DOCTOR DOOLITTLE

Last year a dove built her nest on our wicker porch chair. At the first sign of the nest, Paul threw it away, but the next day it was back and this time bigger and stronger. So we decided she was here to stay. We went about our lives, coming and going through the front door and that bird stayed still as a statue on her nest - on my wicker chair with the beautiful red floral cushions. We watched through the dining room window as the babies hatched and finally grew feathers. We watched them flutter and heard them chirp when mama was out getting food. Finally we saw them become so round and fat, they literally spilled over the edges of the nest (there were two). Still, at night, or during a storm, their mother would manage to squeeze every bit of fat feathered baby under her and cover every inch. Then we noticed the babies on the porch, and then off the porch in the flower beds, returning at night to the chair to sleep. Till finally one day they never returned. It was about this time last year that she raised her family for us to see. We are hoping she will come again and allow us to enjoy the show.

Also, last year, we bottled fed two orphaned kittens. My mom's cat died when they were 2 weeks old. After being rescued from under her neighbor's house, they were divided up between my sister and me (my mom worked and couldn't feed them all day). One of ours quickly got the name "nibbles" because one of his siblings had nibbled part of his ear off in its desperate search for food without mama. We estimate they were without their mother for about 3 days because that's how long the neighbor said they seemed to be crying an unusual amount. Anyway, we bought baby animal formula and fed them with teeny tiny bottles. I put baby food chicken in the milk and they got the cutest fattest tummies on them. I also taught them how to use the bathroom because the vet said the mother would have done that. So I potty trained those two kittens. They learned to walk with us. I set up the guest bath for them and when we were home, after their feedings, they'd toddle around the house and try to play with our labrador who was afraid of them. When they were tired, they'd go to their little box and fall asleep with the little teddy bear we stuck in there for them. Then I'd close the door and wait for the show to begin again in 2 hours. When they were old enough they went back to my mom's because we already have 2 cats and a dog. But, what a great time Kayla and I had with those tiny fur balls.

Now, we are protecting a nest of bunnies in our yard. Long story short - our dog found the nest and sent the babies scattering. We managed to gather them up, wearing gloves, and return them home. Last night we saw the dog staring into the face of one of the babies, about 3 feet from it. This was after Blake mowed over the nest - I had forgotten to warn him about the bunnies. The bunny was on the outside of her electric fence (on the opposite side of the yard as the nest, which is INSIDE the fence) and the dog was on the inside. Later last night, Paul had to get one of the bunnies out of the dog's mouth. The bunny was completely unharmed. So once again, Paul ran around THREE yards collecting bunnies and returning them to the nest. At one point, I promise, a baby bunny sprung right off his shoe, trying to run from him. Funny though, the first time he picked them up, they squealed horribly. The next time, they didn't make a sound. They just seemed calm and scooted right into their hole when he put them at the opening. But when they did squeal, mama bunny appeared from nowhere following that sound.
Now we monitor the dog, who seems fairly depressed about her missed opportunity, and we go outside througout the day and look in the nest and count six little ears. And we watch from the family room window and see the mother stop by a few times a day.

So, I don't know how I'll do as a mother in the end, but I have managed to raise two doves, two kittens, and.... it looks like 3 bunnies successfully.