Ace of Spades Pet Thread, April 18

Courtesy Terry Glenn

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Good afternoon and welcome to the almost world famous Ace of Spades Pet Thread. Thanks for stopping by. Kick back and enjoy the world of animals.

Would you like a treat?

Let's relax a little with the animals and leave the world of politics and current events outside today.

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Ever met one of these? Or these?

A sleeping Prairie Dog pic.twitter.com/vR81sECGW3
— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) February 27, 2026

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Meet The PetMorons

Birdy is Mom’s youngest son’s dog. She has been taking care of her for 13 years ! !
Still beautiful. She told Emily, a young niece, in all sincerity that Birdy was, in fact, not a dog but a funny little girl. Emily’s confusion was charming.
RITS

Birdy does look like a sweet, funny girl. Love that photo and the story.

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PetMoron Adjacent Animals
Encountered by Members of The Horde

From Intrepid Liaison/Admiral Ackbar:

There has been some animal activity here as well. We found a dead opossum close to the house, and shortly thereafter, vultures came in.

Kinda intimidating . . .

A killdeer decided to make its nest right next to the walking trail. She doesn't like when people get near lol.

Of course. Heh.

With warmer temperatures come all the amphibians.

And look at this poor guy! A squirrel without a tail!

What an interesting collection of critters! I am sort of glad I missed the dead possum. There are some reminders in these photos that nature is REAL.

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Thank you for sharing your pets and animal photos and stories with us today.

If you would like to send pet and/or animal stories, links, etc. for the Ace of Spades Pet Thread, the address is:

petmorons at protonmail dot com
Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known when you comment at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.

Until next Saturday, have a great week!

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If you start feeling nostalgic, here a link to last week's Pet Thread, the Ace of Spades Pet Thread, April 11

I closed the comments on that post so you wouldn't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.

Posted by: K.T. at 03:21 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Birdy is a Spinger Spaniel?

Posted by: San Franpsycho at April 18, 2026 03:29 PM (RIvkX)

2 Happy Caturday everyone
I still miss my cats

Posted by: Skip at April 18, 2026 03:29 PM (Ia/+0)

3
We gave Spring baths yesterday to our older kennel dogs, the siblings Dan, Dutchess and Sonny.

It was a melancholy experience. They're 10 years old and are showing their age. They can no longer jump on the grooming table. They shake while being washed. They wheeze. They need to be supported while being dried or having their nails ground.

They're still the same sweet, happy, courageous dogs they've always been but their bodies no longer do what they want to do to please us. We lost Finn in January and Val in March. We fear this will continue be a bad year. They boys have months, not years, left.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at April 18, 2026 03:30 PM (tgvbd)

4 Doggie doesn't want to get caughg in a airplane emergency
And probably has first flight

Posted by: Skip at April 18, 2026 03:31 PM (Ia/+0)

5 I could have been first. I don't care about that stuff. Think it's juvenile.

Posted by: Ronster at April 18, 2026 03:32 PM (LjEfn)

6 Hadrian the Seventh at April 18, 2026 03:30 PM

It is hard when they get older.

Posted by: KT at April 18, 2026 03:36 PM (7vIsy)

7 As usual for this time of day, all 5 kitties are snoozing...

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at April 18, 2026 03:37 PM (gnNyN)

8 Yeet cannon of kisses and skritches for petzzz!

Posted by: Commissar of plenty and festive little hats at April 18, 2026 03:38 PM (Kt19C)

9 I could have been first. I don't care about that stuff. Think it's juvenile.
Posted by: Ronster at April 18, 2026 03:32 PM (LjEfn)
=====

In that case, FIRST!

It had to be done.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at April 18, 2026 03:39 PM (RIvkX)

10 Traveling with a pup is interesting, we brought home our at the time 9 week old on the plane. Two flights and we had to keep her in a carrier and under the seat in front of us. Took her out when in the airport between flights. We worried for a month how it would go and the worry was unfounded since she did great. Slept through both flights. Cleaned up a bit of pee on the floor in both airports though.

