Glowing Eyes in the Coop!

After my recent round with my own dogs dispatching a rabid raccoon outside my chicken coop, and then having to get rabies shots myself because I checked my dogs for wounds right after, we are a little more aware of predators and their problems around here.

Last night I sent my oldest, who is 14, out to shut the chickens up for the night. I was feeling bad, lying on the couch after one of my rabies boosters. So far, they seem to make me achy and twitchy, and then clean out my bowels the following day.

Usually it takes my son a little time to do this. He'll be out there pulling one or another bird down for a snuggle while they are all calm and sleepy. Sleepy chickens are amazingly adorable and snuggly. But this time he comes back in rather too quickly.

He looks like he's seen a ghost. "I see eyes! In the coop!"

Ken and I spring into action. "Gloves, you need gloves!" I tell my husband. (previous lesson learned: don't confront wildlife unprotected.)

We slip on our coats, shoes, and headlamps, and he grabs the super Mag light. The kids grab the dogs to keep them from joining the fray.

On the porch, I grab a hoe (long handle, better for pinning the critter, right?) and hubby grabs a pickaxe.

With the kids and dogs safely inside, we head around the house to the coop.

"I don't see it," he says, shining the Mag light carefully around outside the coop.

I shine my head lamp through the hardware cloth wall, toward the food trough. "I see it! I see eyes!" I exclaim. "It's by the food trough!"

Two red reflections had lit up in the beam of our combined lights. The orbs are wide enough apart to be a medium-sized predator, and both forward-facing - definitely a predator. I crept closer so I had a clearer line of sight, and aimed my light again.

The two glowing orbs lit up again.

And so does the orange head.

And the orange nose.

And the orange triangle ears.

Hey... I know that orange head.......

"WILLOW!!!!" I burst out laughing, laughing at the hilarity of us going carefully and bravely into battle, and at the relief that our dangerous predator in the coop was none other than our needy adorable kitty, Willow, most likely hunting mice by the chicken trough. This is something she has not been seen doing before this!

Still laughing, I head over to the window where the kids are watching safely from inside the house, and reveal the secret of our Dangerous Invader.

Apparently brave Willow had placed herself on After Hours Rodent Duty, and we interrupted her in her vigilance. Well, I'm glad to see at least one of the cats has joined Cocoa the dog and myself in the battle again those wee chicken-feed thieves.

And super-glad it wasn't an actual dangerous invader.

We congratulated our son on making the right choice of coming for backup.

But afterwards, we're still laughing about it.