Dogs and cats have these two pea sized glands on the opposite sides of their anus. The glands release the scent of the animal every time they defecate. When dogs and cats lived in the wild, this is how they marked their territory. Releasing the glands by hand?....you've got to be kidding.
Since dogs and cats have been domesticated, problems have risen from these glands. They no longer really need them, or at least need to "express" themselves that much. I found out the hard way my dog Sadie wasn't releasing her scent properly. I thought my dog had butt cancer! But, the small growth on her anus wasn't a malignant tumor, her anal glands were infected.
I rushed her to the Vet in a panic, even took the day off work. They instantly knew what is was, they emptied her glands and took care of the infection....antibiotics and wound care. I was so relieved. There was a small catch....
They had to teach me how to release her anal glands, something I never imagined I would have to do. You have to stick your finger inside their little butt hole, feel for the gland and then squeeze it until this nasty smelling brown liquid comes out. Sometimes it comes out in a spray and shoots out onto a bathroom wall! It's really quite disgusting. Cats glands are the worst, it's high octane butt juice....the smell is unbelievable.
I had to release Sadie's anal glands every couple of months so they wouldn't get infected again. It was not a glamorous job. You get their butt all sudsy with soap and put on a latex glove. Vaseline works too, but they usual need a bath afterwards, shampoo works better. Then find the marble shaped gland a squeeze with you index finger and thumb. The brown liquid comes out in your hand usually, but watch out.
It was quite the chore.
Then I started getting calls from friends, needing my help. The Pet Ranch goes were they are needed....we make house calls. The owners complained that their dog was scooting a lot...sure sign of full glands. Some of them were impacted, hard to do, but not as messy....a solid substance comes out. Sometimes I even got paid. People were so impressed that I knew how to do this nasty job.
The other day I got the call to possibly work on a 90 lb German Shepard. Potentially, the biggest dog I'd ever work on. I explained how to do it to the owner and she wanted to try herself. I was confident she wouldn't have the stomach....but she did.
I was strangely disappointed....?
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Chicken Zen
I love to sit in my backyard and watch my chickens. No cell phone, ipod, lap top or even a book. Sometimes I sit and watch them for 2 hours. A day with some chicken time, is a good day.
They're in constant motion looking for food. Pecking and scratching the ground, finding bugs to eat. It's kind of like watching wildlife. Very peaceful and my only form of meditation. Actually it's more like a religion...I worship nature.
For about a year I only had one, 10 year old chicken. Greta was a rescue I got after my chicken coop fire. I love her but she's older and not as active as a younger chicken. Also, a pair of chickens is very entertaining to watch interact. They have to be right next to each other at all time. If one strays away, the other freaks out. They are so insecure.
I was afraid to get chicks again because I didn't know how my 10 year old chicken would react. Adding chicks to an established flock is hard. They take their pecking order very seriously. Someone is first, as well as last. But, it wasn't a flock with only one chicken.
My other experience with adding chicks to established chickens was really challenging. My first chickens, Itchy and Scratchy, had a complete personality change. They tried to attack Ton Ton, Anakin and Aqua at first. My 2 hand raised chickens, Itchy and Scratchy, were even were aggressive with me....they were so stressed out by the newcomers. They were the gentlest creatures before they met the new chicks. They got better with time, but things were always tense.
I took the chicks, Wanda and Wayne, out to met Greta the other day. I kept them in a cage for their protection. I expected Greta to go into full attack on the chicks...she did nothing. She wasn't phased at all by their presence. I couldn't believe it.
All 3 chickens and I can all hang out in the backyard together.
No tension. No aggression. No cell phones...return to Chicken Zen.
They're in constant motion looking for food. Pecking and scratching the ground, finding bugs to eat. It's kind of like watching wildlife. Very peaceful and my only form of meditation. Actually it's more like a religion...I worship nature.
For about a year I only had one, 10 year old chicken. Greta was a rescue I got after my chicken coop fire. I love her but she's older and not as active as a younger chicken. Also, a pair of chickens is very entertaining to watch interact. They have to be right next to each other at all time. If one strays away, the other freaks out. They are so insecure.
I was afraid to get chicks again because I didn't know how my 10 year old chicken would react. Adding chicks to an established flock is hard. They take their pecking order very seriously. Someone is first, as well as last. But, it wasn't a flock with only one chicken.
