Today I learned . . .
@GardenGerty (169489)
United States
January 29, 2022 7:22am CST
About five this morning I learned something.
Something is living or at least hanging out under my front porch. It was too dark to see what it was when it scrambled out and ran. It made my big cat run back inside hissing and growling.
I know sometimes my cats hide out under there.
Two hours later, Tinker is still inside. I think he is ready to try again.
22 people like this
21 responses
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
29 Jan 22
I think I would have smelled a skunk, although we have some around. I have not seen a raccoon anywhere in this town, but I bet if I planted corn they would show up.
3 people like this
@RubyHawk (99367)
• Atlanta, Georgia
29 Jan 22
@GardenGerty For corn the probably would. Maybe it’s just a stray cat.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
29 Jan 22
It is just wildlife trying to survive like everyone and everything else. I do not think it is anything dangerous to me.
3 people like this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
29 Jan 22
@GardenGerty I'm glad it's not dangerous.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
29 Jan 22
Bob thinks it is possums or armadillos.
3 people like this
@RebeccasFarm (91297)
• United States
29 Jan 22
@GardenGerty Oh yes I remember those amadillos in Kansas too
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
29 Jan 22
If something else is under there they won't go. Hubby says he as seen an armadillo come out of there, but I lean towards it being a possum.
3 people like this
@Juliaacv (56340)
• Canada
29 Jan 22
@GardenGerty It sounds more like a place a possum would hang out at this time of the year.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
29 Jan 22
Bob saw a fox in the field yesterday. Bob thinks it is an armadillo. Today will be warm, I will block off the base of the porch.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (502655)
• Italy
29 Jan 22
@GardenGerty Armadillo, during the winter months, are active during the warmer part of the day only.
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (135881)
• Marion, Ohio
29 Jan 22
It could be anything seeking shelter
4 people like this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
29 Jan 22
This has been a fun discussion so far. I have heard something rush out before, when going out early. Always supposed it was a cat, but Tinker would not have acted scared of a cat. Today I am staying home, the weather will be nice, and I will do something to obstruct the base of the steps on that side.
3 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (135881)
• Marion, Ohio
29 Jan 22
@GardenGerty Hopefully you can get it locked out
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (51836)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
29 Jan 22
Something has dug under the concrete pavers making up the floor in my garden shed. Neighbor thinks it might be a skunk because before the snow, something was digging in my lawn for grubs, I guess. Maybe you have a skunk, too.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
29 Jan 22
Bob says he has seen anarmadillo go in and out there. I do have skunks in the neighborhood, usually in the spring.
3 people like this
@snowy22315 (209044)
• United States
29 Jan 22
That is my worst fear. There was a bobcat hanging out around there this summer. Thank God it didn't take up residence.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
29 Jan 22
I have not seen a bob cat locally. There could be one, though as we have some wooded and brushy areas.
3 people like this
@DaddyEvil (174590)
• United States
29 Jan 22
Oh, that should be interesting... At the other house, we had different wildlife think we'd welcome them living under our house. Every couple of years we had to set out catch-'em-alive traps and have our latest house guests moved to other quarters. The skunks and possums were the most fun of those guests. 
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
29 Jan 22
We do have skunks around, but I think we would smell them under the porch. I have smelled them in the yard. Two years ago Tinker got close enough to get some residual spray from one that was startled.
3 people like this
@DaddyEvil (174590)
• United States
29 Jan 22
@GardenGerty We didn't know we had a family of skunks under our house until the 4th of July one summer. When we started setting off fireworks, apparently we disturbed their beauty sleep and they weren't happy about it. Every time one of the neighbors up and down the block lit something, the whole family of them took off for that house. When the skunks would get close to their intended destination, one of us further away would light something else to draw them away. We spent several hours taking turns "calling" them in our direction. The next day the trap was set up and we got all four of them. They were taken to a farm outside the city and released.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
29 Jan 22
No, have not found out yet, but I will take care of blocking it.
3 people like this
@freelancermariagrace (29342)
• Philippines
30 Jan 22
Maybe a squirrel? a rat? I don't know. I hope you'd find out what it is :)
1 person likes this
@Kouponkaren (5497)
• United States
30 Jan 22
Wow, I hope it is nothing bug and scary. My next door neighbor swears they had a bear living under their porch their first year here. They never saw it but they heard it in the mornings sometimes. They don't have any windows that look out under their porch but they said it sounded like a bear. Now they have that area fenced in for their dogs and no more bear noises in the morning.
1 person likes this
@popciclecold (40214)
• United States
29 Jan 22
That is scary, all kinds of animals want a warm place when it's cold. Once we had a possum under our house.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (98026)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
31 Jan 22
All the outside cats around out house use the space under the front porch as a shelter when it rains,
@arunima25 (93194)
• Bangalore, India
30 Jan 22
Seems like someone came seeking shelter in this cold. Do you have fox and racoons there?
