So my girl Prika, a one and a half year old tortie, made it a point this summer to escape from the house whenever the opportunity arose. I guess she got sick of spending all last summer and winter at the window watching and chattering at the birds, chipmunks and squirrels as they feasted at the bird feeder with impunity.
Although I was extremely hesitant and nervous about her going outside at first, the fact that she generally stays in the yard eased my anxiety considerably. The fact that there is a small wooded area, lots of bushes and vegetative cover for small animals all over the rather large yard means that she doesn't have to travel far to exercise her primal instinct to hunt.
I wasn't sure how successful she was in her endeavors until the last month or so. Within the span of a week, I found a dead mole in the yard and a dying chipmunk in my living room. Prika, of course, was right next to the poor thing, watching with vague interest.
Last week my roommate told me that while I was away for the weekend, Prika had caught a chipmunk and brought it on the porch, batted it around, and ran off with it in her mouth. Later that day, I heard a scream at the front door. I went to check it out. I found my roommate pointing at the foot of the stairs. She said simply, "chipmunk head." Sure enough, the decapitated head of a chipmunk sat upright on the concrete porch, next to it's tail. I can only assume that the parts of a chipmunk that usually fill the space between the pieces I found ended up in Prika's belly.
She is up to date on all her shots, and was wormed last year as a kitten. Should she get another dose? Do chipmunks generally transfer worms? Other diseases? She seems perfectly fine. In fact yesterday she ran into my room, zipping and zooming all over the place. I figured she was doped up on catnip, but upon closer inspection she had chased a chipmunk into the house. She put it in her mouth, dropped it, batted it and repeated, until the little guy finally found the exit. Later in the day I found about half the poor guy's tail on my bedroom carpet. I vacuumed.
So I guess my big question is, should I get her worm medication? I haven't seen anything in her stool, although I know that doesn't necessarily mean anything. I just figure that she isn't done feasting on woodland critters, and would like advice on how to proceed now that my baby is an indoor/outdoor girl (although not every day, and never after dark).
Although I was extremely hesitant and nervous about her going outside at first, the fact that she generally stays in the yard eased my anxiety considerably. The fact that there is a small wooded area, lots of bushes and vegetative cover for small animals all over the rather large yard means that she doesn't have to travel far to exercise her primal instinct to hunt.
I wasn't sure how successful she was in her endeavors until the last month or so. Within the span of a week, I found a dead mole in the yard and a dying chipmunk in my living room. Prika, of course, was right next to the poor thing, watching with vague interest.
Last week my roommate told me that while I was away for the weekend, Prika had caught a chipmunk and brought it on the porch, batted it around, and ran off with it in her mouth. Later that day, I heard a scream at the front door. I went to check it out. I found my roommate pointing at the foot of the stairs. She said simply, "chipmunk head." Sure enough, the decapitated head of a chipmunk sat upright on the concrete porch, next to it's tail. I can only assume that the parts of a chipmunk that usually fill the space between the pieces I found ended up in Prika's belly.
She is up to date on all her shots, and was wormed last year as a kitten. Should she get another dose? Do chipmunks generally transfer worms? Other diseases? She seems perfectly fine. In fact yesterday she ran into my room, zipping and zooming all over the place. I figured she was doped up on catnip, but upon closer inspection she had chased a chipmunk into the house. She put it in her mouth, dropped it, batted it and repeated, until the little guy finally found the exit. Later in the day I found about half the poor guy's tail on my bedroom carpet. I vacuumed.
So I guess my big question is, should I get her worm medication? I haven't seen anything in her stool, although I know that doesn't necessarily mean anything. I just figure that she isn't done feasting on woodland critters, and would like advice on how to proceed now that my baby is an indoor/outdoor girl (although not every day, and never after dark).
