I’ve seen lots of baby animals on the Discovery channel, in magazines, and in movies, but when I actually think about it I haven’t seen very many newly born baby animals. Hmmm…..I’m thinking hard and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen any newborn baby animals in real life --- other than human animals. Until this week, that is. At work, in a box, on a counter, in a cubicle, near me, were these:
Apparently their mother had made them a nice cozy nest in some warm and snuggly hay bales but the bales were broken up to feed some cows and poof! no more nice warm nest. The babies were rescued, their foster mom brought them to work with her, and I met my first baby raccoons.
I knew little animal babies don't open their eyes for a while, but I didn’t know they also have to open their ears. I wish I would have known that when my kids were teenagers. I think theirs must have closed up again. I could have taken them in for some “closed-ear medicine” or “minor ear-opening surgery”. Hey, wait a minute … Dean ….. excuse me for a moment … I’ll be right back … I need to make a quick call……
The babies spent the morning in their temporary home with their foster mom and by noon they had all been adopted out. I love baby animals as much as the next person but I've already done my time feeding a squeaking, squealing, kinda stinky little critter every hour on the hour. I've gotten used to uninterrupted sleep -- on the nights Dean doesn't snore anyway, so I was not one of the new adoptive mothers.
And after I read this I was glad I resisted. There’s soft-hearted and generous, and then there’s just plain crazy.◦
4 comments:
You don't own a cell phone....????
Those are the cutest things ever!!! Thanks for posting the "do I want a racoon for a pet?" link. Now when I see one up for grabs, I'll definately say NO.
We had a momma raccoon give birth to six of these cuddly things in the flue to our fireplace when we lived in Colorado Springs 15 years ago. We couldn't see them, but we sure could smell them. Had to get guy to come out and catch momma and the babies and release them in the wild, where they belonged. Have you ever faced a snarling, spitting, thoroughly pissed off momma raccoon? Fortunately she was in a humane trap. Still scary. Looked mad enough to bite through the trap and then take off both of my arms and a leg.
Funny, but Al went through that stage where could have used the ear-opening operation. I'm not sure if his have fully opened even now. Raccoons don't snore -- Dean, Kathy -- but they are nocturnal, so they squeak and squall at night when momma comes home with some stinky, been-dead-for-three-centuries piece of roadkill.
Abby, pictures are cute. Those stinkers really aren't.
Came over from Fruitbat to visit. I've never seen racoons this little. One place I used to live...the mama would bring her babies to eat our catfood off of the front porch. It was cool to watch them and listen to the chitter chatter communication.
Hoosier hugs, Cheryl
Post a Comment