Hurray for our kitty cats!!!!
08-07-2013, 07:45 AM
#21
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Port Charlotte, Fl
Posts: 2,569
Oh my that is terriflying. I hate snakes. I opened the door one day to let my DH in and slammed it quick their was a huge black snake in the entry I know they're supposed to be good but .. so when DH came home he took a broom and made it leave the entry it was also scared I think. So glad you are all ok especially a rattlesnake. Their are so many here in Fl. good your cat stayed where he was. Sue
08-07-2013, 08:43 AM
#22
Power Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Long Island
Posts: 24,820
thank god everyone is o.k.
what can one do as a deterrent to snakes????
hero kitty to the rescue, I hope all the kitties got an extra snack that night.
that was a scary surprise I hope you never see one again
what can one do as a deterrent to snakes????
hero kitty to the rescue, I hope all the kitties got an extra snack that night.
that was a scary surprise I hope you never see one again
08-07-2013, 09:33 AM
#23
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: leavenworth, ks
Posts: 3,093
So glad everyone is okay!! Another nightmare in New Brunswick, Canada involving a snake yesterday. To young boys suffocated by a large snake above a pet store. What are people thinking to IMPORT trouble? ~ from Tartan
Because they are DUMB **** STUPID and short-sighted. ~ from Bearisgray
Ladies, I agree with both of you. My DH wanted a snake as a pet when we first got married. I said not if you want to marry me. We didn't and have been old married farts for awhile now.
Snakes are not pets. They are vermin but useful for critter control. That being said, protected or not, on my porch steps it would have been a dead snake.
Mousie ~ glad for you that it turned out okay and that BC saved the day for you.
Because they are DUMB **** STUPID and short-sighted. ~ from Bearisgray
Ladies, I agree with both of you. My DH wanted a snake as a pet when we first got married. I said not if you want to marry me. We didn't and have been old married farts for awhile now.
Snakes are not pets. They are vermin but useful for critter control. That being said, protected or not, on my porch steps it would have been a dead snake.
Mousie ~ glad for you that it turned out okay and that BC saved the day for you.
08-07-2013, 10:01 AM
#24
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: East Arkansas
Posts: 2,534
When I got home from church Sun. nite there was a cotton mouth laying just inside my front porch door. Crawled under the house before I could get something to kill it. Now I have to stop & look around until it comes out again. God my shovel ready !
08-07-2013, 06:17 PM
#26
Super Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 9,444
The 911 emergency number services are for criminal and medical emergencies. They try to respond to everything they can, but some things are beyond their reach and resources. Something like this would go to animal control, which is quite understaffed. The also handle the alligators.
There was a situation last year in a county near me where a woman called 911 because her ex, whom she had a restraining order against, was at her home, trying to break in. She called for help and was told the dispatcher didn't have an officer available to help her. She was on the phone for 10 minutes, begging and pleading for help. He broke down her door, beat her and raped her. The dispatcher told her after he assaulted her, could she ask him to go away?
08-08-2013, 09:47 AM
#27
Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Northwest Kansas
Posts: 55
we had a real nightmare here the other night.
I had taken my grand-mouslings, (see my avatar). over to mom's because she had bought them some groceries. They have been vacationing with me. They live 8 miles away, LOL!
It was about 11:45 when we got back to my house.
I knew the house phone wasn't working when I left.
We get very, very poor reception for our cell phones in our yard too.
I had backed the car up to the gate to get the groceries out of the trunk and unlocked the doors.
Usually C is the first one out of the car but thank God not this time.
I had opened A door, right behind driver's seat and unbuckled her.
All of a sudden I heard something and turned and looked toward the steps.
There was a huge rattle snake all coiled up at the foot of the steps and one of my cats, B.C., was on the poor rail.
I slammed A's door and yelled, "Everybody stay in the car!"
I locked their doors and grabbed my purse for my cell phone.
I was shaking so bad I had trouble finding it.
I knew if my husband, who is deaf, came out to see why we weren't coming in, he would sail right down those steps without knowing, because he can't hear.
I cranked the car and turned it around and put the lights right on the steps.
I tried over and over to call him on both phones but couldn't get through. He has almost no hearing, but hearing aids, so it was worth a try.
My plan was to see if I could tell him what was going on.
I honked the horn till I thought the coast guard would come, but I knew he couldn't hear me.
I even flashed the lights several times, but with the porch lights on and the lights in the house, he wasn't going to see anything coming from the end of the house.
In the mean time I had my door open and was standing up so I could try to wave my arms and scream at him if he came out.
I tried calling my dd at the library. They have Wi-Fi there, but she was in a dead spot.
I called kid's mom and dad and got them on the phone and explained.
