Farm Pets
No farm is complete without pets.
Even if you personally don’t have pets but you have a farm; then you have pets. Unintended for sure but pets all the same.
They are the disenfranchised, the fringe, and all too common.
Usually a cat. Feral and stinky. Not as stinky as a skunk. Definitely smelly.
Coyotes, skunks, cats, racoons, and bears, oh my!
They’re there.
Driven by hunger they rummage through compost piles and investigate trash bins to sate themselves. They will dig under, climb over, and push through your stuff to find refuge, cover, and sustenance.
Walk outside at night with a flashlight and it won’t be long before a pair of glowing eyeballs are staring back at you in its’ beam.
More than one pair glowing back at you means you have pet racoons. They always travel in packs. Big buggers. Gangstas. Not afraid of shit.
Its’ open for debate wether or not chickens qualify as pets. Feathered, reptilian, and utterly devoid of intelligence, chickens probably shouldn’t qualify but rest assured a neighbour, or their neighbour, will have ‘qualified’ chickens. The neighbour will insist their chickens have varied and distinct personalities. Chickens will range and find you, especially if their flight feathers aren’t clipped. Chickens will eat all your hosta plants in the Spring.
Bad bird. Bad bad bird!
We have two cats and two dogs; sort of and we adore them. They are not without purpose on the farm.
Cats help with vermin eradication.
Our two cats are neutered males and both showed up disenfranchised. They say pets choose you.
Tiggy
Tiggy is a Norwegian Forest Cat. Our experience with this breed is they have limited coping skills but are very entertaining. They sleep in weird positions too. On their back spread-eagled like superman flying upside down.
Piggy and the Vet
Piggy is also a Norwegian Forest Cat but his size suggests Maine-Coon in the mix. He, unfortunately has been diagnosed by the Vet with diabetes. Not uncommon but totally treatable. He sleeps in a normal position.
Farm dogs may scare off unwanted visitors. Usually non-human and are just amazing companions. They can break your heart.
Our dog Molly who, technically is not ours and belongs to a family member, is very old. Her retirement is better spent on the farm with farmersdotter than in a city condo.
Molly
Molly is very hard of hearing and doesn’t see too well. She lives through her nose. She never leaves farmersdotter’s side and she is vigilant about searching the perimeter for danger. Never finds any…
…She possibly is having better luck up in doggy heaven. *Heartbroken.
Finally another dog. Rosco.
Again not our dog. A neighbours dog. A different neighbour than the neighbour with chickens.
Although this neighbour has chickens too, just chickens with clipped flight feathers. To clip or not to clip. It’s a thing among chicken people.
We’re not chicken people. Unless it’s crispy fried.
Anyway, those are the farm pets.
We love them.