Posted on September 19, 2010
Stoned Bobcat
Every morning I amble to my garden to open and close the greenhouse and the hoops and to say hello to the garden. I always know if someone has been in it, if someone left the gate open by taking compost up late or if a deer wandered in in the middle of the day – the proof is all there.
So on this morning about 5 days ago I approached the greenhouse door and stopped short. What is that? I stared at a fairly dry catnip plant with all the tops bit off – it actually looked like some deer action. But then I started to do my detective work – putting it all together. I had recently cut a mass of nip to the ground to share with a friend and this was not me – I don’t just cut off the tops – so now I had freshly cut nip, a marauder and a mystery. Next stop, tracks. I looked down and immediately found what I was looking for and jumped off the trail.
Cord and I love to figure this stuff out so I looked on the sandy trail going down through my garden and saw some more of what I wanted. I went to get Cord and brought him. We like to let the other one have a minute to figure it out before we tell all so I showed him the nip and then I showed him the track. No claws. Round balls – much bigger than Samuelson The Garden Cat and we had our culprit. Cord said, “Bobcat.” I said, “Bingo!”
Bobcat! Big kitty is getting high. Man – I wonder how that affects the hunting – does it become paranoid? Ha! I’m sure the freshly cut nip attracted him, it was no problem leaping our 7′ fence and he/she came in for a bite. What fun! I love this intruder. Go for it – happy to help.
Later that day Samuelson The Garden Cat kept showing me that behind the greenhouse was scary – she would look, puff up and bolt, looking behind her as she scurried towards the house. I knew it had probably sprayed and that's what she feared, but I dreamed he was just out of sight, up in some tree – sleeping it off. Only thing more fun would have been to bust him at it – with a camera! Naughty Bobcat! You be careful not to overdo it – no staggering into the street – happy dreams.
Bobcat will be added to the IPM list along with Lion and Bear in the garden. Welcome.
Stoned Bobcat
Every morning I amble to my garden to open and close the greenhouse and the hoops and to say hello to the garden. I always know if someone has been in it, if someone left the gate open by taking compost up late or if a deer wandered in in the middle of the day – the proof is all there.
So on this morning about 5 days ago I approached the greenhouse door and stopped short. What is that? I stared at a fairly dry catnip plant with all the tops bit off – it actually looked like some deer action. But then I started to do my detective work – putting it all together. I had recently cut a mass of nip to the ground to share with a friend and this was not me – I don’t just cut off the tops – so now I had freshly cut nip, a marauder and a mystery. Next stop, tracks. I looked down and immediately found what I was looking for and jumped off the trail.
Cord and I love to figure this stuff out so I looked on the sandy trail going down through my garden and saw some more of what I wanted. I went to get Cord and brought him. We like to let the other one have a minute to figure it out before we tell all so I showed him the nip and then I showed him the track. No claws. Round balls – much bigger than Samuelson The Garden Cat and we had our culprit. Cord said, “Bobcat.” I said, “Bingo!”
Bobcat! Big kitty is getting high. Man – I wonder how that affects the hunting – does it become paranoid? Ha! I’m sure the freshly cut nip attracted him, it was no problem leaping our 7′ fence and he/she came in for a bite. What fun! I love this intruder. Go for it – happy to help.
Later that day Samuelson The Garden Cat kept showing me that behind the greenhouse was scary – she would look, puff up and bolt, looking behind her as she scurried towards the house. I knew it had probably sprayed and that's what she feared, but I dreamed he was just out of sight, up in some tree – sleeping it off. Only thing more fun would have been to bust him at it – with a camera! Naughty Bobcat! You be careful not to overdo it – no staggering into the street – happy dreams.
Bobcat will be added to the IPM list along with Lion and Bear in the garden. Welcome.
Samuelson and a glorious Nepeta cataria ('Nip)
RSS Feed