Hapless House Guests

Before I get into the “meat” of this entertaining story, a bit of background about the relationship I enjoy with my two Oriental Shorthair cats, Hubble and Hush Puppy, is necessary. Hubble is white with deep blue eyes and a delightful purrsonality. His brother, Hush Puppy, a lilac point, ranks high on the I.Q scale. One would think being endowed with these attributes; my cats would have had the common sense to alert me to the hapless houseguests lurking in our attic. But no . . . Living in Florida has many blessings, one of which is the chance to interact with the abundant species of wild life inhabiting our state. There are literally thousands of critters roaming the peninsula. Requiring diligent monitoring to prevent household invasion, insects are among the most common. So you can imagine my dismay and upset when three weeks ago, our pest control technician, treating the premises, called me into the dining room, gesticulating wildly as he pointed to the ceiling. Telling me the” good news" about those unwanted houseguests residing in the attic, he proceeded to thump on the ceiling pausing for a reaction, I was stunned when I heard loud scratching noises in response to his pounding. Standing in silence, we heard little "clicks" and grunts as well. "What is that noise?" I quickly asked. He scratched his head, tilting his ear closer to the ceiling, and ventured a guess, that we had either a family of possums or raccoons in the attic. My cats that had followed me into the dining room, out of curiosity, yawned and curled up under the table. They had absolutely no reaction to the sounds. Our Housemates "What is our next step?” I feverishly inquired. Smiling wryly, the termite inspector suggested I immediately call a wildlife removal service. I was getting seriously frightened as he continued educating me saying, “They can wreak havoc in an attic, tearing wires, ruining insulation and depositing their filthy disease causing waste.” I was not a happy camper anticipating an unplanned high price item looming ahead. I love all animals. I have a great fondness for wildlife. I could not bear the thought of executing these furry critters. After all, we are encroaching on their territories with our over building, stripping forests of trees and ruining wild critters’ habitat. Since we have taken away their homes, it is almost poetic justice when they seek shelter areas, which normally would not be attractive to them. Shortly after calling a humane wildlife control company, a zebra striped truck arrived in our driveway. A pleasant young man climbed into our attic, camera in hand. He returned in a few minutes with a set of digital photographs of an indignant and defensive mother raccoon, protecting her babies. After digging deeply into our pockets, contract signed; mama raccoon and babies have now been trapped and relocated to a wildlife preserve. Careful measures were taken to prevent future visitations. Baby being returned to the wild! Silly me for having expectations that my beloved cats would have sounded an alarm. They continue to sleep blissfully, unaware of the drama that unfolded under their roof. Don‘t you think that a better “house trap” needs to be designed? Leave a comment and let us know.