it is a common human error in dealing with animals....it is a losing set up, expect them to feel grateful and they will in the end disappoint you. that is how alot of them lose their homes...they didn't measure up and weren't properly grateful for all the good things their humans had done.
here's how i look at it.
if you share your ice cream with them, they will eat that ice cream and think it tastes very good. if you don't, oh well...life is full of disappointments, maybe next time you will give in.
i was hiding from the heat this afternoon but there were a few things i just had to go do. like check on rusty (he is doing ok) and take jesse out for a pee.
while i was out, i heard spot moo'ing...it was not an a-ok, checking in kind of call, it was a "get your ass over here and help me." so i put jesse away and went to find miss spotted cow. i found her down in the bottom pasture, comfortable standing in the shade but slightly distressed cuz she was alone and not too happy about that.
i added my calls to hers and shouted "percy! spot is calling you!" and he dutifully came. i told him to follow me back to the upper field which he did, and i told spot to follow percy which she did too. but lets get real here, they fully intended to follow along because they wanted too, not cuz i asked them. and percy was good natured about getting disturbed from his nap to lead spot back up top. i said thank you to him for that, not that he needed it but because it is a habit, i was raised that way.
spot was not the least bit grateful to me for fixing her problem, she was just glad to be back with everyone else again.
since the americats have had their outside pen built, sunrise has really enjoyed being outside. today while i was hanging out their window to say hello, everyone came over to head butt me back.... including sunrise. he has been shy and a bit standoffish since he got here...he lets me pet him if i want to but never comes seeking it. since that pen was opened up he has become downright social...he comes as soon as i go in there, he stops to say hello, he rubs against me and gets kisses which makes me feel good.
however...sunrise is NOT saying "thank you, thank you, thank you, carol for building me this nice outside pen" ...all he is saying is..." i feel happy today."
i don't know how many of you have heard the rescuers version of the rainbow bridge story...it is a sucky, stupid, ego boosting tale of animals bowing low in gratitude to a human rescuer in a white robe....such utter drivel....we don't need or expect or even want animals to bow to us, we don't need for them to say thank you. thank you for what? for doing what is right?
all we need is to watch them enjoy the taste of our ice cream on a really hot day.
Carol, I am glad that you are finally seeing the Sunrise I knew and loved in Pahrump. Who knows, maybe the outdoors with grass and shelves and ramps and love was what he needed to make his new life complete. I am just glad that he is his happy self again. Thank You.