Okay, Muskrat, you have found an advocate...

For some reason, the subject of the muskrat came up yesterday.  Logan hadn't seen it, but I mentioned that we have one and that he walks around in the backyard eating things.

I didn't want him to be afraid to go back there.  So, like most inquisitive young kids will do, he asked a series of questions and I answered them.  By the time the conversation was done, we'd covered the following points:

Muskrats are basically herbivores.  They're not hunters, they're prey.  They don't have fangs that carnivores might have, like Logan's dogs or cat.  They're basically defenseless.  They have no way to attack Logan if he were to sneak up on one.  Like most herbivores, their main defense is to run away if they hear anybody coming their way.  They just live in their muskrat hole and hide down there if there's danger.  The rest of the time, they waddle around looking for plants to eat.  (They also eat things like small fish, etc.  So, I guess they're not strictly herbivores.)

After a little bit, Logan said, "I feel sorta bad for muskrats."  When I asked why, he said, "Well, they are defenseless.  All they have is a hole to hide in.  They don't hurt anybody.  Other animals can catch them and eat them."

Yeah, I pointed out that there must not be many predators in our back yard, though, since the muskrat has been there about a year now and only seems to be getting fatter.

Just a few days ago, I was wondering if it was time to shoot the muskrat, but he really isn't causing any harm.  I like seeing wildlife in the backyard and it is sorta entertaining to see him every now and then.  My backyard is awesome.  Very small, but backs up to a big ravine and a good sized creek.  I've seen deer in my backyard every now and then. 

So, even though I wasn't that serious about taking out the muskrat, he found a 9 year old to plead his case.  Apparently, Muskrat is a traditional Lenten dish in Michigan.  (Because it lives in/near the water, it's considered a fish.  Yeah, I know... I'm not a practicing Catholic, so don't bend my ear about it.) 

This is Ohio, though.  No muskrat for dinner around here any time soon.  The kindness and empathy of a 9 year old made me look at things differently.