Posted by: neverenoughcaffeine at April 18, 2026 03:42 PM (kxiH3)

11
Traveling with a pup is interesting, we brought home our at the time 9 week old on the plane.

The two modes of travel:
- First class
- With dogs

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at April 18, 2026 03:45 PM (tgvbd)

12 Birdy looks great for a teen-age dog. I think after 13 years she is really Mom's dog.

Posted by: PaleRider at April 18, 2026 03:47 PM (+89TD)

13 Meow!!

Posted by: Puddleglum, drive by meow at April 18, 2026 03:48 PM (sAmhv)

14

There is funny dog stuff on BoredPanda.

I was reading it this morning and got a lot of laughs.

Posted by: four seasons at April 18, 2026 03:50 PM (3ek7K)

15 San Franpsycho

Now you're just messing with me. I deserve it.

Posted by: Ronster at April 18, 2026 03:50 PM (LjEfn)

16 My sister has an ongoing war against ground hogs. She's gotten pretty good with her .22 rifle. The ground hogs fear her now!

Posted by: Puddleglum, drive by meow at April 18, 2026 03:51 PM (sAmhv)

17 If only my little native plum tree wasn't obscuring the vulture picture, it would be pretty epic. There are all sorts of cool captions you could slap on him. Of course, in reality, I think it was early morning and he was just airing his wings out to dry, but it LOOKS cool and intimidating.

Posted by: Intercepted Reddit Transmissions brought by the Intrepid AoS Liaison at April 18, 2026 03:54 PM (ycI94)

18 Good afternoon all,

Very short update on our cats.

https://tinyurl.com/dg65258

Birdy is a beautiful pup.

Posted by: Joyenz at April 18, 2026 03:58 PM (2F0/Y)

19 Prairiedogs, groundhogs, natural engineer/earth scientists.

Posted by: Eromero at April 18, 2026 04:00 PM (LHPAg)

20 Hadrian. The boys are fortunate to have you to care for them and love them up.

Posted by: Rufus T. Firefly at April 18, 2026 04:01 PM (S+2Xo)

21 Ahhh Birdy. Very cute.

Ralphy's still kicking but I'm holding him when he goes down steps. He's taking pain pills twice a day. But overall happy and full of life. I don't know how long dude has left but I'll work to continue to make him happy.

The cat Snowflake is resting on my bed now. It's pretty funny how she snuggles up to Ralphy and goes outside with him.

Posted by: Stateless - He ain't heavy, he's my dog. Old, but full of life. at April 18, 2026 04:01 PM (Sco7b)

22 There's a dog named Millie that I sometimes meet on my walks. At first she was scared of me, but today she was "Oh yes, pet me! And have some kisses."

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at April 18, 2026 04:03 PM (CHHv1)

23 The groundhog picture is doubly funny, as I have one living under my shed with tunnel all over, but a year ago foxes kicked him out and took most of it over. We didn't know where he went, until we had a car that had been sitting for a while towed off for repairs. There was a BIG hole underneath, a picture of which I meant to send in today for consideration lol

Poor guy lost his roof!

Posted by: Intercepted Reddit Transmissions brought by the Intrepid AoS Liaison at April 18, 2026 04:04 PM (ycI94)

24 Pet Folken! I forgot this was Saturday! I've been traveling since seven am and have reached my quaint little hotel in downtown Fort Scott, KS. When I refreshed AoSHQ, up came the Pet Thread!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 18, 2026 04:04 PM (fcdZC)

25 Now you're just messing with me. I deserve it.
Posted by: Ronster at April 18, 2026 03:50 PM (LjEfn)
====

It's who I am. It's what I do. It's where I'm from.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at April 18, 2026 04:07 PM (RIvkX)

26 Taking the dogs to the tailrace today, which is the runout from the hydro plant near Butte, AK. They do, indeed, race tails there, but that's not why they named it that.

Time to roust all of the ducks in the swampy parts, and then come home filthy, exhausted, and happy.

Ah, breakup season, when the snow turns to mud. The dogs dig it the most.

