Just call me "Detective"

I knew something was up when Milo (the barn cat) wanted to move in with the chickens....

Evidence A.

Milo about to walk down the chicken plank.

Milo eating out of the chicken feeder. Is Milo confused? Does he believe he is a chicken? Identity Crisis...perhaps?

I thought Milo's move was encouraged because another cat wanted to move in and be the barn cat. Then she moved out of the barn also (unfortunately she now is living in the garage). Is there a ghost in the barn scaring my barn cats?

Months ago, after 2 of our chickens were pulled through the chicken wire (piece by piece), we notice raw spots on the ground, where the dirt had been freshly scratched. The chicken deaths were consistent with a raccoon. The raccoon we later caught. Could it be another raccoon?

Evidence B.

This is about a day old. We have noticed fresh scratch marks during the day. This is not consistent with a cat scaring ghost or a raccoon. Still possibly a wood chuck?

What ever it is can get the lid off the cat food container but can not seem to figure out how to dump it over. Raccoons are smart, very smart. They can use their "hands" in ways other animals can not. This is not consistent with a raccoon. Possibly wood chuck. A ghost could definitely dump the cat food container!

Evidence C.


There is also five entrances (holes) under the tack room floor. This is consistent with a wood chuck. Wood chucks should be hibernating by now. Could climate change effect their hibernation time?

Evidence D.


Then there are the animal tracks. To the untrained eye one could say it is indeed a raccoon but to me the detective say they are not of the size consistency of a raccoon or a wood chuck! Ghost do not leave foot prints.

Evidence E.




Conclusion:
One- All evidence leads me to believe its not a ghost.
Two- Milo is not confused that he is a chicken, all signs point to fear of whatever is in the barn.
Three- I am a detective but not Sherlock Holmes.
Four- We are getting a night vision camera for the barn.

My naughty kitty

I love watching animals, not just my own pets but all animals, wild or domestic.

My naughty little barn cat insist on taunting my yard dogs. At first my little Milo liked to sunbath on the opposite side of the fence (so the dogs couldnt reach him). Then after the novelty of that wore off, he decided that it would really aggravate the dogs if he perched himself on top of the fence. He would just wait there for them to notice. As soon as my hot headed pups would start to bark, he simply jumps down and sits on the opposite side of the fence, snickering "missed me, missed me, now ya got to kiss me". A few days pass and that also begins to lose its appeal.

So Milo raises the stakes once again. Slipping under the gate and then sprinting across the yard to the adjacent gate while the dogs are hot in pursuit. He slides under the gate just in time to turn and chuckle to himself as my hot headed pups crash into the gate then roll backwards.

Its kind of funny but I can see that my Husky x(Sam), is getting smarter. He is waiting longer before he chases Milo, making sure he is completely in the yard before he pursues. I wonder who will win the game of cat and mouse... I will even go as far as to say, "who is the cat and who is the mouse"?



He really is a naughty kitty.