Whenever Honey and I go out, we usually see some person on the side of the road trying to get rid of their puppies and kittens. Now, I am a sucker for a critter without a home. I always do my damnedest to try to get Honey to pull over so that I can "just look."
Of course, Honey does his damnedest to make sure I don't get to "just look" because he also knows if I look, we're coming home with a new furbaby. We're kind of full on babies of all kinds right now, but especially the furry four legged ones.
We do have a rule though. If an animal finds it's way to our door, we can't turn it away. Whether it's for a meal, a warm place to sleep for a night, or a new home is the animal's choice.
Last night, a Mother Kitten found it's way to our door. It's not the easiest thing to do with one other cat (territorial) that spends most of it's time outside, and three dogs as well. We're also a bit further back from the road as well, but we watched it as it walked down the road and right up to our door as though it had a purpose and knew this was where it was to go.
It found it's way to us again tonight as well. One more time, and it's time to take it to get it's shots, a medical checkup and spayed. Then after recovery, it is free to go on it's own again if it wishes. We know it's recently had kittens because it has Momma breasts. They swing and sway, and look like little bags. And yet, it is still so young itself, from the way it looks.
Our rule nearly backfired on us one time though. Last year, my wonderful husband was picking on me about my tendency to pick up stray anythings. This is when we agreed if an animal comes to the door, we can't turn it away. We laughed and joked about it until finally he said "as long as no cows or horses show up, we're good!" I promised him that no cows or horses would be knocking on our door anytime soon.
The next day, I let my daughter stay home from school. She had been staying up stressing over those damned TAKS tests and hadn't been sleeping. Poor kid was exhausted, and it was manifesting in physical symptoms. So, she stayed home. We were sitting and watching my soaps together when we hear THUMP THUMP THUMP against our door.
I quietly wonder to myself who could possibly be showing up on my doorstep. Just about anyone I know knows you don't come over unnannounced. Call first, at the very least. THUMP THUMP THUMP. They weren't terribly loud, but they weren't quiet either. And they sounded heavy.
At this time, my daughter looks out the front windows and shouts "Mommy! Stray COWS!!!" I looked out the window and sure enough, five stray cows were right outside my door, and one of them was gently kicking the bottom of my door with it's front hoof!
I quickly put the dogs and cats into their cages, and then stepped outside, leaving Princess Pie in here to watch. Can't trust those stray cows yanno. No telling what they'll do! I herded the cows into the back yard and let them graze in our field as I considered what to do next. I finally called my husband and told him we now had five stray cows in our backyard, thus breaking the promise I made just the night before about livestock not coming to the door.
It didn't take long for the owners of the critters to find us. We had filled one of our giant totes from the move with water for them, and I went out front for just a moment. I saw some men looking up and down the road and asked if they happened to lose their cows. They had. Apparently, they fell out of the floor of the trailer that they were being transported in. Within a couple of hours of literally knocking on our door, the cows were loaded back up in a safer trailer and on their way home.
Princess Pie and I still laugh about it to this day. I'm not quite sure what my husband thinks. Thinking back on it now though, I think a couple of pretty good messages were sent to us.
1) It's not up to us to decide who or what does or doesn't need us. If we are needed, we will be found.
2) Always expect the unexpected, and welcome it in with open arms.
3) If you live out in the country, expect stray cows!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPhWfSeMYHA&feature=player_embedded
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