Ok. I'm stumped.
Something in our area steals cuttlebones.
I bought Elsa some new cuttlebones- the nice big 6 inch long ones. I put one out in her outside enclosure, and the next morning it was gone. Later that morning I found it: something had carried it up and over the wall of her enclosure, which is 2 cinder blocks high. It then carried the cuttlebone about 20 feet across the yard to the back fence, but dropped it there. One edge was gnawed with what looked to me like rodent-type marks.
Since the would-be thief appeared to be nocturnal, I figured I would put out her cuttlebone in the morning and pick it up at night, when we lock her in her safe house. But today I just went outside to get it and it is GONE. It is COMPLETELY gone; nowhere in her enclosure or the yard. And this time the thief took it in broad daylight.
Although we have raccoons, the chew marks were smaller than I would expect to see from raccoons; and I think a raccoon could navigate the back privacy fence while carrying a cuttlebone. I decided the thief is a rat, but my hubby thinks it's a possum or a squirrel. But do squirrels eat cuttlebones?
I'm basically baffled at this point.
Anybody have any thoughts?
Something in our area steals cuttlebones.
I bought Elsa some new cuttlebones- the nice big 6 inch long ones. I put one out in her outside enclosure, and the next morning it was gone. Later that morning I found it: something had carried it up and over the wall of her enclosure, which is 2 cinder blocks high. It then carried the cuttlebone about 20 feet across the yard to the back fence, but dropped it there. One edge was gnawed with what looked to me like rodent-type marks.
Since the would-be thief appeared to be nocturnal, I figured I would put out her cuttlebone in the morning and pick it up at night, when we lock her in her safe house. But today I just went outside to get it and it is GONE. It is COMPLETELY gone; nowhere in her enclosure or the yard. And this time the thief took it in broad daylight.
Although we have raccoons, the chew marks were smaller than I would expect to see from raccoons; and I think a raccoon could navigate the back privacy fence while carrying a cuttlebone. I decided the thief is a rat, but my hubby thinks it's a possum or a squirrel. But do squirrels eat cuttlebones?
I'm basically baffled at this point.
Anybody have any thoughts?