They went to the library to get dd.
I called 9-1-1 and this lady said "There is nobody in your area. If I did call somebody to go out there, they aren't animal control."
I shrieked into the phone, "They won't kill it?
"
I had sat down because I was tired and then I saw hubbyy coming out the front door
.
I still had the lady on 9-1-1 and I started screaming hysterically and waving my arms and hands, "No! No! No! No! at my husband!"
He was looking at me and kept on coming towards the steps and then all of a sudden he realized that I didn't want him to keep coming and he looked around and then he saw the snake on the cement.
He immediately turned to go get his shotgun.
I told the lady on the phone and hung up.
If our cat hadn't stayed on the porch rail, the R.snake probably would have taken off.
Hubby got back pretty quick and he was able to put the rifle barrel over the railing and got a solid shot from about five feet.
It blew it to smithereens!
It was six foot long.
Then everybody drove up.
I had been warning dd about walking around in the yard in the dark but she kind of brushed me off.
First thing she said was, "We gotta do something. I'm always walking around out here."
We need more motion lights like we have on my wash shed.
It's really bright.
Yesterday they fixed the house phone and hubby cut the grass super short and trimmed the bridal wreath bush way back. (It's right beside the steps.
I haven't been out after dark since and I had been going to dd's some.She lives on our property.
I slept with the kids all night and we all had dreams, but none too bad.
I can't believe 911 wasn't too interested in helping in such a situation! 
Phone repairman and my hubs agree that the s-s-s-s was probably interested in a kitty snack, but my kitty was keeping guard and he did fantastic!!! The other kitties watched from the car like I did. They knew their limits and weren't going any closer. BC is now our hero! I love dogs, but I'll always have a cat or two around. Yay BC!!! 
I had taken my grand-mouslings, (see my avatar). over to mom's because she had bought them some groceries. They have been vacationing with me. They live 8 miles away, LOL!
It was about 11:45 when we got back to my house.
I knew the house phone wasn't working when I left.
We get very, very poor reception for our cell phones in our yard too.
I had backed the car up to the gate to get the groceries out of the trunk and unlocked the doors.
Usually C is the first one out of the car but thank God not this time.
I had opened A door, right behind driver's seat and unbuckled her.
All of a sudden I heard something and turned and looked toward the steps.
There was a huge rattle snake all coiled up at the foot of the steps and one of my cats, B.C., was on the poor rail.
I slammed A's door and yelled, "Everybody stay in the car!"
I locked their doors and grabbed my purse for my cell phone.
I was shaking so bad I had trouble finding it.
I knew if my husband, who is deaf, came out to see why we weren't coming in, he would sail right down those steps without knowing, because he can't hear.
I cranked the car and turned it around and put the lights right on the steps.
I tried over and over to call him on both phones but couldn't get through. He has almost no hearing, but hearing aids, so it was worth a try.
My plan was to see if I could tell him what was going on.
I honked the horn till I thought the coast guard would come, but I knew he couldn't hear me.
I even flashed the lights several times, but with the porch lights on and the lights in the house, he wasn't going to see anything coming from the end of the house.
In the mean time I had my door open and was standing up so I could try to wave my arms and scream at him if he came out.
I tried calling my dd at the library. They have Wi-Fi there, but she was in a dead spot.
I called kid's mom and dad and got them on the phone and explained.
They went to the library to get dd.
I called 9-1-1 and this lady said "There is nobody in your area. If I did call somebody to go out there, they aren't animal control."
I shrieked into the phone, "They won't kill it?
"I had sat down because I was tired and then I saw hubbyy coming out the front door
.I still had the lady on 9-1-1 and I started screaming hysterically and waving my arms and hands, "No! No! No! No! at my husband!"
He was looking at me and kept on coming towards the steps and then all of a sudden he realized that I didn't want him to keep coming and he looked around and then he saw the snake on the cement.
He immediately turned to go get his shotgun.
I told the lady on the phone and hung up.
If our cat hadn't stayed on the porch rail, the R.snake probably would have taken off.
Hubby got back pretty quick and he was able to put the rifle barrel over the railing and got a solid shot from about five feet.
It blew it to smithereens!
It was six foot long.
Then everybody drove up.
I had been warning dd about walking around in the yard in the dark but she kind of brushed me off.
First thing she said was, "We gotta do something. I'm always walking around out here."
We need more motion lights like we have on my wash shed.
It's really bright.
Yesterday they fixed the house phone and hubby cut the grass super short and trimmed the bridal wreath bush way back. (It's right beside the steps.
I haven't been out after dark since and I had been going to dd's some.She lives on our property.
I slept with the kids all night and we all had dreams, but none too bad.
I can't believe 911 wasn't too interested in helping in such a situation!
