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Background:
I have eight dogs, all but one eat and sleep in the house (the other likes it outside, so he is my watchdog at night). I measure the food and they all scarf it up within minutes. Mornings, I let them out individually, wait for them to poo so I can clean it up, and then kennel them for the day in their outdoor kennels.
Around my kennels there is fencing which my outdoor cats, Goblin and Troll do not venture into. There are two sheds each of which makes up some of my outer fence, and both of them my cats go into.
So here is the problem:
In Arwen's kennel there was a dead rat the night before last. I picked it up with the pooper scooper. It did not seem to be mauled, just dead. I pitched it over the edge of the ravine. And made a mental not to ask the neighbors if they put poison out for rats if I see them.
That would have been the end of it, but today there was another rat, like the first rat, and again in Arwen's kennel. I picked it up again with the scooper and again it did not appear to be mangled.
Although the cats do not come inside the fencing or in the house, I have seen no evidence of rats in the house, where the dogs eat or anywhere. Two in two days sounds like an infestation.
Worse yet, Arwen seems to not want to eat them, but would the others? That to me is completely gross, but I know it happens.
Is it more likely that these critters have been poisoned or sick and staggered into Arwen's kennel for euthanasia, or are they living in her kennel and is she catching them and breaking their necks? Again I have not seen any marks on them, admittedly, I have not examined them closely.
And, WHERE ARE MY CATS??? They eat every day, and they are not doing their job. I am going to fire them. Goblin used to be a mighty hunter, having bagged two bluejays, two bats, and a mole that I know about. Since Troll showed up, she seems to be happy to lie about being fed like a little princess. What's up with that??? Do you suppose they are chasing the little buggers right through my fences and into the waiting jaws of death???
I have eight dogs, all but one eat and sleep in the house (the other likes it outside, so he is my watchdog at night). I measure the food and they all scarf it up within minutes. Mornings, I let them out individually, wait for them to poo so I can clean it up, and then kennel them for the day in their outdoor kennels.
Around my kennels there is fencing which my outdoor cats, Goblin and Troll do not venture into. There are two sheds each of which makes up some of my outer fence, and both of them my cats go into.
So here is the problem:
In Arwen's kennel there was a dead rat the night before last. I picked it up with the pooper scooper. It did not seem to be mauled, just dead. I pitched it over the edge of the ravine. And made a mental not to ask the neighbors if they put poison out for rats if I see them.
That would have been the end of it, but today there was another rat, like the first rat, and again in Arwen's kennel. I picked it up again with the scooper and again it did not appear to be mangled.
Although the cats do not come inside the fencing or in the house, I have seen no evidence of rats in the house, where the dogs eat or anywhere. Two in two days sounds like an infestation.
Worse yet, Arwen seems to not want to eat them, but would the others? That to me is completely gross, but I know it happens.
Is it more likely that these critters have been poisoned or sick and staggered into Arwen's kennel for euthanasia, or are they living in her kennel and is she catching them and breaking their necks? Again I have not seen any marks on them, admittedly, I have not examined them closely.
And, WHERE ARE MY CATS??? They eat every day, and they are not doing their job. I am going to fire them. Goblin used to be a mighty hunter, having bagged two bluejays, two bats, and a mole that I know about. Since Troll showed up, she seems to be happy to lie about being fed like a little princess. What's up with that??? Do you suppose they are chasing the little buggers right through my fences and into the waiting jaws of death???
