October 13th, 2010
Vermont
The cat is suddenly sitting up next to me quite alert. The cat begins to quiver. The sound in the kitchen gets louder. Scratching. Some kind of whining.
I walk out cautiously.
It is a squirrel. I run back into my office and grab the cat and bring her with me. She is in my arms, trembling, as I am. There is the squirrel. There we are. Gazing at one another.
I left the door open, you see. On purpose as I like the breeze and the fact that I live in a place where the door can be left open and …. Squirrels can wander in.
I thought the cat would corral the little squirrel right out the door and that would be it. But she did not. She backed away and then ran to her comfort spot on the bed and proceeded to nap.
I followed. Eventually the squirrel left. But came back the next day and the next.
Why, you say, didn’t I shut the door.
I am a stubborn Vermonter. I’ll not be changed by a furry small brained hairball. Our motto in Vermont is “No We Can’t!” We also like to mutter “I’m from Vermont - I’ll do what I want.”
Well I soon trained a very smart little animal to come into my domestic habitat whenever he wanted. My husband said, calmly of course, “You know he might have rabies.”
We had a little staring contest, my placid husband and I. He won.
Havahart trap to the rescue. (You didn’t think I was going to shut the door did you?)
Out came the squirrel trap. In when the bait. Door open. In comes Mr. squirrel. Cat asleep on bed. Bang. Trapped.
Took him to a very nice part of the park down by the lake. He has a lovely view now. Lots of drink. Little treats that people throw him. Life of luxury.
(P.S. I do not mean to belittle the danger of rabies…you know that I write this partly with an eye to humor… Rabies is serious. Never ever trap an animal you think might have rabies. Get professional help. It is not something to mess with.)
