Comments on: All creatures great and small … some people feed them all http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/12/19/all-creatures-great-and-small-some-people-feed-them-all/ Blogging by a team of pet-care experts. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:26:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Barbara Saunders http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/12/19/all-creatures-great-and-small-some-people-feed-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-392903 Barbara Saunders Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:57:55 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=4590#comment-392903 I actually love squirrels but never had the impression that they need feeding by humans! I actually love squirrels but never had the impression that they need feeding by humans!

]]> By: Sara Jo http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/12/19/all-creatures-great-and-small-some-people-feed-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-385275 Sara Jo Sat, 20 Dec 2008 18:48:32 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=4590#comment-385275 We are guilty of squirrel feeding, I'm afraid. We do it to keep them away from our bird feeder, and it's entertaining for the dogs to chase them. My old boss was such an avid birder, though, that he placed a Hav-a-Hart trap under his bird feeder and would catch the squirrels and drown them. I'm not a big fan of squirrels (love birds too much), but we've kind of taken a "can't beat 'em" attitude. We are still getting lots of baby birds each spring in spite of having squirrels. We are guilty of squirrel feeding, I’m afraid. We do it to keep them away from our bird feeder, and it’s entertaining for the dogs to chase them. My old boss was such an avid birder, though, that he placed a Hav-a-Hart trap under his bird feeder and would catch the squirrels and drown them. I’m not a big fan of squirrels (love birds too much), but we’ve kind of taken a “can’t beat ‘em” attitude. We are still getting lots of baby birds each spring in spite of having squirrels.

]]> By: Anne T http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/12/19/all-creatures-great-and-small-some-people-feed-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-385142 Anne T Sat, 20 Dec 2008 13:56:13 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=4590#comment-385142 My dogs LOVE squirrels! crunch, crunch. Consequently, we don't have any grey squirrels as they have learned to avoid us or face mortal peril. It's been years since I have seen any here, but I can still say "Squirrels? Are there squirrels? Get 'em!" and the dogs will go screaming out the door to ring the maple tree in the dog yard. I do have flying squirrels. They are small, nocturnal, and have a more generalized diet than their cousins, as they will include insects on a regular basis. But talk about CUTE! Big black eyes, and the world's softest fur! You may have them regularly visiting your feeders after dark and never know it. My dogs LOVE squirrels! crunch, crunch. Consequently, we don’t have any grey squirrels as they have learned to avoid us or face mortal peril. It’s been years since I have seen any here, but I can still say “Squirrels? Are there squirrels? Get ‘em!” and the dogs will go screaming out the door to ring the maple tree in the dog yard.
I do have flying squirrels. They are small, nocturnal, and have a more generalized diet than their cousins, as they will include insects on a regular basis.
But talk about CUTE! Big black eyes, and the world’s softest fur! You may have them regularly visiting your feeders after dark and never know it.

]]> By: nancy freedman-smith http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/12/19/all-creatures-great-and-small-some-people-feed-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-385091 nancy freedman-smith Sat, 20 Dec 2008 11:36:51 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=4590#comment-385091 It took me more than a few years to say "yes" to my son when he really really realy wanted a pet rat. We are now on our third and Tila while sweet and smart, still has a tail that gives me the willies. Let's face it, for some reason, we think bushy tails are cuter. Maybe it simply just goes back to being tramatized by the movie Willard. It took me more than a few years to say “yes” to my son when he really really realy wanted a pet rat. We are now on our third and Tila while sweet and smart, still has a tail that gives me the willies. Let’s face it, for some reason, we think bushy tails are cuter. Maybe it simply just goes back to being tramatized by the movie Willard.

]]> By: Ark Lady http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/12/19/all-creatures-great-and-small-some-people-feed-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-384956 Ark Lady Sat, 20 Dec 2008 05:36:47 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=4590#comment-384956 I am missing the same thing. Rodents are rodents no matter what suit they are wearing. We had an outbreak of bubonic plague a while back. People forget that the suckers also bite. My bet is the woman has a primate stashed somewhere. Around these parts squirrels get corn cobs, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and other odds and ends. I am missing the same thing. Rodents are rodents no matter what suit they are wearing. We had an outbreak of bubonic plague a while back.

People forget that the suckers also bite.

My bet is the woman has a primate stashed somewhere.

Around these parts squirrels get corn cobs, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and other odds and ends.

]]> By: Robert Forman http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/12/19/all-creatures-great-and-small-some-people-feed-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-384876 Robert Forman Sat, 20 Dec 2008 01:46:27 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=4590#comment-384876 >>Pretty sure she didn’t have a monkey, << What makes you sure of that? http://nosheep.net/story/pet-monkey-1895/ Lots of people bought monkeys through the mail in the 60's. If you check out the comments or if you type in Darling pet monkey into google you will see that plent of people want them and apparently find ways to purchase them. Maybe the lady has a monkey but doesn't want you to know about it. >>Pretty sure she didn’t have a monkey, <<

What makes you sure of that?

http://nosheep.net/story/pet-monkey-1895/

Lots of people bought monkeys through the mail in the 60’s. If you check out the comments or if you type in Darling pet monkey into google you will see that plent of people want them and apparently find ways to purchase them. Maybe the lady has a monkey but doesn’t want you to know about it.