My other experience with adding chicks to established chickens was really challenging. My first chickens, Itchy and Scratchy, had a complete personality change. They tried to attack Ton Ton, Anakin and Aqua at first. My 2 hand raised chickens, Itchy and Scratchy, were even were aggressive with me....they were so stressed out by the newcomers. They were the gentlest creatures before they met the new chicks. They got better with time, but things were always tense.
I took the chicks, Wanda and Wayne, out to met Greta the other day. I kept them in a cage for their protection. I expected Greta to go into full attack on the chicks...she did nothing. She wasn't phased at all by their presence. I couldn't believe it.
All 3 chickens and I can all hang out in the backyard together.
No tension. No aggression. No cell phones...return to Chicken Zen.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Franie
Franie is one of the few animals I actually sought out and then acquired. I found her through Pet Finder, she came from Happy Tails Rescue. I had wanted a dog for awhile....I was dogless for 2 years. Very unusual for me. I had tragically lost my last dog, Handy, when she got hit by a car. But, I'd rather poke a stick in my eye than tell that story. On to Franie, she was 4 years old when I got her last year. Her papers say she's a purebred Chihuahua. The only thing Chihuahua about her is her sweet little apple head.
I wanted a timid little dog that I could "baby". A Chihuahua seemed like the perfect choice. Franie's online bio even said you could hold her like a baby. It also said she was a little skittish and sensitive. She got a long with cats and other animals, she sounded perfect. I filled out an extensive application and got a call to go meet her.
Franie was huge! An 11 lb Chihuahua..... they usually weigh 5 lb. She was over weight, but she was also just kind of husky and muscular. She wasn't timid at all, not your usual shaky Chihuahua. She was though, extremely friendly and took to Reese right away. I was really taken by how happy she was. It was the reason why I took her home.
On the way home she found an empty chip bag on the floor of my car and was tearing it apart. Didn't think much of it. We got home and I went to pick her up and she almost took my arm off! Okay, we have some food aggression issues. I lured her away from the chip bag and got her in the house. She was in a constant state of motion, checking out her new home and chasing the cats. What have I done?
She loved the Ranch and took charge right away. Constantly patrolling her new home and was quit the watch dog. She made me feel safer, I lived alone, her presence was comforting. She was so butch for a Chihuahua, not at all what I expected.
Franie barks at least 3 times a day, insisting to go on a walk. Going in the backyard is not acceptable. She has to leave the house and mark her territory where ever she goes. After a short walk, she refuses to go back into the house, she wants more. She has so much energy and never gets tired. Not exactly my style, I love the couch.
I've never known a dog that likes to cuddle so much. You really can hold her like a baby. She will also lay on her back, across my chest when I'm laying down. You keep petting her belly and she stays there. She either sleeps on my pillow right next to me, or under the covers at my feet. She's always by my side and she worships Reese. And,when I wake up in the morning, she greets me like she hasn't seen me in a week. Constantly licking my face and when she wags her tail, her whole body wiggles.
She stopped chasing the cats and now plays with them. She even made friends with 2 baby chicks, she protects them. I put her on a diet and she lost 2 lb right away. 9 lb is still big for a typical Chihuahua, but it goes nicely with how she confidently she carries herself.
Franie has such a strong personality, not what I was looking for. But, a timid dog would of fed the timid me. I struggle with depression a lot. It's hard to be unhappy around her....everything is exciting to her. She even loves going in the car. She cries when she sees people on the street and she can't get out to meet them. She makes me be more social and gets me out of the house.
I didn't get what I wanted....I got something better, what I needed.
I wanted a timid little dog that I could "baby". A Chihuahua seemed like the perfect choice. Franie's online bio even said you could hold her like a baby. It also said she was a little skittish and sensitive. She got a long with cats and other animals, she sounded perfect. I filled out an extensive application and got a call to go meet her.
Franie was huge! An 11 lb Chihuahua..... they usually weigh 5 lb. She was over weight, but she was also just kind of husky and muscular. She wasn't timid at all, not your usual shaky Chihuahua. She was though, extremely friendly and took to Reese right away. I was really taken by how happy she was. It was the reason why I took her home.
On the way home she found an empty chip bag on the floor of my car and was tearing it apart. Didn't think much of it. We got home and I went to pick her up and she almost took my arm off! Okay, we have some food aggression issues. I lured her away from the chip bag and got her in the house. She was in a constant state of motion, checking out her new home and chasing the cats. What have I done?
She loved the Ranch and took charge right away. Constantly patrolling her new home and was quit the watch dog. She made me feel safer, I lived alone, her presence was comforting. She was so butch for a Chihuahua, not at all what I expected.
