An Otter Comes to Town

Welcome back!

Otters in the middle of a small city? Yesterday Ed and I were passing over a creek that runs under one of the local streets in town. “Hey, look at this!” a woman with her pet shih tzu motioned us across the street where she stood looking into the water below. “Otters!” she said, pointing. I could hardly believe my eyes or my luck.

A pretty good sized otter was diving and surfacing about 20 yards from where we stood. When his head popped up he stared at us, motionless. “Isn’t he cute?” the woman exclaimed. He seemed to be traveling with his mate, and we continued to watch as they dove and surfaced for another couple minutes, then disappeared.

It seems that otters are fairly common in brackish streams in this area, but it’s only the second time I’ve seen one. When we lived near a pond many years ago, we’d occasionally find an otter making himself at home there. That particular pond was alligator free, lucky for that little otter.

Technorati Tags: Animal Lovers, otters

Golden Retriever, Tiger Stepmom

In Golden Retriever Adopts 3 Tiger Cubs at Zoo, I learned something fascinating. One, that a domestic dog would willingly nurse the young of another species (we’re talking about TIGERS here), and two, that it isn’t unheard of. I know how strong the maternal instinct can be, and these lucky tiger cubs are certainly  proof of that.

I believe golden retrievers are one of the most beautiful of all dog breeds. And the ones I’ve been fortunate enough to have a nodding acquaintance with have been calm and loving. It’s hard to believe they can also be fierce hunters. For instance, my dentist has a golden retriever and he regales me with stories of her prowess tracking down and doing in the rabbits and possums who wander onto their property. Poor things, but I suppose it’s not that different than  domestic cats with their penchant for song birds.

I’d love to hear some of your personal golden retriever stories. Any one have a good one out there? You can send me photos too if you’d like and I’ll put them right up there with the blog.

Technorati Tags: Dog Lovers, Dogs, golden retriever

Wild Donkey Gets Friendly!

In This Donkey is a Ham, I learned not only that wild donkeys live in South Dakota, but one particular individual likes to stick his head in car windows! The photo I saw was a little surreal; the woman in the car seat next to the window looks completely unfazed by this interloper.

Wild burros have been with us in the southwest since the 16th century, introduced by Spaniards. They can live anywhere within 10 miles of water, so they’re a good pack animal for arid places. Since they don’t have a natural predator, they can live  up to  25 years.

There are over 20,000 of them now in the USA, many of them descendants of early prospectors’ pack animals.

Technorati Tags: donkey, Horse Lovers

Cat Pets for Kids

Cat pets are a wonderful way to introduce your child to the joys of pet ownership and responsibility. When our children were very young, we brought a one year old tabby cat into the household. She came from an animal shelter, and despite her reported skittishness around children settled in well.

I just read an article written by a vet that covered a lot of great information about this sort of thing. If you have small children and are thinking about getting a cat, this would be a good place to start your research.

One point the doctor makes that I would certainly agree with is that the parent is going to be the primary caretaker or the animal, especially if your child is very young. But since kids learn by imitating the adults around them, this is a great way to introduce them to proper pet care.

Yes, cat pets are a great way to teach your little ones gentle animal care at a tender age.

Technorati Tags: Cat Lovers, children

Pet Lovers - Keep Fish in the Tank!

Pet lover fish enthusiasts are for the most part smart, caring individuals. And salt water aquariums take a lot of care and a lot of money to maintain well. So why has someone or several someones let their voracious lion fish go in the Caribbean?

This is a scary situation. According to one report I read, shortly after these fish are introduced into an area, the native population of fish can be 80% destroyed. The worst part is that they have few predators, since this is not their natural environment. ( They originate in the Indian Ocean and the tropical Pacific.)

Apparently groupers find them delectable, but this species has been so over fished that there aren’t enough of them to put a dent in the lion fish population. With the delicate state of our environment, we all have to pay more attention to keeping non-native fish where they belong- in the aquarium.

Technorati Tags: lion fish, Pet Lovers