Just Say "No!" to Squirrels

 

It's been quite the day of Huskies vs. Squirrels here. All ending very badly for the adorable furry rodents that stumbled out of a tree and into our Siberian Husky yard. Yes, while our sweet FiveSibes™ were just relaxing in the Indian Summer warmth on the deck, a sudden commotion accompanied by high pitch yelps could be heard echoing through the land...

...but let me first take you back to earlier in the day when the sun woke up, breaking through the day as the Sibes went outside to greet the morning...and a stray baby squirrel. Oh yes, I said baby. Alpha Queen Harley snatched it quick and no matter how we tried, we could not save that baby squirrel from her strong jaws, which chomped that little baby into a flat, non-breathing "toy." When we managed to get the body away from her, it was missing a part. Just then, we glanced up to see Harley, with the tail in her mouth, pause just a beat before swallowing it whole without batting a blue eye at us. I guess that's the canine version of a phrase I can't type on this family-oriented page.

That was all before morning coffee.

Not to be outdone by the leader of the pack, Bandit (the wanna-be queen) decided it was her turn. And that brings us full circle to the yelping and commotion in the yard with a floofy tail hanging out of Bandit's mouth. We did manage to rescue this squirrel (who we sadly wondered if it was the deceased AM squirrel's mom looking for her baby, but it does no one any good to go there). Unfortunately, Bandit had already paralyzed the poor thing, who was now crying (yes, crying, it was heartbreaking) and breathing rapidly, rolling its frightened eyes at us. My teary-eyed daughter immediately phoned our vet, and together with my husband they accompanied the squirrel (now on a blanket in a box) to our vet's office, where it was peacefully put to sleep.

Back on our deck, after having exercised their strong prey instinct for the day, all five furbabies are back to quietly dozing in the early evening sunset. Meanwhile, the humans are gorging themselves on chocolate to relieve the stressful events of the day.

Note to Squirrels: Please, for your own safety, stay out of yards owned by Siberian Huskies.

Comments

  1. Angels Amber and Max DaWeenie and MomOctober 7, 2011 at 6:23 PM

    Awwww {sniffle} This is really rather heartbreaking. That hunting instinct kicks in and there is no stopping it. It's very hard to watch for anyone who loves animals. Let's hope the squirrels' extended family moves to safer ground during the night.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rubie and Poots (her Mum)October 7, 2011 at 7:41 PM

    Hi, that would have been a scary morning for the humans, my mum would have freaked out too!

    Squirrels please stay away!

    Tail Wuggles, Rubie

    ReplyDelete
  3. TimberLoveOctober 7, 2011 at 8:54 PM

    Oh dear, those huskerboos!

    RA

    ReplyDelete
  4. JenOctober 7, 2011 at 8:54 PM

    Nature red in tooth and claw, I suppose. I have no love for squirrels, after having to pay a squirrel removal professional to remove squirrels from my house, but the fact that they were terrified is sad. Ah well; it's also a bit of natural selection.

    ReplyDelete
  5. ♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥October 7, 2011 at 9:09 PM

    Change the word squirrel to rabbit and a similar scene could have been reenacted here:) TD is great at swallowing whole as well:( Sad, but it is what it is. Mom can never understand why the rabbits never learn their lesson.

    Woos ~ Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning

    ReplyDelete
  6. Bailey Be Good!October 7, 2011 at 11:25 PM

    Oh my goodness! What a day you all had!

    Still, I'm hoping you had a happy World Smile Day! :)

    Woofs & hugs! <3

    ~Bailey (Yep, I'm a girl!)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Kolchak PuggleOctober 7, 2011 at 11:26 PM

    Awww, what a day! I love you for taking the squirrel to the vet. Koly caught a squirrel once, but I don't know if he was surprised that it was MOVING or if it was that it was FUZZY, but he panicked and let it go. The squirrel was a little damp, but otherwise OK.

    ReplyDelete
  8. ThePainterPackOctober 8, 2011 at 12:00 AM

    Mom says woo need to start fixing coffee a bit earlier in the morning! Haroo roo roo to the Sibes!

    Mya Boo Boo

    ReplyDelete
  9. PippaOctober 8, 2011 at 7:11 AM

    Catz. That's my speciality. Small ones are easier of course. Rats too :)

    Pippa

    ReplyDelete
  10. DexterOctober 8, 2011 at 7:21 AM

    ACK! Tell that pack that if they are going to play with squirrels they need to go in for a clean kill from now on. I swear squirrels go through some sort of teenage initiation which involves running under cars or into the jaws of doom.

    Mango Momma

    ReplyDelete
  11. Teddy BearOctober 8, 2011 at 7:00 PM

    What a day! Those squirrels....

    Love,
    Teddy Bear & Sierra

    ReplyDelete
  12. The ThugletsOctober 9, 2011 at 6:12 AM

    Gosh what a day. In in all our natures. We managed a pigeon and a rabbit the other day!

    We don't get any squirrels around us.

    Big nose pokes
    The Thugletsx

    ReplyDelete
  13. SagiraOctober 15, 2011 at 9:04 PM

    RIP squirrels...should know better than to try to play with the Sibes. :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why A Purple Pumpkin for Howloween? Plus, A Gibson Howloween Coloring Page!