Posted by: tcn in AK at April 18, 2026 04:07 PM (DwqWV)

27 Birdy looks like a handsome lady.

The cartoon about "asking your parents to watch your cat," well, I'm probably going to live it myself. When I get back no doubt Linda will have spoiled Stirling and Dagny even more than they already are. I don't think caviar will be involved . . . but dried squid (from the Asian cuisine store, and which the late Chekov loved) is a possibility.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 18, 2026 04:07 PM (fcdZC)

28 Oh, and I too spotted a dead opossum. Actually two. ONe was at the curb near my parked car, and he turned his head as if he had a stiff neck when I walked past him. He didn't look well. Later I came back, and he appeared to be an ex-possum. But the next morning he was gone -- way too early for any city employees to come by andscoop him up.

However, another -- or maybe it was him -- had been killed in the street outside my back gate a few days later. No vultures, thank goodness.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 18, 2026 04:10 PM (fcdZC)

29 I have a groundhog under my back porch. He's a big old bag of suet who dines on cat chow with the neighborhood kitties and gnaws on my plants. He waits outside the deck window for kibble.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes. at April 18, 2026 04:10 PM (kpS4V)

30 Went to the garage to get some beers. Almost stepped on a toad.

That's bad luck, right?

Posted by: Martini Farmer at April 18, 2026 04:10 PM (AkEZC)

31 30 Went to the garage to get some beers. Almost stepped on a toad.

That's bad luck, right?
Posted by: Martini Farmer at April 18, 2026 04:10 PM (AkEZC)

Perhaps licking the toad may have the same effects as the beer!?

Posted by: Stateless - He ain't heavy, he's my dog. Old, but full of life. at April 18, 2026 04:12 PM (Sco7b)

32 Stateless, I had a cat/dog pairing like that. He was a 120 pound Bouvier, she was a 10 pound tortoise shell. They used to sit in the front yard and lean on each other watching the world go by. She would kill a rabbit, eat her share, and bring the rest back to him as though to say, See? That's how you do it.

When he (alas) passed, she hid under my bedskirts for three days.

Posted by: Wenda at April 18, 2026 04:12 PM (833ut)

33 all of the substations i visit have killdeer nests this time of year. they do that crazy broken wing dance when you get near it. simplifies locating; the more animated they get the closer you are. i always put a cone nearby so they don't get run over. the eggs look just like whopper malted milk balls and the nests are stones. the more enlightened around here call them "rock birds." when the lil' shites hatch they come out running. they look funny as hell bc they're tiny but have near full sized eyes.

Posted by: cmeat at April 18, 2026 04:16 PM (R11M+)

34 directly underneath 138kv bustie 11- 12 is a momma duck with nine eggs in her clutch. with a few reeds nearby she is pretty well concealed hunkered down. but there be 'yotes and hawks.

Posted by: cmeat at April 18, 2026 04:18 PM (R11M+)

35 When he (alas) passed, she hid under my bedskirts for three days.
Posted by: Wenda at April 18, 2026 0

Awww, that's so sweet.
I'm sorry about the passing of your dog.

Posted by: Stateless - He ain't heavy, he's my dog. Old, but full of life. at April 18, 2026 04:18 PM (Sco7b)

36 Oh Wenda, that's beautiful

Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at April 18, 2026 04:19 PM (LmPA0)

37 5 you will never be 1st.

Posted by: cmeat at April 18, 2026 04:19 PM (R11M+)

38 There are a lot of vultures in our area and sometimes they will perch on our chimney or our roof. They've always done that and shortly after we adopted our dog, Luna, we discovered that she HATES vultures. If she sees one on the roof, she will bark at it incessantly until it flies away. I don't know how long she will keep it up, but once we were dealing with a minor house emergency for an hour and she was outside barking the entire time. Turns out there was a vulture on the roof that wouldn't leave.

BTW, after they fly away she does a prancing victory lap around the yard to celebrate her victory.

Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at April 18, 2026 04:20 PM (FEVMW)

39 {{{Hadrian}}}

Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at April 18, 2026 04:21 PM (LmPA0)

40 When he (alas) passed, she hid under my bedskirts for three days.
Posted by: Wenda at April 18, 2026 0

Awww, that's so sweet.
I'm sorry about the passing of your dog.
Posted by: Stateless - He ain't heavy, he's my dog. Old, but full of life. at April 18, 2026

***
My mother's second cat when I was a boy, a tri-color shorthair ("Li'l Bit") I rescued from the steps of the college library, caused some disturbance for our nine-year-old red tabby Rusty. At first he avoided her. Then, one day, we saw them sitting together, and after that they played and slept together.