]]> By: Barb http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/12/19/all-creatures-great-and-small-some-people-feed-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-384874 Barb Sat, 20 Dec 2008 01:43:55 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=4590#comment-384874 Squirrels are adorable but an out of control population can be a problem I suppose. I don't know what the answer is to reducing squirel overpopulation other than stopping people from feeding them, but poisoning and/or bombarding them with cayenne pepper is not the answer! We had an issue here in San Diego last summer..thankfully, we had a wonderful advocate in our City Attorney Mike Aguirre who put a stop to the poisoning. Sadly though, Aguirre lost his re-election bid this Nov...the squirrels will miss him. Balboa Park video here - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-809894877117793244 Squirrel Hunter Sets House on Fire - http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/weird/Well-Thats-One-Way-to-Do-It.html Karma! Squirrels are adorable but an out of control population can be a problem I suppose. I don’t know what the answer is to reducing squirel overpopulation other than stopping people from feeding them, but poisoning and/or bombarding them with cayenne pepper is not the answer! We had an issue here in San Diego last summer..thankfully, we had a wonderful advocate in our City Attorney Mike Aguirre who put a stop to the poisoning. Sadly though, Aguirre lost his re-election bid this Nov…the squirrels will miss him.

Balboa Park video here -
http://video.google.com/videop.....7117793244

Squirrel Hunter Sets House on Fire -
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/new.....Do-It.html

Karma!

]]> By: Lis http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/12/19/all-creatures-great-and-small-some-people-feed-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-384842 Lis Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:17:18 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=4590#comment-384842 Squirrels <i>are</i> cuter than rats. Also, unfair as it is, squirrels have no history of having helped spread bubonic plague among humans at a time when existing medical knowledge was wholly unable to cope with it. Some friends of mine, after moving to their new home several years ago, set up a bird feeder. They did their best, but discovered that they had not, in fact, set up a squirrel-proof bird feeder. One day, they were standing on their porch watching a squirrel eat the birdfeed, and discussing what they could do to make it a <i>bird</i> feeder and not a <i>squirrel</i> feeder. And a hawk swooped down and took the squirrel. They concluded that they had an especially well-stocked bird feeder, feeding a wider variety of birds than they had anticipated. Squirrels are cuter than rats. Also, unfair as it is, squirrels have no history of having helped spread bubonic plague among humans at a time when existing medical knowledge was wholly unable to cope with it.

Some friends of mine, after moving to their new home several years ago, set up a bird feeder. They did their best, but discovered that they had not, in fact, set up a squirrel-proof bird feeder. One day, they were standing on their porch watching a squirrel eat the birdfeed, and discussing what they could do to make it a bird feeder and not a squirrel feeder.

And a hawk swooped down and took the squirrel.

They concluded that they had an especially well-stocked bird feeder, feeding a wider variety of birds than they had anticipated.

]]> By: straybaby http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/12/19/all-creatures-great-and-small-some-people-feed-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-384835 straybaby Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:01:20 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=4590#comment-384835 My problem with rats . . . Rat Poison. Also, it's a tad unnerving to be walking by a pile of trash set out for pickup in the dark and hear a bunch of rat noises! We have some BIG rats here. When a critter of a certain size crosses my path in the dark, I look at the tail to see if it's a rat, or of the feline variety. Dot loves squirrels. Play bows and all, lol!~ It's really quite cute. She just can't understand why they don't want to play! My problem with rats . . . Rat Poison. Also, it’s a tad unnerving to be walking by a pile of trash set out for pickup in the dark and hear a bunch of rat noises! We have some BIG rats here. When a critter of a certain size crosses my path in the dark, I look at the tail to see if it’s a rat, or of the feline variety.

Dot loves squirrels. Play bows and all, lol!~ It’s really quite cute. She just can’t understand why they don’t want to play!

]]> By: Selma http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/12/19/all-creatures-great-and-small-some-people-feed-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-384803 Selma Fri, 19 Dec 2008 22:45:41 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=4590#comment-384803 I love all animals too (have saved a few litters of opossums) and have great admiration for squirrels. I always make sure there's lots of food available so they don't clean out the bird feeders and more importantly - don't dig up my spring bulbs. There really aren't any animals I can think of that I don't like...well, maybe there's one :>) I love all animals too (have saved a few litters of opossums) and have great admiration for squirrels.

I always make sure there’s lots of food available so they don’t clean out the bird feeders and more importantly - don’t dig up my spring bulbs.

There really aren’t any animals I can think of that I don’t like…well, maybe there’s one :>)

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