Franie barks at least 3 times a day, insisting to go on a walk. Going in the backyard is not acceptable. She has to leave the house and mark her territory where ever she goes. After a short walk, she refuses to go back into the house, she wants more. She has so much energy and never gets tired. Not exactly my style, I love the couch.
I've never known a dog that likes to cuddle so much. You really can hold her like a baby. She will also lay on her back, across my chest when I'm laying down. You keep petting her belly and she stays there. She either sleeps on my pillow right next to me, or under the covers at my feet. She's always by my side and she worships Reese. And,when I wake up in the morning, she greets me like she hasn't seen me in a week. Constantly licking my face and when she wags her tail, her whole body wiggles.
She stopped chasing the cats and now plays with them. She even made friends with 2 baby chicks, she protects them. I put her on a diet and she lost 2 lb right away. 9 lb is still big for a typical Chihuahua, but it goes nicely with how she confidently she carries herself.
Franie has such a strong personality, not what I was looking for. But, a timid dog would of fed the timid me. I struggle with depression a lot. It's hard to be unhappy around her....everything is exciting to her. She even loves going in the car. She cries when she sees people on the street and she can't get out to meet them. She makes me be more social and gets me out of the house.
I didn't get what I wanted....I got something better, what I needed.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
My messy life
I have 5 "special needs" cats, a dog, a chicken and two chicks, a leopard gecko, a salamander, 2 guinea pigs, a bunny, a rat, a turtle and 2 goldfish. All the animals get along, it's surprisingly quiet in my house. The bunny and guinea pigs live in a large cage together. All the cats sleep together. The cats don't eat the small critters. The dog protects the chicks. The bunny likes hanging out with the cats. And the dog likes playing with the bunny. The animals are happy, I make sure of that.
The cats are the most work. They were all unplanned rescues. Didn't purchase or pick out any one of them. All stray and feral cats that I couldn't say "no" too. Each one has special needs.... special diets, ailments and behavior problems. The cats run the house and keep me very busy. The mess overwhelms me a lot.
"Having an animal live with you, is winning the animal lottery." Someone said that to me recently. I think of that when I look at my fish tank....which is right next to my TV. I have 2 Chinese Oranda goldfish, Madam and Mademoiselle. So vibrantly orange, you think they need batteries. They have a bubble head and large flowing fins. They are my easiest animals, they don't poop on the floor or throw up on my bed.
It took me 2 years to pet my cat Yoda, I was the first human that has ever pet her. I've never worked so hard for an animal's affection. She was a feral cat, caught and sterilized for population control. She's a lucky cat, most people would of just put her down. I did a favor for a friend and took her in, no one wanted her. She hid in my closet for the first 6 months. Just the sight of me freaked her out. Her progress was so damn slow, nothing on a daily or even weekly basis. One month at a time. She's quite a success for me though, she taught me how to cat whisper.
Everyone thinks I put my animals before myself. That's not true...it's equal. They're needs are just as important as mine. They are my family. They're messy, expensive, demanding and exhausting. But, they're my responsibility and I love each one of them. I give cats, that no one wanted, the best home possible.
There is something about a unwanted or hurt animal. I rush to their aid with absolutely no hesitation. I feel like it's my job, my destiny. I'm really good with animals, always have been. I feel like I have a sixth sense for them. Honestly, I prefer animals to people. Animals are so genuine and honest. People are actually more "messy".
The cats are the most work. They were all unplanned rescues. Didn't purchase or pick out any one of them. All stray and feral cats that I couldn't say "no" too. Each one has special needs.... special diets, ailments and behavior problems. The cats run the house and keep me very busy. The mess overwhelms me a lot.
"Having an animal live with you, is winning the animal lottery." Someone said that to me recently. I think of that when I look at my fish tank....which is right next to my TV. I have 2 Chinese Oranda goldfish, Madam and Mademoiselle. So vibrantly orange, you think they need batteries. They have a bubble head and large flowing fins. They are my easiest animals, they don't poop on the floor or throw up on my bed.
It took me 2 years to pet my cat Yoda, I was the first human that has ever pet her. I've never worked so hard for an animal's affection. She was a feral cat, caught and sterilized for population control. She's a lucky cat, most people would of just put her down. I did a favor for a friend and took her in, no one wanted her. She hid in my closet for the first 6 months. Just the sight of me freaked her out. Her progress was so damn slow, nothing on a daily or even weekly basis. One month at a time. She's quite a success for me though, she taught me how to cat whisper.