When he passed, Mom said, Li'l Bit paced around the apartment for most of a day, calling -- and she was normally not a vocal cat. Calling for him, I guess.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 18, 2026 04:22 PM (fcdZC)

41 this might be relevant - prairie dogs have language. Look up Constantine Slobodchikoff. They chirp differently if it's a man, or an eagle, or a fox.
Foxes dive into holes. Eagles swoop in from above. And men sometimes have rifles. These all require different strategies to avoid trouble.
If all this sounds like Watership Down...

Posted by: gKWVE at April 18, 2026 04:22 PM (gKWVE)

42 The still pic of the sleeping prairie dog looks a lot like our Syrian golden hamsters did when they slept.

I'm not even sure "Syrian golden" hamsters are still available in pet stores.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 18, 2026 04:24 PM (fcdZC)

43 We used to see prairie dogs in suburban Denver, in Aurora. There was a big field with one of their "towns" in it a few minutes' walk north of where we lived.

The main thing I learned about prairie dogs is this. You cannot get between a prairie dog and his hole. If you block him from his, he will dive down another one.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 18, 2026 04:27 PM (fcdZC)

44 > There are a lot of vultures in our area and sometimes they will perch on our chimney or our roof.
----------
Turkey (and Black) vultures here in KY are a protected species. Perhaps elsewhere, but I know for certain they're protected here.

Which I find weird.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at April 18, 2026 04:28 PM (AkEZC)

45 prairie dogs are kind of cool. Won't stop me from doing whatever it takes to get rid of em if they move into my small bit of horse pasture, they put rabbits to shame for rapid exponential population growth.

Posted by: PaleRider at April 18, 2026 04:30 PM (+89TD)

46 prairie dogs are kind of cool. Won't stop me from doing whatever it takes to get rid of em if they move into my small bit of horse pasture, they put rabbits to shame for rapid exponential population growth.
Posted by: PaleRider at April 18, 2026

***
Rabbits aren't rodents, of course, but they have adopted the same survival strategy: breed fast, breed often. It's one reason the rodents are so wildly successful.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 18, 2026 04:35 PM (fcdZC)

47 Martini Farmer, someone last week or couple weeks ago informed that all raptors are protected, by the Migratory Bird Act of 1918. I had not known that; I thought it was only eagles, condors, and any other endangered species.

Posted by: PaleRider at April 18, 2026 04:35 PM (+89TD)

48 Here in SWOK the black-tailed prairie dogs are so cute. Destructive, but cute.

Posted by: Great Plains Drifter at April 18, 2026 04:37 PM (ax2IZ)

49 Vultures as a protected bird!?! They definitely are not in central Texas. Where we used to live (in southwest Austin), we periodically experienced power blackouts caused by the vultures that perched on the high voltage towers around us. The outages were caused by the vultures pooping on the electrical lines. I'm surprised people didn't shoot them after that.

Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at April 18, 2026 04:39 PM (FEVMW)

50 I also wouldn't have known that vultures are considered raptors but I guess they do some hunting as well as eating roadkill.

Posted by: PaleRider at April 18, 2026 04:40 PM (+89TD)

51 I also wouldn't have known that vultures are considered raptors but I guess they do some hunting as well as eating roadkill.
Posted by: PaleRider at April 18, 2026

***
As explained in the old cartoon/wall poster, where one emaciated vulture is saying to another, "Patience, my ass! I'm gonna kill something!"

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 18, 2026 04:41 PM (fcdZC)

52

That looks like the KAOS vulture.

https://t.ly/Vcikk

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at April 18, 2026 04:42 PM (Cqx++)

53 Thanks, KT. I wouldn't mind having a doggo for a seatmate on my next flight.

Posted by: tankdemon at April 18, 2026 04:43 PM (Hd1lH)

54 Heh Art. Probably plenty of local places where various raptors are considered a nuisance and the locals will quietly take them out. But I guess don't do that or announce having done it where the feds can see or hear.

Posted by: PaleRider at April 18, 2026 04:44 PM (+89TD)

55 KT, Thanks for the cartoons and that top photo. Laughter and animals go together.

PS: That sleeping prairie dog is adorable. Of course, they aren't digging in my backyard.

