Teddy, an outdoor kitty, sadly left me the bottom half of a bunny on my deck. I was desvastated about the bunny and now almost 2 days later, Teddy is not acting normally. He is still eating but not as much and looks "preoccupied". I could find no signs of the upper half of the bunny, although there are woods behind my house and the possibilityof finding any remains were doubtful. What are some of the hazards of a kitty preying and possibly eating an outdoor rabbit? Thank you.
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Kitty not looking well after preying on rabbit
- Thread starter teddysmom
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- Aug 20, 2015
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Wounds from scratches, bites, blows (impacts). Rabies. Worms. Poisoning. Fiercer fleas than those typically found on pet animals.
Many outdoor cats eat wild prey, I would imagine. Some indoor cats eat raw meat, including rabbits, with their fur still intact. (if you didn't know it, you can actually buy ground or cut up rabbit to include everything except the parts that an animal in the wild would NOT eat...been there, done that
BTW, also thinking if that rabbit DID have rabies, there is NO WAY Teddy would have been able to kill it. (maybe so, but probably not).
If you have any doubts, though, about how Teddy is acting, and think he is sick, you might should take him in to see a Vet.
Rabies is very rare in rabbits. If they get bitten by a rabid animal they usually die from the bite long before they could develop rabies themselves. The same is true of other small prey animals like squirrels, mice, etc.
If a cat were to catch anything from a rabbit it would most likely be parasites, and that would probably not show symptoms this quickly.
It's possible he was hurt, though, or that he simply ate too much of something he doesn't normally eat and is uncomfortable.
If a cat were to catch anything from a rabbit it would most likely be parasites, and that would probably not show symptoms this quickly.
It's possible he was hurt, though, or that he simply ate too much of something he doesn't normally eat and is uncomfortable.
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- #5
Thank you for your comments. I spoke with my vet this am and she also expressed concern about the possibility of parasites. Teddy started eating more this am, is grooming both himself and his feline buddy, Jack, whom he absolutely adores. So far it appears that Teddy may soon be back to normal. The vet recommended that I monitor him for the next week and if I still have a concern to bring in a stool sample and they will check for parasites. Again, many thanks and what a great website!
