More adventures in CA wildlife
This morning when I got up I let the cats out into the back yard as I always do and then got my coffee, did my yoga, and ate breakfast. Baldrick, as usual, came back in about 30 minutes later to crawl onto our bed for his morning nap. Benito remained outside.
Not long after C got up, I went outside again just in time to see Benito jump on our back retaining wall. This is very normal behavior for him as he loves to play “jungle cat”–stalking under the huge jade plant and lying under the fern, etc.
Well, this time, as I saw him leap onto the wall, my eye was distracted by movement just beyond him–maybe three feet away. It was a bushy black and white stripped tail just disappearing under the massive jade plant. It took about half a tick before my brain put the sight and the previous night’s odor (wafted in the bedroom window) together–skunk! And Benito was following the beastie!
Somehow, with an excited voice I was trying to keep calm, I got Benito to give up following the skunk and to come to me. Whew! I can only imagine what bathing Benito would be like–a whirring set of razors with damp fur, I should think. Into the house he went, then C and I tried to see the skunk (and take a picture, but it was in too dense of cover for a pic) and what it was up to. It was then that we noticed that the pile of brush hidden behind the massively over-grown jade plant had an opening. Crap. Skunk den.
The property management folks are sending out humane skunk removers. Until then, we’re keeping the cats inside as rabid skunks aren’t all that unusual here and also it’s the right time of year for mama-skunks to have babies, and thus be more protective. Even if not rabid, who needs are skunk-scented cat! While cats and skunks have been known to get along well together, I really don’t want to risk the stinky pile of fur hiding under the bed that could result if they weren’t best buddies.
So, let’s see, we’ve had rats and snakes and lizards and birds and opossum and all sorts of spiders and bugs. Neighbors have seen a coyote not too long ago. I guess that leaves cougars and condors and maybe a bear still to come on the CA residential wildlife parade!