Recently in lizards Category
I've had to carry two of them out of my house this past week but a third has -- so far -- eluded capture and is still living in my bathroom. All courtesy of Annie my cat who finds them and brings them home with her. Once inside, most of them manage an escape her clutches and find some hiding spot within the house (behind furniture, in a closet, inside a pair of shoes -- eeek -- which makes getting dressed always such an adventure).
They are all tail-less by the time I catch and release them, of course. Lizards, as you all probably know, can shed their (still twitching) tails as a defensive mechanism to distract and throw their predators off the track while they escape. Very clever -- and very effective, it still tricks Annie more often than not.
This lizard obsession of hers has been ongoing ever since I adopted Annie a year and a half ago. So I was amused Sunday morning when I walked out onto my porch on my way to church to find that someone had anonymously left two colorful "lizard tiles."
How cute! And how very, very appropriate.
I spotted this lizard sitting next to me on the arm of my sofa Sunday night. Clearly another early Christmas gift from Annie the cat, that clever and generous feline. 
I picked him up (neither of us enjoyed that very much) and set him loose outside, putting him on the front porch railing.
He immediately leaped into the bushes below, vanishing in a departure that couldn't come soon enough for him, apparently. I just hope it wasn't a suicide attempt.
I made sure Annie was shut inside so she wouldn't just resume her pursuit (not right away, anyhow; we may see him again, though, knowing my cat).
A bearded dragon named Caeser was apparently stolen on Saturday from Kathy Burkholder of Redondo Beach. Kathy is the founder of Kathy's Critters, a group that takes exotic animals to
schools, parties and other events as an educational outreach.
Check out the story and give her a call -- 310-318-1389 -- if you know where the lizard might have ended up. He needs specialty care and Kathy says he'll likely die if not cared for properly.
Two more lizard tails found last night on a rug in the hallway (and promptly taken outside by Annie the cat's "staff" -- that would be me).
Memo to self: shake out blankets and bed sheets every night before going to bed, check shoes and slippers before inserting feet, DO NOT walk barefoot through the house in the dark, wear glasses indoors at all times:
About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.