a 50 min drive to the closest Vet clinic. He regained most of the feeling in his tail but I can definitely tell his tail had been slightly dislocated. Sometimes his back legs can be all over the place when he runs and he walks heavy footed now. But is doing much better now. He's 3 years old now and likes to chase the deer in our yard. (They get outdoors time only when we are out with them. So i can be sure to keep a close eye out. The deer love playing with him. But i definitely don't let them get close.) And unfortunately, Due to our forest fires in the area this year, we haven't seen many wild animals come through. Keeps them out of trouble i suppose. Good luck with stray kitty. Glad he has someone in his life to show him the love he deserves!