Pick your battles!

Dear Fisher,

I recently moved here from the state of New York and I’m unfamiliar with the outdoor creatures. I love to roam about and take long walks and sometimes stay out after dark. If you know about the dangers of my meeting up with some of the Florida natives, would you please clue me in? I am completely out of my element down here, but staying inside is boring and it makes me feel trapped.

I have met the geckos, inside and out of our new house. It was fun play for about the first two weeks but now they annoy me and I just ignore them so maybe they will go away. Yeah, right.

Priscilla

Dear Priscilla,

Welcome to Florida! I hope you have a long and healthy life here. It is very important to know about the dangers lurking outside in any new place you find yourself. Of course, there is the list of universal dangers common to all states: motorized traffic, mean people, other cats, and neighborhood dogs. Oh, and do not forget the laboratory scientists!

That being said, you and your family have decided on your living a life happily free of the boundaries within the walls of your house. Unless you are out there raising havoc, destroying property and doing bad things in the kid-next-door’s sandbox, it is a personal family decision and your safety is entirely in your own paws (or claws), and how fast those little legs can run.

My friends at Florida Pets have comprised a decent list of wildlife hazards. If you do not get nightmares and paw twitches over it, you are one of the bravest little cats I will know. The list is not meant to scare anyone; it is for knowledge enough knowledge for pets and their families to make their own decisions on the lifestyle they want in the Sunshine state.

• Rattlesnakes who try to attract your playful nature by, you guessed it, rattling. Just wait until you see the sharpness of their teeth when the conversation is about to end.
• Cottonmouth and Coral snakes are very dangerous and while the Coral snake is native to Florida, they are pretty rare. The thing to remember as you are hunting mice and small critters is: they are too. Pick your battles wisely.
• Alligators show up in unannounced. There is no room for negotiation. Run!
• Raccoons and foxes can be just about as cute as you but do not make plans to meet for a mouse snack in a dark alley. They can carry some serious diseases and should be avoided.
• Bears and coyotes are more rural threats to cats and dogs. However, as urban territories expand and take their homes away, they might just decide to come into town and take something from you. Like your life.

Areas with water, woods, woodpiles, tall grass and anywhere there is decaying vegetation can be a hangout for another being who does not much care that you get bored stuck inside your house. It is a very personal decision whether or not your humans let you wander outside. And this is just a guess: you would probably be mortified if I suggested a leash training program. Right?

Your friend,

Fisher

published in tbt Tampa Bay
Out There weekend edition

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