Yep, there really are good reasons for some folks to stay in the city.

Doh!!!! Those are the SKANKIEST creatures in all of God's kingdom!!!!!!!!
Person must be legally blind to mistake this for ............kitty.
Gross!
Rick

I love that photo. Makes me feel good every time I see it.

That reminded me of a story I heard one morning on an NPR radio show. Told by the one of the officers involved.

A call came in of an squirrel in a house. This was back east in some exclusive neighborhood. Two brand new patrol officers responded. Their intention was to tell the homeowner that they didn't handle animal problems.

The homeowner answered the door wearing pressed pajamas, embroidered robe and gold rimmed spectacles. He looked like a bank president. His wife was young and beautiful and standing behind him. The officers saw her and of course boldly stepped up to the challenge to save her.

The homeowner took them to the upstairs and said the squirred was in the attic. He lowered the fold down stairs and one of the officers climbed up. He got out his 4 D cell battery powered flashlight and began to scan the attic, wondering what he was going to do if he found the squirrel. Just as he was almost all the way around the squirrel jumped on his face. He dropped the flashlight, which fell and hit the homeowner in the face, breaking his nose. The officer fell from the ladder, landing on his partner and the homeowner. They got up and tried to help the homeowner when the heard the screaming.

All three ran down stairs. The wife was in the living room, pointing at a couch in the corner and screaming that the squirrel was under the couch. She turned and saw her husband, covered with blood, and began screaming even more. They got her calmed down and the back up officer told his partner "let's cut our losses and run." The wife pleaded with them to try to get the squirrel out so they decided to make one more effort.

They tried to pull the couch out but the squirrel stayed hidden underneath. Every time they moved it the squirrel moved with it. Finally the officer had an idea. Putting the couch back in the corner, his partner and the homeowner held a pillow case at one end. The officer then used his night stick to scoot the squirel along towards the wall. He believed the squirrel would run out and into the bag when it reached the wall. The squirrel ran out, onto the foot of the homeowner. He jumped and dropped the bag. The squirrel ran past him and into the fireplace, in which there was a fire burning brightly. The squirrel caught fire, ran out and back under the couch, which started to catch fire.

The officers and the homeowner began to try to beat out the flames. The only objects at hand were embroidered silk throw pillows that were sitting on the furniture. In the process the squirrel was smashed. Squirrel, couch and burnt pillows were then carried outside to the snow.

The officers stood ruefully in front of the homeowner. He looked at them, nose bandaged, pajamas singed, his home reeking of smoke and burnt squirrel, and said "officers, I can't think of one single thing you did wrong tonight. All you did was try to help, but you will understand when I don't thank you for your assistance."

The two officers swore each other to silence. For 20 years the story remained a secret. Then one afternoon they overheard another officer telling a story he had heard from a lady up in the area this had occurred. The story was out of order and all blown out of proportion. His former partner, now a lieutenant, turned and looked at him and said "It's time.", so they told the true version of events to set the story straight. When the officer retired, he included this event in a book he wrote about his experiences.

City folk and wild animals. They just don't do well together.