My cat seems to be doing a pretty good job of keeping the garden free of
pests this year. Normally he's pretty oblivious and attacks things that I
WANT in the yard - this year he's going after mice, moles, squirrels, and
racoons. The only thing he is going after that I wish he wouldn't is garter
snakes. I love snakes in my garden - eat all the sluggies and bugs that the
birds leave behind. I was actually hoping to have a nice bumper crop of
strawberries this year - the bushes are producing prodigiously, but the cat
is hunting all the damn snakes. Who's gonna eat the slugs when the snakes
are driven away?

Do you suppose eventually the snakes will give my cat a mouthful of bad
smell and put an end to his games(I thought garter snakes released a stinky
cloud from their anal glands to deter predators)?

Eigenvector wrote:
My cat seems to be doing a pretty good job of keeping the garden
free
of pests this year. Normally he's pretty oblivious and attacks
things that I WANT in the yard - this year he's going after mice,
moles, squirrels, and racoons. The only thing he is going after
that
I wish he wouldn't is garter snakes. I love snakes in my garden -
eat all the sluggies and bugs that the birds leave behind. I was
actually hoping to have a nice bumper crop of strawberries this year
- the bushes are producing prodigiously, but the cat is hunting all
the damn snakes. Who's gonna eat the slugs when the snakes are
driven away?

Do you suppose eventually the snakes will give my cat a mouthful of
bad smell and put an end to his games(I thought garter snakes
released a stinky cloud from their anal glands to deter predators)?

Does the cat kill the snakes or just play with them? Most cats seem
to think that snakes are some superior form of pulled string.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

"J. Clarke" wrote in message
...
Eigenvector wrote:
My cat seems to be doing a pretty good job of keeping the garden
free
of pests this year. Normally he's pretty oblivious and attacks
things that I WANT in the yard - this year he's going after mice,
moles, squirrels, and racoons. The only thing he is going after
that
I wish he wouldn't is garter snakes. I love snakes in my garden -
eat all the sluggies and bugs that the birds leave behind. I was
actually hoping to have a nice bumper crop of strawberries this year
- the bushes are producing prodigiously, but the cat is hunting all
the damn snakes. Who's gonna eat the slugs when the snakes are
driven away?

Do you suppose eventually the snakes will give my cat a mouthful of
bad smell and put an end to his games(I thought garter snakes
released a stinky cloud from their anal glands to deter predators)?

Does the cat kill the snakes or just play with them? Most cats seem
to think that snakes are some superior form of pulled string.

--
--
--John

Well I've never actually seen a corpse and I don't believe he eating them
whole. Still, getting batted around, stepped on, and swatted can't do much
for your health.

Eigenvector wrote:
"J. Clarke" wrote in message
...
Eigenvector wrote:
My cat seems to be doing a pretty good job of keeping the garden
free
of pests this year. Normally he's pretty oblivious and attacks
things that I WANT in the yard - this year he's going after mice,
moles, squirrels, and racoons. The only thing he is going after
that
I wish he wouldn't is garter snakes. I love snakes in my garden -
eat all the sluggies and bugs that the birds leave behind. I was
actually hoping to have a nice bumper crop of strawberries this
year
- the bushes are producing prodigiously, but the cat is hunting
all
the damn snakes. Who's gonna eat the slugs when the snakes are
driven away?

Do you suppose eventually the snakes will give my cat a mouthful
of
bad smell and put an end to his games(I thought garter snakes
released a stinky cloud from their anal glands to deter
predators)?

Does the cat kill the snakes or just play with them? Most cats
seem
to think that snakes are some superior form of pulled string.

--
--
--John

Well I've never actually seen a corpse and I don't believe he eating
them whole. Still, getting batted around, stepped on, and swatted
can't do much for your health.

Snakes are remarkably resilient--once ran over a big king snake on a
dirt road with all four wheels of a '76 Lincoln Town Car (didn't mean
too, but couldn't stop in time to miss him). I figured him for a dead
snake, but no, he coiled up and stuck his tongue out at me and after a
while he crawled off, didn't seem to be any the worse for wear.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)