My dictionary defines vermin as “small animals that are troublesome to man.” Bunnies, raccoons, chipmunks… Technically, they’re all vermin. But, awwww, I mean, just look at them!
Heck, I even think rats are cute. And, yes, I know about the Black Death, but c’mon, that was caused by bacteria on fleas, hitching rides on rats. I mean, you don’t shoot a trucker just because some dudes with drugs stowed away on his big rig! True, rats could do a better job with their personal hygiene. But still…
And mice? Forget about it. Each time our little cat Misha used to capture one, I’d take it away from her, look into its shiny little eightball eyes, and then set it free in a local forest. The last time Misha caught a mouse, she dropped it in my lap, as if to say, “Here, Mr. Sensitive, you’ll probably want to ‘save’ this.”
I can’t help it. I ♥ vermin.
But they don’t ♥ me. A cosplayer at a Renaissance festival had a pet ferret. She said, “Go ahead and pet Nigel. He likes it!” So I put out my hand, and Nigel attempted to separate it from my arm. As I raced to find post-Elizabethan toilet paper to stanch the blood, the woman shouted, “What did you do to Nigel? He’s all upset!” I wanted to ring her neck–with Nigel. Still, that didn’t diminish my love for nearly every kind of animal.
Some years back, we moved to a townhouse in Burbank, California. Several squirrels lived in the pine trees out front. One, whom my wife dubbed Nutkin, spent most of her time digging up our potted plants. So one day I set down a pile of almonds near her. From that moment on I was her dealer. The minute she spotted me in the morning, she’d leap onto the screen door and shake it until I brought her “her almonds.” By week two, she was stuffing her cheeks before I walked away. By week three, she was eating out of my hand. So by week four, confident in her undying love for me, I reached out to pet her.
I know. Stupid idea.
Really stupid.
By the time I’d shaken her off, Nutkin’s teeth had pierced my index finger to the bone. It exploded like a Texas gusher. Once I’d sealed it with an entire roll of surgical grade toilet paper, my finger turned the color–and size–of a ripe eggplant. Two things disappeared that day: 1) My fingernail, 2) My foolish notion that vermin are pets. I mean, given what I know now…
Oops, gotta go. There’s a chipmunk on my windowsill–it’s so cute! I want to see…
If it’ll eat out of my hand!
LOL
😅😅
🤩
Mitch,
We have been rescuing squirrels in Florida for about 5 years now. Probably saved over 50 from death, most released back in to the wild, others found forever homes. Squirrels, like dogs and cats are ALL different. I would say that typically a squirrel is a mix of cat, dog and rabbit! One can usually tell pretty soon how wild or domestic they are by nature. We’ve seen it all and NO TWO are the same! Some love to be held and petted, even having their jaws massaged!
Anyway, we also have a pet rat and to our surprise have discovered they are extremely organized and very clean with their hygiene. Our urinates in the same spot of his cage and like to arrange his space to his precise specifications and not ours! Lots of personality.
And yes, they are all very cute!
Awww.
I had a chipmunk (Charlie) that ate out of my hand for about 3 years and yes he was wild. He was soooooooo cute! He left for safer ground when feral cats started showing up.
A true survivor.
Very nice 😊
Thank you, Vijay (is that what you prefer to be called?).
Good morning
Have a nice day.
Thank you, you too, Vijay.
I love vermin, too! Enjoyed today’s words. Happy day!
You too, Anonymous friend.
Vermin are fine so long as they’re someone else’s problem
😂 I got bit by a cute mouse I rescued from my dog when I was 7. I was more indignant than injured, but it cured any soft-hearted feelings I had about vermin 🤣
Oh, my God, same over here. I rescued every mouse and bird, our first cat Mika caught. I think I saved up to 90 percent of them. I was not afraid to catch them with my bare hands. I just wanted them to be save. Unfortunately, one of our two new cats brings them in a state where all hope is lost…
:>( I love cats, Erika. But, yes, they can be merciless.
No mercy, right! They are still wild animals.
But Mitch, what about the flying rats. Don’t you have a place in your heart for the flying rats?
We don’t seem to have those in my part of the country, Kevin. ;>) Unless you mean bats. We’ve got plenty of those.
lol. Pigeons. We have just as many pigeons as rats. Sitting on a park bench with a sandwich is an invitation for the overhead flying rats to share your lunch.
We had a couple chipmunks living under our concrete stoop. They were too clever for the hawks, the feral cats, and my husband. The duo did so much damage clawing around down there that we had to replace the entire stoop. But I will say this-they were cute! 🙂
Yep. We have a bunch of them, Nancy. They’re adorable. And they do a ton of damage!
Me too, I like vermin! 😅
I had a run in with a mouse I’d caught in the granary, to show my folks. Had to shake it off after it bit my finger. But I love those darling pictures of them in books their cozy underground homes.
howdy
That’s what God’s love for us looks like. We are the vermin, and we bit him too! Still he is so in love with us.
Good one Mitch.
<3
I have what is considered a rodent…it’s a prairie dog…. I wouldn’t take anything for him. One of the most loving and mischievous animals I’ve ever had. My Saint Bernard even likes him…and no not for dinner. Prairie Dogs in the wild have a short life…4-5 years but in captivity they can live up to 10 years…they fear nothing…that is probably the reason they don’t live long in the wild.
How awesome is that, Max!
They are cute but I can only settle for squirrels, probably because one of those trusted me once and it was playing on my palm when I had a very bad day in college and it made everything beautiful. But mice? Nahhh I’m okay admiring them from a distance.
I am going to catch a Prairie Dog when Momo and me go to Fort Davis later this month. The little critters are all over the desert. I have 3 Squirrels that raid my bird feeders and they are vermin. I’m at a lose what to do about them because they are cute.
Squirrels are legendary birdfeeder raiders. If you attached yours to an in-air drone, I’m sure they’d find a way to get to it!
I saw one jump from my fence to the feeder, must have been 15 feet, quite an athletic tree rat.
!! They’re world-class gymnasts.
Fun, Mitch! You’re a funny, vermin-lovin guy!
Thanks, Maria!
These poor animals, just victims of some bad publicity.
;>)
I love watching them.
Agreed, cute, but so unpredictable! 🤣
Funny stuff, Mitch! My ex used to feed squirrels out the back door. They would come up and press their faces against the glass, looking in to see if he was around with their peanuts. He ended up with a squirrel or two in the house at times, but he fared much better than you. Maybe it was the almonds. 🙂
🤣🤣🤣
I think they’re awfully cute too, except for rats. They’re just plain evil-looking in my opinion! But no, it’s not a good idea to try to pet them…..although once when we were in Colorado, my kids did hand feed some chipmunks. Made me quite nervous, but they did it!
Oh, my. Look out for the cute ones.
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Nutkin? Sorry, but I refer to all squirrels as “Rocky.”
;>) My wife’s a big Beatrix Potter fan.