[BannaOj]

I have written about Ciara, my black tri Cardi bitch before. Ever
since she had her monster litter, and went off her nursing Beer and
Liver diet I have had the sneaking suspicion that she's been
planning some sort of protest. If she came to the door on strike
carrying a picket sign and a list of demands, including restoring
Beer and Liver to her regular diet, I wouldn't be surprised.

However she's become more subversive, than that, and been working to
actively promote alternative eating habits among the rest of my
Cardi clan. They are now advocating a revolutionary BARF diet plan -
Birds Are Regular Feasts. My neighbors are aiding and abetting
this new diet plan, because they put a bird feeder in the corner of
their lot, right next to the 4ft chain link fence that separates my
yard from theirs.

To take advantage of this dietary opportunity, my sweet Ciara has
become, CIARA - The Mighty Hunter. I have seen her snap into an
almost bird dog, point, one foot off the ground, tail straight out,
frozen in place, when she sees a likely unsuspecting morsel of
sparrow. She will then stalk her prey, creeping forward on her
belly like she's starring her own Discovery Channel Special, until
the final lunge to grab it.

Sometimes the "pointing" appears to be a signal to her daughter, my
red bitch Glyph. Ciara has trained Glyph well, and at times they
will work together to catch their backyard prey. Once they started
working together, the sparrow death toll went up, I think we were at
three birds last year. They will occasionally drop their deceased
victims on the doorstep, to try to convince me to up their food
rations, because if I wasn't starving them, they wouldn't need to
find their own dietary supplements.

This year, Ciara had four more recruits to train, her grandpuppies.
I believe she's changed her bird catching tactics, but whatever she
and Glyph have taught those puppies, it is lethal. The two puppies
currently living with me are literally toothless at the moment, all
4 canines gone on both of them, as their adult teeth come in. Yet
they managed to smuggle a dead bird in the house, and disembowl it.

Bringing the birds in the house is a new strategy. Glyph probably
has the softest mouth. I've been able to rescue one unscathed (but
upset) bird, by prying her mouth open, I had to kill another that
was too far gone, and the puppies appear to have accounted for
another 3 or 4 deceased birds. I haven't been able to pin a single
kill on Ciara, but I know she trained them all. This year has
broken all previous kill records.

At this time, I am remaining strong in the face of the onslaught.
Their bird campaign has not caused me to up their food rations.
They don't know it yet, but the only thing they've gained, is an
increase in wormings!

AJ