Posted by: JTB at April 18, 2026 04:44 PM (yTvNw)

56 >>>Prairiedogs, groundhogs, natural engineer/earth scientists.

Posted by: Eromero

>My brother has a mole that is tilling his yard. It could probably use it, but they are quite industrious and have made a mess of his lawn.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at April 18, 2026 04:44 PM (Fbc0I)

57 Turkey Vultures make random seasonal visits to my neighborhood. Things can be huge, plus group size has sometimes been over 70.

Posted by: InspiredHistoryMike at April 18, 2026 04:45 PM (KaHlS)

58 Seems to me that killdeer should be lethal to deer. At least have the ability to gin up a credible threat...

Posted by: Joe Kidd at April 18, 2026 04:46 PM (nbLIj)

59 Not pets exactly but . . .

https://tinyurl.com/mr39cx74

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Damn It Feels Good to Be a Trumpster! at April 18, 2026 04:47 PM (ndZc7)

60
all of the substations i visit have killdeer nests this time of year. they do that crazy broken wing dance when you get near it.

Encountered many of them that way.
(Retired Duke Energy communications tech)

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at April 18, 2026 04:48 PM (Cqx++)

61 Birdy looks like a Springer but could be a Cocker, depending on size.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at April 18, 2026 04:50 PM (wOXCn)

62 42 our last one, nippy, was a siberian dwarf.

Posted by: cmeat at April 18, 2026 04:52 PM (R11M+)

63 44 yeah, that is. in fla they are a nuisance pest, eradicatable by any means at any time without license. their droppings destroy rooves etc. same disdain as feral swine.

Posted by: cmeat at April 18, 2026 04:54 PM (R11M+)

64 During the virus lockdown crap my friends got the first available flight to go visit their rental in the Keys. It was such a crazy time they weren't sure when they would be coming back so they decided to take their dog with them.

A huge Bernese Mountain Dog. Basically a multi-colored Golden and one of the happiest and friendliest dogs ever. My buddy told Southwest he was his support dog. They agreed to accept his lie.

By the time they landed in Ft Lauderdale he met everyone. More accurately they came to meet him. And then he was banned from flying Southwest ever again. He was a great dog.

Posted by: JackStraw at April 18, 2026 04:56 PM (viF8m)

65 47 kestrels and patti smith.

Posted by: cmeat at April 18, 2026 04:56 PM (R11M+)

66 56 maybe have it removed.
jk. they have these neat little spring loaded guillotines that you place on the tunnel surface. done.

Posted by: cmeat at April 18, 2026 05:00 PM (R11M+)

67 Cats behavior short
https://tinyurl.com/272seyn8

Posted by: Skip at April 18, 2026 05:03 PM (Ia/+0)

68 Prairie dogs are cute. They carry plague, but it's definitely cute plague.

Posted by: Archer at April 18, 2026 05:06 PM (wvc0i)

69 awww, Hadrian. I don't know how you do it. All the work and devotion you do with your dogs, and then their lives are over. Still, what a life they have with you and HM.

Posted by: TecumsehTea at April 18, 2026 05:07 PM (nz1sK)

70 The only good prairie dog is a dead prairie dog.

Posted by: Ronster at April 18, 2026 05:09 PM (LjEfn)

71 Vultures....

https://ibb.co/YBpPfgcR

Photo by me.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at April 18, 2026 05:10 PM (AkEZC)

72 Hi Wolfus! Praying for your travels.

Posted by: TecumsehTea at April 18, 2026 05:10 PM (nz1sK)

73 Are prairie dogs communists?

Posted by: Skip at April 18, 2026 05:11 PM (Ia/+0)

74 Great pic of the turkey vulture. When I was a kid in south TX, those were all we ever saw. Now they've been almost completely displaced by the smaller black vultures.

Posted by: Oddbob at April 18, 2026 05:16 PM (vTZFs)

75 Are prairie dogs communists?

They are (your favorite word) Marxists.

Posted by: Ronster at April 18, 2026 05:17 PM (LjEfn)

76 HOBBY NOOD

Posted by: Skip at April 18, 2026 05:31 PM (Ia/+0)

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