For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for July 24, 2012

how soon until April’s birth?

hmm, let’s see—-sow is having babies, watched Lizzie’s birth, seen one, seen them all—-I just drew a conclusion that does not bode well for John.

Restated: “When you have seen one sow give birth you have seen it all” If he was home, it would be a month on the couch.

An unfortunate choice of words.

He was pretty much safe- until the last panel.

Many years ago I saw my cat give birth. Her mother was there helping her in my closet. The birth mother’s mother was assisting with the umbilical cords and licking the newborn babies. And a few weeks earlier the mother of the pregnant cat was attacking her. The birth mother used to nurse her kittens on my bed while I was asleep and sometimes would bring the kittens to me (by her mouth) when she wanted to take a break from nursing. It was a beautiful experience, but since then I’ve always spayed my cats – it’s too hard to place the babies into good homes.

All right, John, then you just wallow in bed.

Seeing one was one too many.

I put 5 trained kittens up for adoption last month. I had 3 calls after they were all gone. DH trapped 6 feral kittens a couple of weeks ago for a farmer that said he’d take a few more, but the feral cats watched the whole production and were all gone the next day.

I wonder if the sow gets an epidural :)

I wonder what John is going to be served for breakfast?

Neither can human mothers, statistically.

Or an epigural?

I see a bucket of pig slop in Johns future.

Sooooo… are you calling Lizzie or Ellie a pig? :-s

Another case of foot-in-mouth disease for John!

More like “hoof-in-mouth disease” I’d say!!!!! ;-)

Don’t all farmers have to get up in the middle of the night to care for their animals? There’s milking cows, helping sows deliver piglets, etc. Taking care of farm animals must be a great experience.

delivered many calves, goats, etc…even delivered my sonat home…a great experience