I was just woken up from an all too brief sleep by an agitated, torqued off Cortunix quail roo growling at something. Worried that one of the cats was menacing the quail (which they never do but there's a first time for everything), I went running out into the livingroom in 'jamas and bare feet. Houdini, living up to his name, had escaped. Again. How he picks the lock on a LOCKED, steel cage, I have not yet figured out. It's not the twist lock - this is the actual keyed lock, and the cages are the heavy steel display cages PetCo uses for their parrots.
I flicked on the light and Houdini saw me and puffed himself up and charged my feet! I jumped back and then went to go after him, and he charged me again. I went and got my glasses and then went to go get the obnoxious quail.
When I got back to the living room, I saw what had ticked him off. There were several HUGE yellowjackets crawling on my carpet sluggishly, buzzing. Houdini was running around the floor, growling back at them before pecking them to death and eating them. He'd run back to the cage and coo for his mate to take them.
I am deadly allergic to wasps and hornets. The outside temp was low last night and I turned the heat up, so I'm assuming the heat in the attic woke them and there's a nest up there - That Guy will be doing a search and destroy mission when he comes home tomorrow.
Not sure why Houdini charged me, whether he thought I was going to steal his nice tasty bugs or whether he somehow knew they were bad news and was trying to protect me. Once he was done eating them, he was docile as can be and let me pick him up and put him back in his cage. In any case, I'm glad he did. If he hadn't lived up to his name and escaped, and then kept me from walking into that room, I might not have seen the evil yellow bugs before I stepped on one. It was dark in there, except for a night light. I'm assuming the buzzing woke Houdini.
I swear I'm going to litter box train that little escape artist and let him have the run of the house. Even if I can't litter train him.. it's almost worth it. I'd rather step in quail crap than on a wasp!
-Spooky
(who's living up to her name and being spooked to heck right now!)
I flicked on the light and Houdini saw me and puffed himself up and charged my feet! I jumped back and then went to go after him, and he charged me again. I went and got my glasses and then went to go get the obnoxious quail.
When I got back to the living room, I saw what had ticked him off. There were several HUGE yellowjackets crawling on my carpet sluggishly, buzzing. Houdini was running around the floor, growling back at them before pecking them to death and eating them. He'd run back to the cage and coo for his mate to take them.
I am deadly allergic to wasps and hornets. The outside temp was low last night and I turned the heat up, so I'm assuming the heat in the attic woke them and there's a nest up there - That Guy will be doing a search and destroy mission when he comes home tomorrow.
Not sure why Houdini charged me, whether he thought I was going to steal his nice tasty bugs or whether he somehow knew they were bad news and was trying to protect me. Once he was done eating them, he was docile as can be and let me pick him up and put him back in his cage. In any case, I'm glad he did. If he hadn't lived up to his name and escaped, and then kept me from walking into that room, I might not have seen the evil yellow bugs before I stepped on one. It was dark in there, except for a night light. I'm assuming the buzzing woke Houdini.
I swear I'm going to litter box train that little escape artist and let him have the run of the house. Even if I can't litter train him.. it's almost worth it. I'd rather step in quail crap than on a wasp!

-Spooky
(who's living up to her name and being spooked to heck right now!)