I have three cats. We live in a rural area. I feed my cats only wet food in a vain attempt to cut down on the wildlife reduction program they seem to be on.
I have an arrangement with my cats. I don’t fuss about them killing wild creatures as long as they eat them as well. No wasting. There are children starving in “insert foreign country name here.” Clean your plate, young lady!
Did you know that chickens will carry eggs about under their wings to move them different places if they think the egg is in danger? I didn’t know this.
This little tidbit came from my source for totally free-range eggs. I’m not sure why this came up. Actually, I am, but it’s a gross story and I’ve started to write about it several times, but it’s even more gross than the story I’m about to tell you. Anyway, she mentioned this ability of theirs to move eggs about. I thought it was interesting, but didn’t really think much more about it as I went about my daily life.
This tidbit came into play this morning when I headed through the sunroom to get to the front flower bed, which was in desperate need of water. As I first entered the sunroom I noticed LOTS of feathers. This is never a good sign. It only happens a few times a year, which with three cats in the house is pretty darn good. Anyway, as I get closer I realize that they’ve caught and eaten a quail. This is the first time any of them have ever caught a quail. And I’m glad for that. I love the quail. We used to have a covey that regularly came through the front yard until we had to fence it to keep my dog in. Now they have another route. I still see them, just not quite so close and intimately.
Anyway, next to the quail was an unbroken quail egg. I had no idea how beautiful quail eggs are, having never seen one in person before.
I am thinking that this was a quail who was running from the fire, although it was at least a mile from our house. I don’t know what to think.
I am heartbroken.
Songmom
Know a biology teacher? Could you try to incubate the egg so it might hatch? Poor mama quail, though. I think I’d throttle one of my cats (I have four, though one is an indoor kitty) if they did something like that.
Unfortunately, by the time I found it the egg was no longer even close to warm. I toyed with the idea of calling our local Native Animal Rescue. I’ve taken an injured bat and a baby (6 hours old!) gopher to our locals. They’re wonderful folk.
Good thought though.