Beware Of The Great Horned Owl

I’m often asked about predators when a cat has disappeared for an extended period of time. People in wooded urban or suburban areas first believe their cat was stolen by someone or chased off by a dog. Another question on the list is “What about a large predatory bird?” Believe it or not, it’s a strong possibility that a bird of prey can swoop down and fly off with a cat. It’s not one of the more common scenarios, but it does happen. One such bird of prey that’s been implicated in a lot of cat disappearances is the Great Horned Owl.

The Great Horned Owl is one of the most impressive birds in our country. It stands 19 to 24 inches tall with a wingspan of up to 60 inches (yes, that’s about 5 feet!). It’s a fearless bird of prey. It has long feather tufts, large bright yellow eyes, and a white “collar” around the throat. Its deep-pitched call, repeated up to eight times, can be heard for miles on a still night. The Great Horned Owl is primarily a woodland species, but is occasionally found in parks and orchards. It is non-migratory and occurs throughout the state in good numbers year round. 

They have great vision allowing them to see in low light conditions. The eyes of Great Horned Owls are similar in size to those of humans. Like humans, an owl’s vision is binocular as well. The eyes can’t move like we can move our eyes and owls instead just turn their heads to see. It can turn its neck to a full 270 degrees in order to see in other directions without moving its entire body. 

An owl’s hearing is probably better than its vision. They even have better depth perception and better perception of sound elevation than humans. Owl ears are not placed in the same position on either side of their head so they are better at hearing sounds at particular elevations better than most animals. The right ear is set higher in the skull and at a slightly different angle. By turning its head until the sound is the same in each ear, an owl can pinpoint sound coming from any direction. 

Now for the bad news. These birds hunt at night by waiting and watching patiently and then swooping down on prey. Prey is varied. Great Horned Owls are fearless, voracious, eating machines with wings. They’ve been known to swoop down and grab a small, toy sized dog even if it’s attached to a leash. Unfortunately, a tug-of-war match between a strong owl and a dog owner will often be won by the owl. They even kill other birds of prey.

The Case Of The Abandoned Baby Bird

Yesterday I noticed an eggshell on my yard. This isn’t unusual as there are many birds nesting this time of year. What was unusual was that, on closer inspection, a live baby bird was actually still inside the shell. Stranger still was that no trees were in the area that could contain a nest from which an egg could potentially fall from.

American robins begin breeding in April. The eggs are blue and about an inch in length. Only about 40 percent of all nests produce healthy robins. So, there’s a good chance that all of the eggs won’t develop into healthy young birds. Of course, if a predator should disrupt the nest in any way a robin can usually sense this and not return to the nest or dispose of the eggs.

Robins also have a great sense for knowing when their offspring are healthy or not. They’ll dispose of the eggs in some way so that the eggs don’t go rotten. Egg disposal is common, but usually this happens before the young begin hatching. So the mystery remains as to why a mother bird would give up on a bird attempting to emerge from its shell.

 

Should You Drug Your Dog To Get It Back?

As a Pet Detective, I’ve dealt with people who will do anything to get their pet back. Often, the owners will resort to trying anything. 

One such example was a person who had lost her Sheltie. The Sheltie was in the area and for several days she actually came within several yards of it but just couldn’t get her hands on the dog. Her solution? She wanted to drug the dog and then track it until it “dropped”. Not a good idea! 

This particular person is not alone in her thinking. Many people believe that drugging a dog, either by placing something in its food or using a tranquilizer gun is a good idea. There are, however, numerous reasons why a dog shouldn’t be retrieved in this way. 

Using drugs to sedate an animal can be complicated. As with people, an animal won’t necessarily behave the way you expect it to when it’s under the influence. Maybe a normally calm dog will dart into the path of danger? Perhaps it’s personality could change and it will become more aggressive? Or maybe the dosages are incorrect and the dog could be poisoned immediately.  Also, what’s to say that tainted food is never touched by your dog and a different animal eats it instead? You never know. 

As for tranquilizer guns, there are major dangers involved.  The technique of using traquilizer guns to capture dogs is typically handled by animal control officers, and they receive training in this. It is called chemical capture or chemical tranquilization. 

With a little patience and smarts, you can get your dog back without resorting to drug methods. After all, you know your dog best and that’s the best weapon you have in finding it safely and bringing it home.

How To Catch a Stray Cat Using Household Items

Do you have a cat in your neighborhood or yard that appears to be a stray or is too fearful to actually approach?  Here’s a method that will likely work every time… 

Attach a string to a stick and use the stick to prop up a laundry basket.  Place a plate underneath the basket that contains something a cat would like to eat.  Tuna works great since it has an odor that carries for long distances.  The string should be long enough that it can extend to somewhere where you’ll be watching in secrecy out of view of the skittish cat. 

The cat will approach your setup cautiously.  It will be attracted to the tuna and will likely begin eating.  Allow the cat time to become comfortable eating the tuna.  After a minute or so it will feel safe and let it’s guard down.  This is the time where you can pull the string and the basket will come down over the cat, trapping it inside.

 Once the cat is trapped inside the basket, it’s important to quickly run to the basket and put something heavy on it so that a frantic cat that’s bouncing around won’t escape or knock over the light laundry basket and run away.  A large book such as a dictionary works well.  

You’ll get one shot at this.  If the cat escapes it will likely avoid a similar trap in the future. The success rate for this kind of capture is very high.  Also, it’s a lot of fun!  The cat is completely unharmed and once it’s under the laundry basket you can call animal control to have the cat humanely removed.

Looking For A New Puppy? Avoid Being Scammed – Here’s How

Recently, my friend’s Boxer died.  This wasn’t a death of old age as this dog was less than 2 years old.  Sadie was a lovable puppy and a lot of fun.  So why did she stop eating?  Why did she have serious genetic internal problems with her organs?  Well, Sadie was originally purchased from a breeder with ties to a puppy mill. 

 Althouth my friend was able to see the dog in person before bringing it home, scammers often work long distance and try to sell animals that potential owners never meet first.

 So how can you protect yourself from scammers?  Well, of course, never buy a dog you haven’t seen or preferably met in person.  Actually, adoption is still the best option.  There are thousands of dogs waiting for a good home.  Remember, adoption doesn’t mean you have to give up on your hope of having a purebred dog as there are many purebreds at local shelters in need of new owners.  Purebreds find their way to shelters more often than you think, so keep your eyes open.

 Rescue groups for specific breeds are also very passionate about finding homes for abandoned purebreds that have been abused or given to shelters.  Use the internet to find breeders and rescue groups in your geographic area.  Be careful when searching for a puppy online and follow these rules:

•  Check references and try to get in touch with others who have purchased pets from a breeder you’re interested in. 
  
•  Don’t send money order payments
  
•  Good breeders actually want you to come and visit your future pet so take them up on it
  
•  Be wary of breeders that won’t give refunds should your new puppy become ill.  A reputable breeder will always take a dog back no matter what the reason.
  
•  For your own safety and the safety of your dog, pick up your new puppy at a kennel and don’t have the animal shipped or pick it up at a random location.

 Have any disastrous experiences of your own?  Maybe we can learn from you!  Please leave a comment.