Phone repairman and my hubs agree that the s-s-s-s was probably interested in a kitty snack, but my kitty was keeping guard and he did fantastic!!! The other kitties watched from the car like I did. They knew their limits and weren't going any closer. BC is now our hero! I love dogs, but I'll always have a cat or two around. Yay BC!!! Okay girls I'm as scared of them as anyone and this is what I was advised to do, and did.
Get rid of any type of debris on your property: piles of branches, twigs, leaves, get rid of broken down equipment, etc, anything that
provides protection or nesting for the snakes. This will also help reduce other unwanted critters.
Although a snake can be life threatening to a human, not one of the 911 list of concerns. Arm yourselves will a list of snake killers, in
other words, people that will kill it for you, buy and learn how to use a snake gun. The gun is not very expensive and shots a
range of BB type ammunition therefore covering a larger area. That weay you don't have to be a perfect shot.
If your brave enough to get close enough to kill it with a shovel, be sure its a pointed shovel with a sharper edge.
Call neighbors, pest control companies and talk to everyone you know about avid hunters, trappers, etc. that you can contact to
see if at any future time you can call them if confronted with a snake. Put these phone numbers with other emergency numbers
in the house and store on your cell phone. You may never need them. But well worth the time investment. If you can't
identify a snake call someone to kill, if poisonous, or relocate it. If some one gets bit -- if there are enough people present and
youare not absolutely sure of what kind of snake it was, have someone keep track of the snake until it can be identified or kill it.
Identification can be key at the ER in treatment and sometimes survival.
If you have outside burn barrels or trash cans spread them at lease 2' apart so you can see around each one.
If you have a fenced yard - line the outer side of the fence with very small hail screen and bury the hail screen 3" into the ground.
Yes they can still come in under the gates, which you should run a strip of concrete under and than drop the gates as close as
possible to the concrete. Also place hail screen on the gates. Hail screen must be wired on securely. it comes in various heights
and is expensive.
Have your pets vaccinated. The first year the dogs (don't know about cats, I don't have one) get the vaccine they have to have a
shot and booster and than annual boosters. It gets very cold here in winter, in climates that stay warm year round you may
need boosters more often.
Take you dogs to Rattle Snake school. You have to participate, but its well wroth it. This will train your dog to retrieve from the
rattling sound.
The major hardware stores sell various types of snake away. Make sure the brand you buy deters the type of snake in question
IE: the only poisonous snakes we have are Rattle Snakes, 4 varieties. My deterrent only repels that type. I still have bull snakes
on my patio occasionally, I scream and my son relocates them 1/2 mile away as a bull snake will kill a rattler so don't kill the bull
snake. Husband doesn't pick up snakes so once one comes that close to the house he kills it, bull snake or not. I have not had
a Rattle Snake within the perimeter (set area around the house that I applied the deterrent) of the house since I started using it
5 years ago.
Must poison/trap mice and rats in all buildings on property. Snakes are attracted to mice/rat urine! Power wash old buildings inside
and out, then set out poison/traps.
Yes my man thought all this ridiculous until he paid the $1400 vet bill. The bill would not have been so high if my previous
(as a result of her not being able to identify the bite, even find it) veterinarian would have let me know my dog needed a second
shot the first year. She was bit 2 months after 1st shot. We are a very rural area. Vet bills can run much higher elsewhere.
It took me, complaining, five years to get all this done. It is no quick solution.
Haven't seen a Rattle snake anywhere near the house since all completed. Yes expensive. But all said and done was cheaper than
the $1400 vet bill!
08-08-2013, 03:59 PM
#28
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: North Wales UK
Posts: 2,028
WOW thank goodness we don't have much problems with snakes over here, although a poor little doggy was bitten by an Adder and died , it is the only venomous snake here in the UK, it was only last month right here on the Isle of Anglesey, it was in the grass on the cliffs.
I think your Pussycat deserves a gold medal and plenty of extra treats, and I think you were wonderful on how you handled the situation, maybe the Police are frightened of snakes, like me! But I would have thought they would have info who does deal with a terrifying situation like this, and well done your DH good job with shotgun.
I think your Pussycat deserves a gold medal and plenty of extra treats, and I think you were wonderful on how you handled the situation, maybe the Police are frightened of snakes, like me! But I would have thought they would have info who does deal with a terrifying situation like this, and well done your DH good job with shotgun.
08-10-2013, 09:41 AM
#30
Power Poster
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 17,636
I hate snakes too. Here in Michigan they are "protected". I know of some people not too far away that had their black lab bit by a rattlesnake and he died. They called to have someone come out and kill the snake and they said they couldn't because they are "protected". NOT if I see one!
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