I just have to share the latest episode of Sheba, my little killing machine. But first some history.
Sheba was adopted from the local PAWS in 2004 after they rescued her from a colony of 50+ starving cats that had formed in the country and were living in basically a garbage dump after an elderly lady was taken to a nursing home. So she had known both "having a human family" and "living in the wild." When I first got her, I kept her inside for a few months before letting her out, so she'd develop a bond and would come home. The first time I let her out alone, within about one hour she delivered one dead bird to my front door and another to the back door. Since then, I rarely let her out alone, and definitely not in the summer when there are young birds around. At least in the winter, the birds here are faster and more wary.
Last summer I decided to let her and the other cats out on the second floor deck by leaving the glass slider to the deck slightly ajar so they could come and go during a hot spell. I've never seen her leave the deck, so doubt that she did. Yet within a ten day period she brought two bats and one bird into the house. One of the bats was still alive and she released it.
Then several days ago I was lying in bed one night and heard her meow very loudly from another part of the house. She usually has such a tiny little voice that I decided to get up and investigate. She was in the hall outside the kitchen eating prey. I think it was what was left of a bat! But as I dashed into the kitchen to get a paper towel with which to pick it up, she polished it off so I'm really not sure what it was. But that time there were no doors or windows left open. It had been cold so I'd even had the furnace on and it had been days or weeks since I'd left the door open other than just long enough to go through it. So if it was a bat, it must have at some time come in with me and "hung out" around the house until Sheba caught it.
Now I'm happy that if there is prey in the house that she protects me from it, but I've got to admit I don't like the idea of her eating it. Especially not just a few days after she's been de-wormed!
Sheba was adopted from the local PAWS in 2004 after they rescued her from a colony of 50+ starving cats that had formed in the country and were living in basically a garbage dump after an elderly lady was taken to a nursing home. So she had known both "having a human family" and "living in the wild." When I first got her, I kept her inside for a few months before letting her out, so she'd develop a bond and would come home. The first time I let her out alone, within about one hour she delivered one dead bird to my front door and another to the back door. Since then, I rarely let her out alone, and definitely not in the summer when there are young birds around. At least in the winter, the birds here are faster and more wary.
Last summer I decided to let her and the other cats out on the second floor deck by leaving the glass slider to the deck slightly ajar so they could come and go during a hot spell. I've never seen her leave the deck, so doubt that she did. Yet within a ten day period she brought two bats and one bird into the house. One of the bats was still alive and she released it.
Then several days ago I was lying in bed one night and heard her meow very loudly from another part of the house. She usually has such a tiny little voice that I decided to get up and investigate. She was in the hall outside the kitchen eating prey. I think it was what was left of a bat! But as I dashed into the kitchen to get a paper towel with which to pick it up, she polished it off so I'm really not sure what it was. But that time there were no doors or windows left open. It had been cold so I'd even had the furnace on and it had been days or weeks since I'd left the door open other than just long enough to go through it. So if it was a bat, it must have at some time come in with me and "hung out" around the house until Sheba caught it.
Now I'm happy that if there is prey in the house that she protects me from it, but I've got to admit I don't like the idea of her eating it. Especially not just a few days after she's been de-wormed!