Everyone thinks I put my animals before myself. That's not true...it's equal. They're needs are just as important as mine. They are my family. They're messy, expensive, demanding and exhausting. But, they're my responsibility and I love each one of them. I give cats, that no one wanted, the best home possible.
There is something about a unwanted or hurt animal. I rush to their aid with absolutely no hesitation. I feel like it's my job, my destiny. I'm really good with animals, always have been. I feel like I have a sixth sense for them. Honestly, I prefer animals to people. Animals are so genuine and honest. People are actually more "messy".
Monday, June 7, 2010
Greta
Last spring, one of my coworkers told me about a chicken that was going to be slaughtered. The bird was the last of of her neighbor's flock. Her name was Greta, she was sweet and she was 9 years old....I didn't hesitate for a second. Few laying hens live longer than 2 and a half years, that's when they stop laying. Broiler chickens don't make it 6 months. She had to be a special.
The next day I got my chicken carrier ready and went to South Minneapolis. I pulled up to the house and saw Greta instantly, she was beautiful. Reddish-blonde feathers, lots of curves....very mature Buff Orphington. Chickens just get better looking as they age. The guy who owned her came out to the backyard. I was checking out Greta's very small chicken run, a small patch of packed dirt. No fun for a chicken. I talked with Greta's owner, said I'd take her and went to get my carrier.
I put her in a pen with a small house, in my backyard. So far a very tidy chicken, older chickens must just be neater. Young chickens are very messy. When they hunt and scratch for bugs, younger chickens really kick up the grass and dirt. Greta treads pretty softly, rarely as active as a younger chicken. She also doesn't like people food, won't eat a lot of left overs. She loves her scratch mix. She's a real dignified chicken. She'll let you pet her and she'll sit on your lap. She prefers company, she always runs to me. I love seeing her little drumsticks jog up and down.
Greta always had slight diarrhea, but last week things kicked up a notch. I saw flies around her chicken butt. Bad sign. I got closer and dug through her feathers and saw about 5o maggots! The were teeming through a large wound just below her anus. Shit! I started scrapping them off with my bare hands, quickly a bloody mess. Sat her on my lap and lightly sprayed water on the wound while pulling off as many maggots as I could. I ran inside for some hydrogen peroxide, put it in a spray bottle and got a tweezer. Sat back down covered in maggots, blood, water and poop. Cut away feathers and cleaned the wound. Put Greta in a cage on my porch away from the flies and with an antibiotic in her water. Covered the wound in Neosporin. Best I can do for my chicken....no money for Vet bills. Even if I could find a chicken Vet on the weekend.
Later I found myself a little traumatized by the whole event. I've cleaned up A LOT of messes, this was by far the worst. The next one down the list: I worked at a nursing home, had to clean a woman covered in diarrhea from head to toe. Maggots coursing through my beautiful chicken. The wound has put me through more pain than Greta, she was an amazing patient. She sits on my lap and lets me take care of her wound. She is a special chicken.
The next day I got my chicken carrier ready and went to South Minneapolis. I pulled up to the house and saw Greta instantly, she was beautiful. Reddish-blonde feathers, lots of curves....very mature Buff Orphington. Chickens just get better looking as they age. The guy who owned her came out to the backyard. I was checking out Greta's very small chicken run, a small patch of packed dirt. No fun for a chicken. I talked with Greta's owner, said I'd take her and went to get my carrier.
I put her in a pen with a small house, in my backyard. So far a very tidy chicken, older chickens must just be neater. Young chickens are very messy. When they hunt and scratch for bugs, younger chickens really kick up the grass and dirt. Greta treads pretty softly, rarely as active as a younger chicken. She also doesn't like people food, won't eat a lot of left overs. She loves her scratch mix. She's a real dignified chicken. She'll let you pet her and she'll sit on your lap. She prefers company, she always runs to me. I love seeing her little drumsticks jog up and down.
Greta always had slight diarrhea, but last week things kicked up a notch. I saw flies around her chicken butt. Bad sign. I got closer and dug through her feathers and saw about 5o maggots! The were teeming through a large wound just below her anus. Shit! I started scrapping them off with my bare hands, quickly a bloody mess. Sat her on my lap and lightly sprayed water on the wound while pulling off as many maggots as I could. I ran inside for some hydrogen peroxide, put it in a spray bottle and got a tweezer. Sat back down covered in maggots, blood, water and poop. Cut away feathers and cleaned the wound. Put Greta in a cage on my porch away from the flies and with an antibiotic in her water. Covered the wound in Neosporin. Best I can do for my chicken....no money for Vet bills. Even if I could find a chicken Vet on the weekend.
