General Chat

My worry would have been that it was a bird. End of. :-D

Cynthia, my worry about the swift, was that it would take off in the kitchen, break stuff, hurt itself (possibly bleed) and poop everywhere!!
My grabbing it and throwing it into the air outside was purely selfish! :-D

Personally, on catching sight of said bird, I would have been half way down the road before it could flap a feather! :-D

:-D :-D :-D

:-D :-D :-D - Velcro - :-D :-D :-D
Raider sounds the perfect dog <3
As they say, it's not the dog, it's the owner.

Dad's dog in Saudi (a Saluki) had to be introduced to anyone who came through the gate, or he chased, and if he caught his 'quarry', tended to bite!

Sooooo, when we all went to a party at the club. Mum and dad left before me,(dad had to get up at 6am for work) I had a fun time :-0
A nice 'chap' had told mum and dad he'd bring me home - which he did.
We were slightly the worse for wear (the ex pats could get alcohol 'on base' in the 1970's - hidden in the uprights of the bar).
My parents, however didn't live on the base, they had a house a few miles away.
We got back okay, unfortunately, my parents had locked the gate, and left the dog outside - loose :-0 :-0
One of us had to climb the 12 foot wall that surrounded the house, and unlock the gate - and then there was the dog.....
I hadn't been out there long, and insisted the dog knew the bloke more than me, and, being a gentleman, he went first :-D
He was nearly killed- with affection :-D
The dog was so well behaved,(if licking and jumping all over a person is well behaved) I got a very long length of, I think it was washing line, tied it to his collar - and we took him for a walk at 2am.
I held the rope- purely because it was illegal for a woman to walk a dog - but we were squiffy anyway, (also illegal away from the ex-pats camp)
.
Fortunately there weren't many people about, and those we saw were frightened of the dog (apparently he had a 'reputation' - which my dad exaggerated ).
The dog gave a nasty snarl if anyone got too close, but that was all :-D

maggie ...........

that was a fantastic experience!!!!


We had new neighbours move in next door back in the mid 1990s, they had 2 cats that we saw wandering round the garden ......... Velcro and Midnight

Midnight was black, Velcro a tabby ............... and I discovered was called that because "he always gets stuck everywhere" :-D . I saw him once take a flying leap from the sidewalk to about 4' up the trunk of the maple tree on the boulevard. Then he hung there, legs wide spread, horrified look on his face as he stared at me over his shoulder.

I couldn't do anything but laugh!!

Our sundeck is basically on our second storey, (first floor to you), and I discovered Velcro on there soon after they arrived ............... he'd jumped on the joint fence, then up from there and squeezed between the gaps on to the sundeck. Then he was "stuck" .............. no gate or steps down. So he prowled around, yowled a bit, and I had to ignore him because I wasn't sure how friendly he was.

He did eventually find his way down the way he got up ......... and it turned out that he was a softie so I could have picked him up.

He did that several times ...... and then he got into the house on one occasion because both the glass door and the screen door had been left open.

I found him sitting in our bedroom staring at the closed door to my closet. Not sure what he thought was in there ......... but he got carried out through the front door :-D


The couple later bought a Rottweiler ............ by that time they had 4 children, one of whom was just crawling, and the two cats. Husband said he'd carefully researched good breeds and Rottweilers were good with children if raised with them AND properly trained .......... and boy, was that dog well trained. He was a super dog.

He was the husband's dog, but the protector of the wife and children AND of the neighbouring houses and their inhabitants. If I met the wife and children out with the dog and stopped to chat, Raider would casually place himself between us. If someone else then also stopped to chat, I would find myself also protected.

If he was in his garden, and we had visitors, those visitors had to be "introduced" as friends or Raider would get really agitated.

The two cats ruled HIM ............. they'd sit on the steps up to their back door and tease him, or on any slightly higher chair, and just waft their paws in front of him.The children had a paddle pool that had a seat across the middle, and that was a favourite spot for the cats to sit, one facing front and the other to the back. They were just out of Raider's reach and he would circle that pool in complete frustration. It was so funny to watch them.

We have two kiwi fruit plants in our garden, supported on an 8' tall trellis ......... the top of one of the vertical supports was the favourite resting place for Midnight, Velcro loved a small patch of lawn where no grass was growing.

Raider just liked leaning against me whenever he saw me.


I did have one rule .............. I would not put one step on his property unless one of his family was there. If he got out (as he did quite often), I could guide him home, even from 2 or 3 blocks away, and he'd come with me willingly, but then I'd stand on the sidewalk or back lane, point into his garden and say "in", then close the gate.

Wow you're all real Dr Doolittles aren't you :-D

Les, the swift is back where it belongs - in the air! :-D

I had a 'pet' female blackbird once (pre-cats).
We were living in a caravan in Kirkpatrick Fleming (Dumfries), it must have been about September.
There was a metal coal bunker outside, by the door.
I opened the door one morning - and she was just sat there, looking a bit morose.
I went back inside and found some bread - expecting her to be gone - she wasn't.
She ate the bread, and some fruit, and flew off.
She was back the next day, I fed her again, and bought some birdseed and fat balls.
She came back every day.
A bowl of water and seed was left on the bunker for her, but she always called until I opened the door, she got bold enough to sit on my hand.
We fed her until the following spring, when I presume she went off to mate :-D

Have to admit, I have stroked a lion - and taught a cheetah cub to 'sit' and 'fetch'.

