Critter Magnets, Perhaps

We like animals. Last week, I told you about our son, Doug, his wife, Penny, and feeding the deer. Also, I told you about the four animals that showed up at the same time. It was the cat, the fox, the raccoon, and the skunk. The cat now makes himself at home and hangs out with Doug most of the time. He still likes to go out at night, so Doug lets him out. To get him back in at bedtime, Doug steps out onto the patio and yells, “Meow!” From a distance, he hears an answering “Meow,” and, in a couple of minutes, the cat shows up.

Our son, Russ, and his wife, Cindy, were on vacation last week. One evening, they checked their Ring camera to see if things were okay at home. They became worried when they saw 10 deer milling around their yard. When they got home a day later, they saw that they had lost some flowers, but the vegetable garden was still intact. They were happy to see that some of the tomatoes were ready to be picked.

Our daughter, Terri, and her husband, Steve, have been watching two crows that seem to take great pleasure in landing in their backyard and strutting around just to antagonize their cat. The cat, meanwhile, is pawing at the sliding door furiously as it wants to go out and attack the crows. It’s a terribly frustrated cat.

Pat and I have a crow and his mate who stop by every morning for breakfast. A couple of times, they brought their friends with them, and we ended up surrounded by 30 or 40 crows who wanted something to eat. A few peanuts took care of them.

Some folks might say that attracting so many creatures could only mean that we are Critter Magnets. Others would say that we are just too easy.

Dave Thomas

6/18/2026