“Orphan”

One of our chickens ended up dying (I don’t recall why) and left a baby chick behind.  We had an orphan on our hands so we took it in the house and let it stay in our attic for awhile. It was a nice large area – plenty of room for a little chick.  I put newspapers down on the floor so that I wouldn’t have such a mess to clean up everyday.  When it was time to feed Orphan I would open the door to the attic and call for the chick.  She would come hopping down the stairs.  “Orphan” became one of our pets.  We would be sitting on the sofa and Orphan would jump onto my lap and hop up on my shoulder and peck my cheek.  She would also sit on my shoulder and try to wrap up in my hair, as if trying to make a nest out of my hair!

We had two friends over one evening and we let Orphan come out of the attic and it proceeded to do its regular routine of sitting on my shoulder and pecking my cheek. Then Orphan went over to my husband and proceeded to go through the same routine.  I thought our friends were going to roll on the floor!  Quite different from the other chickens, our chick had a very distinct clucking.

“Rocky”

My pet squirrel “Rocky” didn’t come around as much when Mama and Tiger stayed at the house.  I couldn’t let him in the house during that time.  I doubt that he would have come in even if invited.  When he came up to the patio door for peanuts, I would open the door a few inches and Rocky would stick his nose in the opening and the cats would go over to him and they would start smacking at each other. He used to eat bread all the time but he is now spoiled and wants only peanuts. Once in a while I give him peanut butter on a graham cracker.  He usually just eats the peanut butter and leaves the cracker.  The squirrels love peanut butter. When I put feed out for the birds, Rocky and other squirrels in the neighborhood love to get into that and don’t leave much for the birds.

When “Rocky II” is ready to eat he comes up to the patio and jumps up on the side of the patio door and hangs there, peering inside.  Sometimes he will come to the patio door and knock on the glass with his nose to get my attention.