Image
FiveSibes #Flashback Photo ~ Gibson & His Purple Pumpkin ~ 2014 W oo! Or, should I say Booooo! It's that time of the year when pumpkin hunting and carving is fun thing to do! And, while we are all busy carving and displaying our artworks on the gourds, did you remember to make a purple pumpkin?  "Woo! What's in my purple pumpkin? Treats?!"  ~Gibson/FiveSibes       A Purple pumpkin? What?! If you've been a FiveSibes follower, you know how important the color of purple is to us, and why Purple Pumpkins are a staple here.If you are new to us here at FiveSibes, I initially joined in the Purple Pumpkin Project because we made our pumpkin purple for my Epi-dog Gibson. So, you might be asking yourself, Why was Gibson's pumpkin purple? For Canine Epilepsy Awareness!  You can read more about it in our video further down in this post, or by visiting a previous explanatory post HERE.   Follow the Purple Pumpkin Project on Facebook! In a pumpkin shell—as m...
Read more

Acupressure and Ice to Relieve Seizures and A #LiveGibStrong Epi-Tip

Image
*Updated March 2022   Our Vet-Approved FiveSibes #LiveGibStrong  "Cooling Down an Epi-Dog: Where Do I Put Cold Packs?" Informational Poster   Poster Is A Great Resource for:     ✔︎ Veterinarian Offices ✔︎ Vet ER  Hospitals ✔︎ Rescues & Shelters ✔︎ Dog Wardens & Animal Control Officers ✔︎ Trainers ✔︎ Groomers ✔︎ Dog Walkers  ✔︎ Dog Parks  ✔︎ Pet Supply Stores & Boutiques ✔︎ Dog Friendly Businesses ✔︎ Police Departments ✔︎ Fire Departments   To request FREE* printed copies, simply send an Email with #Paws4Purple Materials in Subject line and what you'd like copies of and how many, to: Debra@AKFUS.org  of the Purple Day® Every Day as Presented by The Anita Kaufmann Foundation    For More Info on Canine Epilepsy, Please Visit Our #LiveGibStrong Online Library & Resource Page HERE.   Here's a great tip, diagram and explanation from Tallgrass Acupuncture Institute as to why ice on certain acupressure poin...
Read more

#PrayersForHarley - Dewclaw Tumor

Image
Dewclaws. Such an unnecessary evil for a dog. In August, I noticed Harley limping. At 11-and-a-half, she is a bit stiff-legged at times from arthritis, but this was a more pronounced limp and she was having an extra tough time sitting down. She seemed very uncomfortable. She was also becoming a bit snarley, especially when I was touching her paw, which is something that never typically bothers her. Upon further checking, I noticed an odd lump around her dewclaw on her right leg, thinking it was possibly a pulled dewclaw, maybe a splinter, thistle, or even a bee sting , she became extremely agitated when I touched it.    (Warning: some photos may be somewhat graphic, but I am sharing for educational purposes).   Oddity beneath the dew claw.   Off to the vet we went. At the vet, Harley is protective of her paw by hiding it . Harley's paw was shaved and it uncovered a very large inflamed area surrounding the dewclaw and beyond, as you can see in ...
Read more

The Rainbow Bridge Welcomes A New FurAngel - Buddy, the Christmas Husky - A Forever Symbol of Hope for Rescued Dogs

Image
Original photo by and courtesy of Lisa Byrd; modified by FiveSibes The Rainbow Bridge must be some (p)awesome place to be for it has so many amazing, beautiful angel animals there. My beloved Gibson is there. As is my Chelsey, Sandy, kitty Smokie, bunny Sunny, my fox Ah, many horses, and so many others pets. We have many furfriends who have also crossed The Rainbow Bridge. All of these beloved animals are there...so healthy and happy, with all the dogs enjoying their zoomies and playing Fetch all day in a land that is eternally beautiful. Sounds perfect. Only catch is when our devoted companions are there, we can no longer physically be with them. So while they are in a place where the spirit soars, our hearts are broken as we are missing them here with us. It is a hurt we all as pet parents now way too well.  And today, as unbelievable as it seems as I write this, we have to bid a final farewell to another dear furpal, Buddy, the Christmas Husky , who has now earned h...
Read more

Fit For Our #FiveSibes Alpha Queen: Celebrating Harley's 14½ Birthday

Image
Born on March 10, 2005, our beautiful alpha queen, pupster surrogate momma, and my daughter's and our first Siberian Husky,  turns 14½ today! You may be wondering why are we celebrating her half birthday? Because, as heartbreaking as it is, we now know she will not be here in March to celebrate her 15th Birthday as I once had hoped. Heartfelt thanks to Ann at Zoolatry for this beautiful badge. Thank you all who are sharing it and joining paws for our girl. As amazing and strong as our queen has been, and how proud I have been of how she still could outrun Pupsters Wolf and Bandit, still splash in her pool like a puppy, tear up a dog bed like there's no tomorrow, and chase her tail until the sun sets, our beloved Husky leader has also been dealing with health issues that we have been treating, but are now slowing her down and, heartbreakingly we are preparing ourselves for her journey, that we as pet parents all dread, to the Rainbow Bridge.  “Dogs' lives a...
Read more