Later I found myself a little traumatized by the whole event. I've cleaned up A LOT of messes, this was by far the worst. The next one down the list: I worked at a nursing home, had to clean a woman covered in diarrhea from head to toe. Maggots coursing through my beautiful chicken. The wound has put me through more pain than Greta, she was an amazing patient. She sits on my lap and lets me take care of her wound. She is a special chicken.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Fuzzycuddle and Fred
Reese's 2nd grade teacher, Lauri, was as crazy about animals as we were. She incubated 12 Mallard duck eggs for the class to watch. Incubating your own eggs is complicated. Many factors like heat and humidity are involved, only 2 eggs hatched. Which was probably a good thing, no one knew what to do with the baby ducks...only a few weeks till summer vacation.
No room at our ranch, my house was not an option.
We took care of the babies over the weekends. Baby ducks are so damn cute, even cuter than baby chicks...don't tell the chicks that. I liked having them on the weekends, but I was always a little relieved to bring them back to school on Monday. Very cute, but really messy. They absolutely love playing and splashing in their water dish. Lots of cleaning....
I was taking the ducks home for the last weekend before school got out. Lauri casually mentioned I could, "just hang on to the ducks, you didn't have to bring them back." Shit!
I had too many animals already. The plan was to let them go when they got big enough, but that was months away! But....I absolutely adored Lauri and would do anything for her. We took the ducks home.
The ducklings were still too young to be in the backyard, they still needed their heat lamp. They were also, no match for the neighborhood cats. The spent most of their time in a warm cage, splashing their water bowl all over the walls of my living room. I'd let them out everyday for some exercise. The baby ducks paddled around on my hard wood floors with their little webbed feet, following me where ever I went. I have to admit it was really funny and sweet. Reese was in heaven.
I constructed a predator proof pen for them in the yard, complete with their own pool. We had to "teach" them to swim. At first, they flopped around in the water like they had no idea what to do. Change of plan, I emptied the pool and put them in it. I slowly filled the pool and they got used to the differing heights of water. Once it was deep enough where they couldn't touch the bottom, they started to swim! They were so happy. We even bought some minnows and watched them dive for food. So entertaining...better than TV.
The summer blew by and they were getting ready to fly. It was time to let them go. I got really emotional about this....I couldn't stop crying. They were my babies and I had become quit attached. I pulled it together. Reese and I took them to a duck pond that we visit all the time. Reese was nervous about it, but not sad. We released them out of the pet carrier and they were a little confused. The other ducks at the pond challenged them a little....they have a pecking order just like chickens. We spent a lot of time with them, they finally got in the pond with the rest of the ducks. Reese and I decided it was okay to leave them. Fuzzycuddle and Fred didn't want us to go. They follow us for a few yards and then stood there watching us walk away. Broke my heart, but I stood strong for Reese.
The ducks were a lot of work and hard to let go of. But the very next summer, we did the very same thing.....2 more ducklings, Doris Day and Ping.
No room at our ranch, my house was not an option.
We took care of the babies over the weekends. Baby ducks are so damn cute, even cuter than baby chicks...don't tell the chicks that. I liked having them on the weekends, but I was always a little relieved to bring them back to school on Monday. Very cute, but really messy. They absolutely love playing and splashing in their water dish. Lots of cleaning....
I was taking the ducks home for the last weekend before school got out. Lauri casually mentioned I could, "just hang on to the ducks, you didn't have to bring them back." Shit!
I had too many animals already. The plan was to let them go when they got big enough, but that was months away! But....I absolutely adored Lauri and would do anything for her. We took the ducks home.
The ducklings were still too young to be in the backyard, they still needed their heat lamp. They were also, no match for the neighborhood cats. The spent most of their time in a warm cage, splashing their water bowl all over the walls of my living room. I'd let them out everyday for some exercise. The baby ducks paddled around on my hard wood floors with their little webbed feet, following me where ever I went. I have to admit it was really funny and sweet. Reese was in heaven.
I constructed a predator proof pen for them in the yard, complete with their own pool. We had to "teach" them to swim. At first, they flopped around in the water like they had no idea what to do. Change of plan, I emptied the pool and put them in it. I slowly filled the pool and they got used to the differing heights of water. Once it was deep enough where they couldn't touch the bottom, they started to swim! They were so happy. We even bought some minnows and watched them dive for food. So entertaining...better than TV.
