My cat ate a chipmunk last night at the foot of my bed...?

Question

...the crunching woke me up. I figured it was 3 a.m., and he's eaten a million chipmunks before, so I went back to sleep.

Do you think I should have stopped him and taken what was left (yech!) away from him? Or, was I right to let him have his snack?

Confidential to Rich Z: Actually, yes, I am very proud of his hunting skills. That's what a cat *does*.

Did you know that in England in the 1500s anyone who killed a cat had to pay (substantial!) restitution to the owner? The killer had to pay a pile of winnowed grain as tall as the cat was long (including the tail!).

DETAILS:

The chipmunk-eating kitty is 13, nd has gone out every night of his life through the cat door.

By the way, he ate this latest snack on the FLOOR at the foot of my bed...not ON it!

P.S. This afternoon, I found the remains of what I think was a wren. Same room, different spot.

Answer 1

To each his own I guess , in any event it wouldn't be a bad idea to call your vet and ask about a de-worming for him, My cats tend to bring things to my front door that I am glad do not make it into my house, cats have the instinct to hunt and kill things usually when they bring it to you it is a sign to let you know that they love you ( creepy yes but true) to my knowledge chipmunks don't carry rabies , as far as stopping him there is nothing you can do about it now so don't sweat it

Answer 2

1) I have found it difficult to take prey away from a determined cat. When they have their wild on, you could get bit or scratched. If he's already killed it, it's over.
2) If he's eaten a million chipmunks-he probably has a million worms and other parasites--you should check with the vet.
3) Where you live- could he be hit by a car or eaten by something bigger? It sounds rural, just by the number of chipmunks. Then again I lived in the middle of St. Louis and one fine morning was greeted in my backyard by a skunk.
Could you consider keeping kitty inside?
http://www.dumpstercats.org/Articles/InsideCats.htm
then you would not have these issues.

Answer 3

Hey if you were eating a snack at 3 a.m. and someone jerked it out of your mouth how pissed would you be? It is called the balance of animals and nature!!! Plus if you got up and took the remains could you have truly gone back to sleep after seeing the mess? Consider it a snack and sweet dreams!

Answer 4

Does he have a way to go in and out of the house while everyne is sleeping? How did he get the chipmunk in the house at that hour of the morning? I would talk to a vetrinarian about how you can stop the kitty from doing this....I'm not sure but it might be harmful to him/her...check it out.

Answer 5

Obviously you forgot to set him a place at the dinner table last night, Teach him to open the fridge if he wants an early morning snack, and put a sign by his Kitty door No chipmunks allowed..........

Answer 6

Your cat obviously loves you he wanted to share! I hate to think of the state of your linens this morning though.....

Let him have his snacks, however if he is doing the wild thing know the risks to letting him outside. Worms, coyotes,foxes, traps and mundane things like weirdos and cars. Keep letting him out and he will in all probability have a shorter life by years. Are you willing to risk that for your friend?

Answer 7

Aren't you proud that you have such a skilled killer for a pet? Next time maybe he can drop the remains on your pillow to show you how skilled he is. Or maybe next time that your cat goes out to find a smaller victim, a fox or coyote will eat him.

Answer 8

Balance KARMA , feed your cat to the chipmunks

Answer 9

OMG! That's disgusting! I definitely would have taken it away - especially if the cat was in MY bed. Outside is another story, but in my room - ugh!

Answer 10

My bigger question and concern is how did the chipmunk get into your house. you might want to call someone on that.