Snakebite!

My delight with the arrival of spring has been dampened by the timely, yet unfortunate reminder of one of the perils of this time of year. Rattlesnakes! As the days grow warm, the snakes become active and the woodpile and stands of wildflowers and new growth are inviting hunting and sunning grounds.

It is easy to forget to be watchful and the grandchildren must be constantly reminded that playing in Papaw’s cool piles of workshop materials or picking the abundant wildflowers must be done with alert eyes and ears. I have seemed a nuisance to them with my almost constant warnings, but I suspect that will not be so necessary now. We have all had a hard reminder.

Seven days ago, our young tomcat went hunting. Two days later he came staggering in the door with scratches across his face and an abscess on the inside of his left front leg. A quick examination told the tale. He had been in a fight with a large rattlesnake. I have seen this before and there was no mistaking the wound. What I could not know is how much venom he’d received or how bad it would get since there was no way to really tell when he’d been bitten.

To make a long story short, he almost died. By day four, the scratches on his head proved to be places where venomous fangs dragged across skin. They abscessed and broke open. The flesh, around the two entry points on the leg, has opened and created a large, gaping wound. His leg seems to be functional, which is a miracle considering the bite location. An inch higher and he would have probably been dead before he could make it to the house.

Though our beloved Merlin will bear horrific scars and have a long convalescence, he may have saved us, or one of the grandchildren, from getting bit. We will now be extra alert to our unwelcome guest and take steps to make sure the areas of activity are not so enticing as a snake residence. If found, and we will be conducting a search, the snake will be caught and taken several miles away for release.