December 19 Wish I had a Camera!

Since I didn't have a camera this morning I will have to describe it for you. Those of you who know me. Know of my sweet dog Katie (profile pic). She is a avid squirrel watcher. Even though she has had opportunities to catch a squirrel from time to time, The squirrels have always managed to get away. I like to believe that Katie lets them go. We are pretty sure that there are at least 7 squirrels living in our complex. One reason is that we have seen at least 5 out at one time in one area. Now these squirrels are smart and they know exactly how close they can get to the apt complex dogs who sometimes are put out on tie outs. Between them an Katie it has become a game. Since a couple of the trees are close enough for her to lay under while on a tie out.

About a week ago Katie was having a game with one of the squirrels out in the courtyard. The squirrel was running up and down the tree barking back at Katie. Katie would bark at the squirrel. After an hour I brought Katie back in the house. A little while later my husband took the trash to the dumpster. He noticed a squirrel laying at the bottom of the tree where Katie had been playing. It was dead. There were no marks on him. We are not even sure it was the same squirrel. Ray and one of our neighbors said that it looked like it fell over dead. Well for several days after that Katie would go out an look for her little friend. It was like the other squirrels had disappeared.

Yesterday, she had taken her oldest toy which is a squeak toy that looks like a squirrel outside and left it. We don't normally let her take her toys outside. Well the toy got wet so we put it up to dry out. This morning after a walk. I brought Katie in put her on her lead so she could be outside longer. She grabbed her toy squirrel and put it under the tree. Yes, the same one she an her friend had been playing under. I tried bringing it back in. Katie took it back out.

I know that some people don't think animals don't think like humans. Something tells me that Katie is mourning her little friend in her own way. So the toy squirrel will stay where it is until Katie is ready for it to go.