My dad used to work in Riyadh, and loved animals, so would visit the zoo regularly.
He noticed one very old and vicious lion had awful breath and realised his teeth were rotten, so 'suggested' his teeth were removed. The lion was (with dad) like a puppy once he was no longer in pain. Once I realised he trusted me, I went in his (horrible) cage and stroked him.

Dad also took it upon himself to walk a cheetah he'd known since it was a cub - also kept in a cage.
He'd drive to the zoo, put a collar and lead on the cheetah and take her home.
Dad would have his lunch, then walk the cheetah back :-S
He did this about 3 times a week.
I went out to visit about 3 years later, when I was 17.
The cheetah had grown up, and had cubs.
Dad now walked 3 cheetahs at lunchtime.

The first time he brought them home while I was out there, he left the cubs free, taking their leads and harnesses off, I said I hoped the mother was securely tied up,
Which he appeared to do, and said they wouldn't bother me, anyway.

I was reading a book, and felt I was being 'watched' - there was the female cub about 2 foot from my feet - staring at me.
In an effort to distract her (I didn't want to upset mummy), I threw the dog's ball for her. (The dog was shut in the lounge/bedroom whilst the cats were there.)
The cub brought it back. :-S :-S
I threw it again, back she came, and nuzzled my leg, dropping the ball in my lap.
Okay, I thought - a name - I called her Dot, told her to 'sit' and put slight pressure on her rear end - she did it!
She then had to 'sit' before I'd throw the ball - and I wouldn't throw it immediately, but make her wait (I was trying to bore her - but failing miserably)
Mother and other (male cub) were watching, but not bothered.

Dad finished lunch , came out to take them back - and just picked the mothers lead off the floor - she'd been loose all the time!!
True, she didn't 'bother' me - thank goodness!!

Maggieinwinchester..What a story..Give the swift a name then write some short stories around the truth,,see what adventures appear....
I have a young female blackbird (named Cilla),,she comes into the house to get me because she wants some more mealworms..I try to restrict her to the kitchen utility but if I'm working on Family Trees in the dining room she'll find me and sit on the table..I think it's lovely getting this close to wildlife.. Always wanted to cuddle a cheetah or a lion..Just love cats,,big or small... <3 <3 <3 LES...

When my daughter and her boyfriend were living with me, I had 3 cats, but regularly found the cat from across the road asleep on the chair.
Daughter's boyfriend had been home all day - but (apparently) couldn't tell the difference between 2 shorthaired black cats, and a long haired black and white one (mine) and a longhaired dark tabby (from across the road! :-S)
When he (cat from across the road) needed medicine for an injury caused by a badger - his owner knocked on my door - as this was most likely where he'd be!!
Unfortunately, when he was better, he again tried to confront the badger - and was killed :-(

Maggie, someone's beautiful white cat sneaked into our house one evening without me noticing it.

As Corrie started I heard a mewing and thought it was a cat on the drive. All quiet until about 9 pm and I heard a mewing again. Pulled back the curtains to peek through the blind and there was the cat sitting on the inside window ledge looking at me. I guided it out.

It must have curled up and gone to sleep through two lots of Corrie that Monday night. Nothing was amiss and everything was clean so it must have also felt quite at home.

wow!

Came back from Worthing, walked into the living room, and noticed the fire guard was tipped over.
Looked down, there was something black on the floor - necklace? Piece of wool?
I picked it up, and it was sooty.
I immediately wondered where Betty (cat) was - I've only once previously had a cat try to climb the chimney :-S
Found Betty on the back doorstep.
Thought nothing more of it, went into kitchen as we were all very hungry.
Strange, a cat's claw on the worktop (neither cat makes a habit of walking on the worktop), and a couple of things had been knocked off the large window sill.

Threw a salad together, ate it in the living room.
Took dishes out, opened a couple of beers in the living room, when I heard an awful screech from the kitchen! :-0

Rushed out - only to find George on the worktop - and a bird hiding between some groceries I'd put on the end of the worktop before I went out!!

I put George on the floor, and lunged at the bird before it could take off.
Managed to grab it - it managed to peck me - good, no beak problems.
It's wings flapped - good, no damage there.
Opened the back door with my elbow, at which point the bird managed to grab the door blind in it's feet. Incredible hold - good no leg damage
Slight tussle, much screeching (on the bird's part) he released his hold, and I threw it up in the air - whereupon he flew off.

I had hold of it long enough to see it's head & beak very clearly, and wing shape, (as it flapped, then flew off).
It was a Swift!!

Where it had been hiding since it had come down the chimney, I have no idea.
I've found one bit of poo - on the small windowsill, where nothing had been knocked off and behind all the groceries.

Had it been in the groceries all the time, and only panicked when George got too close?
All I can say is, Swifts are very clean birds - even when panicked!! :-D :-D :-D