Which is the lesser evil? Having created a garden in my large yard, I ended up with a habitat. Plants and compost attract animals, some more welcome than others, which attract other animals who eat them, and on in a food cycle. One of the orders of animals who show up are snakes. Generally harmless and even welcome, as they eat insects. As long as they stay outside. I mentioned that last December two cats decided to add me to their family and move in. A few weeks ago, just as I was ready for bed, Sophie ran in through the cat door and to my bedroom with something dangling out of her mouth. I investigated and saw it was a snake. She hid it under the bedroom rug, having a blast batting at it while it writhed under the rug. The thought of going to sleep with a live snake in the room was not appealing. I know those little garden snakes are harmless but could not bring myself to pick it up bare-handed. I picked it up in a wad of paper towels and threw everything outside. Sophie let me know vociferously exactly what she thought of my taking away her toy. Last night it was Zoey's turn to bring home a snake. She carried it from room to room, setting it on the floor to play with, then to another room, all around the house. Again, I picked it up in paper towels and threw everything outside. Zoey began to cry, rubbing against my ankles, pleading for me to give her her toy back. She ran out the door, searching. (A check of the porch showed the snake had gathered its addled wits and slithered away.) So, what is the lesser evil? What do I have to put up with? Snakes in the bedroom, or crying cats?
I think you are (rightfully) demonstrating your alpha status to the cats. By dictating which "toys" you permit inside the residence, you are asserting your authority over them. You'll probably have to repeat the lesson a few times, but they'll eventually get the hint. You might consider placing both the cat and the snake on the porch simultaneously, essentially saying, "You can have your toy, but you must keep it out here."
Just the other day I watched a snake chow down on several spiders. Good deal! So I would probably shoot the cat and leave the snakes outside to work the spiders.
If the snake is a rubber boa, then it would be welcome in the bedroom and the cats would have to stay outside. Any other breed of snake and the cats can cry their eyes out. Maybe you could distract/redirect the cats with a laser pointer?
The title to this thread reminds of Samuel Jackson and his famous quote . . .motherfuckin love Samuel Jackson. [video=youtube;vLaX8UvVUQw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=vLaX8UvVUQw[/video]
We used to have a cat that was a hunter. Brought in birds, snakes... live and then killed them off like trophies.
My neighbor's cat leaves presents on my doorstep all the time . . . bird's heads and baby moles are top on list.
crandc, Why ask this? No disrespect, but we all know you like the "kitty cat" in the bedroom more than the "snake". Nothing wrong with it, but just sayin'.
A feeble idea at a light hearted post. Not so light hearted now. Sophie has vanished. On my way to Animal Control with her picture.
Meh, I'm feeble-minded. That sucks - sorry to hear about the cat, though. I hate that feeling of a lost animal and having to go to the pound and shelters looking for a lost pet (I've had to do that a couple of times with my dog and cat).
To be fair, you could say he did not advocate shooting the cat. One could read that as him saying what he would do if I were in a similar situation. But, he did not consider that the cats may be bringing the snakes in the house to help with the in-house spider control.