The summer blew by and they were getting ready to fly. It was time to let them go. I got really emotional about this....I couldn't stop crying. They were my babies and I had become quit attached. I pulled it together. Reese and I took them to a duck pond that we visit all the time. Reese was nervous about it, but not sad. We released them out of the pet carrier and they were a little confused. The other ducks at the pond challenged them a little....they have a pecking order just like chickens. We spent a lot of time with them, they finally got in the pond with the rest of the ducks. Reese and I decided it was okay to leave them. Fuzzycuddle and Fred didn't want us to go. They follow us for a few yards and then stood there watching us walk away. Broke my heart, but I stood strong for Reese.
The ducks were a lot of work and hard to let go of. But the very next summer, we did the very same thing.....2 more ducklings, Doris Day and Ping.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Love Dove
I'd just dropped Reese off at school and saw something in the road. I stopped traffic on a residential street to retrieve something that looked....alive? I got closer and realized it was a baby mourning dove. It let me pick it up and didn't struggle at all. I wish Reese was here...we're a team in this rescue business.
An older man who stopped his car for me said "thanks for doing that". I smiled and said my usual, "no problem". I had to quickly get back in my car, I was blocking traffic.
I went home and found a bird cage I salvaged recently.....you never know.
I put the baby dove in a cage, with food and water. The food was a mixture of milk, bread crumbs and scrambled eggs. Classic baby bird mixture, I been making it since I was 12.
The bird was definitely a baby that just left the nest, maybe a few days too early. It may have been hit slightly by a car and a little stunned, but there were no signs of trauma and the bird was alert. Reese came home and greeted the baby with the heartbreaking name of.....Love Dove.
Reese always comes up with the best names and was extra shiny about this rescue. She had just raised baby chicks and baby ducks, she was completely confident about her abilities with baby birds. She trained Love Dove to sit on her hand. Reese would hold Love Dove as she watched movies. Reese was very responsive to the needs of the baby, she didn't "play" with the bird. She knew that the bird needed to sit, mend and grow.
After a few days Love Dove became very active, thrashing around a lot in the cage. The baby was ready to be let go. Reese had no problem with that fact. Amazingly, she understood Love Dove was a wild animal and her job was to get the bird well enough so they could go back to the wild. We went out in the backyard to let Love Dove go, Reese released her and she flew to the top of our fence. She sat there for along time....I was having second thoughts. Maybe it was too early?....timing is everything. Release too early, wildlife dies....too late, the same. Then she flew high up onto a telephone wire. Reese was very satisfied. She said, "she's fine, Mom" and went back into the house. I stood out and watched Love Dove for a little while longer. She ended up flying away. Reese was right.
Reese's instincts with animals at age 9, surpasses my 41 years. I couldn't help all these animals without her.
She didn't miss anything.
An older man who stopped his car for me said "thanks for doing that". I smiled and said my usual, "no problem". I had to quickly get back in my car, I was blocking traffic.
I went home and found a bird cage I salvaged recently.....you never know.
I put the baby dove in a cage, with food and water. The food was a mixture of milk, bread crumbs and scrambled eggs. Classic baby bird mixture, I been making it since I was 12.
The bird was definitely a baby that just left the nest, maybe a few days too early. It may have been hit slightly by a car and a little stunned, but there were no signs of trauma and the bird was alert. Reese came home and greeted the baby with the heartbreaking name of.....Love Dove.
Reese always comes up with the best names and was extra shiny about this rescue. She had just raised baby chicks and baby ducks, she was completely confident about her abilities with baby birds. She trained Love Dove to sit on her hand. Reese would hold Love Dove as she watched movies. Reese was very responsive to the needs of the baby, she didn't "play" with the bird. She knew that the bird needed to sit, mend and grow.
After a few days Love Dove became very active, thrashing around a lot in the cage. The baby was ready to be let go. Reese had no problem with that fact. Amazingly, she understood Love Dove was a wild animal and her job was to get the bird well enough so they could go back to the wild. We went out in the backyard to let Love Dove go, Reese released her and she flew to the top of our fence. She sat there for along time....I was having second thoughts. Maybe it was too early?....timing is everything. Release too early, wildlife dies....too late, the same. Then she flew high up onto a telephone wire. Reese was very satisfied. She said, "she's fine, Mom" and went back into the house. I stood out and watched Love Dove for a little while longer. She ended up flying away. Reese was right.
Reese's instincts with animals at age 9, surpasses my 41 years. I couldn't help all these animals without her.
She didn't miss anything.
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