Medwyn’s Valley in Feline Misadventures

I refer to my home as Medwyn’s Valley- a place where animals can find refuge when they need it. Cats, of course, mainly, but birds of all sizes (herons down to turkeys down to chickadees), deer, opossums, raccoons, skunks, the occasional coyote- if it’s in Michigan, it’s probably eaten at my feeding stations or slept in one of my shelters.

The problem is my neighbors are the reason the domestic animals come here. Cats. Chickens. Bunnies. And these fucking Pekin ducks.

I live at the last house on a dead end road. The majority of the people here rent (myself included-own the house but not the land). When people leave, their backyard menagerie gets left behind. The cats I can handle. I don’t mind the chickens as long as they stay out of the garage. The bunnies rarely come here because these cats are stellar hunters and don’t care about truces. And then. The ducks.

Two years ago a neighbor got it in their head they’d raise chickens and ducks. The chickens mostly were taken out by weasels and raccoons. The ducks started out as a flock of seven. The start of last winter there were five. By spring, two remained. I called animal control repeatedly, sent them video of the ducks sleeping in the snow and ice. Dirty. Skinny. Animal control attempted to find an owner, and when no one would fess up…they gave up and left the ducks here.

During this last summer, they discovered there’s always fresh water here. And cat food. And decided they would stay.

What’s the big deal, you said it was a refuge, right?

Here’s the thing. Most of the animals know well enough to get along. Even the chickens won’t start shit with anyone. But the ducks are basically feral with zero sense. They chase and bite the cats. They shit on everything. They flip over the water if they don’t think it’s full enough. They are messy and rude. They’ve tried to bit me for just being outside. They won’t eat any of the species appropriate food I’ve begrudgingly given them. I’m already broke from dealing with neighbors who refuse to spay and neuter their cats and then act surprised every time they have another litter. I’m tired of taking care of other people’s mistakes.

Tonight we’re getting our first snowstorm of the season. The cats and opossums are hunkered down in the garage. The ducks? In any of the outside shelters? Under a porch?

No.

These brainless pekins are in the dead center of the driveway. So. I went out. Physically put them in one of the shelters.

And what did they do? Leave.

I shouldn’t spend time worrying about them. They survived one winter, they could do it again. I just wish they would thrive or not where they came from.