Predator Kitties

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Since I don't have many pictures at work, I thought I'd put one out there that I do have. For the last couple of years we've had this chipmunk hanging out in the backyard. He seems to have gotten used to the cats, and knows they can't get to him - whether because of the screen door or the leash they have on when I have them outside. He's a brave little devil, and will even come out and scramble by my feet when I'm lounging out there. Then he will sit and look at me to see what I'm going to do.

He does the same to Tubby and Peanut by sitting on the step right out the back door (see picture). In the picture he has his back turned a bit, but at one point he was looking right at Tubby, as if daring him to come out and play. After I snapped this picture, I slowly opened the inside door trying not to scare him away. But, like I said, he's a bold one and didn't move. As soon as the inside door was open enough, Tubby bolted to the screen door and looked like he would have gone through if he could. There's a bush on one side of the steps, and roses on the other, and sometimes the chipmunk will run back and forth across the step to either side. It's hilarious to watch Tubby go from one side of the door, quickly to the other as the chipmunk scampers by. I know Tubby could catch him if the screen door or leash were not stopping him because he used to catch mice at my mom's house all the time (when he wasn't in the catnip that is ).

All the while this is going on, Peanut is hanging in the background watching it all. She's excited and everything, but Tubby is the aggressor, and she hangs back and lets him do his thing.

It's really hilarious to see this brave little chipmunk thumbing his nose at the big, black predator.

Do any of you have a live tease for your critters?

[purrley]

This is sooooo cute - what a gutsey little guy - the kitties must be going crazy!!!!

[K & L]

Too cute! Only critters that tease our cats are the birds. We feed them so the cats can watch them out the arcadia door. They love it.

[sasvermont]

I have lots of them around my home. I have seen the same one caught twice in a matter of minutes. My old cat (RB) would catch them, not hurt them and try to bring them in to the house. I of course stopped her at the door. They are so stupid - I think that is why there are so many - they are part of the food chain in my neighborhood. They are cute, yes, I agree but they are just plain ole' dumb when it comes to survival skills.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Gee, sasvermont, I never thought of that. Here I thought they were being so smart by teasing the cats and knowing the cats couldn't get to them.

If this is the case, they won't be around long because we do have cats wandering around outside that don't have a screen door holding them back!

[Edwina's Secretary]

We have what is called "Edwina's Entertainment Center." Just off the French doors to the backyard is the bird bath and the bird/squirrel/chipmunk/rabbit/raccoon feeder. (We live adjacent to a forest preserve. The privacy fence keeps the deer out -- but not much else.) The variety is amazing as is the fact that it is not at all unusual to see different species chowing down at the same time.

The squirrels love to torment Edwina. She makes very tough from inside..."come on momma...let me at 'em, I could take 'em, I could, I could...") When she goes outside the squirrels run rather slowly and part way up a tree or on top of the fence. Then they chatter at her. She freezes. On more than a couple of occasions I have had to rescue her from the evil squirrels! In fact, when she is out in the yard I usually find her by looking in the bushes under the chattering squirrel.

She runs back in the house and resumes the position..."come on momma...let me at 'em, I could take 'em...really I could."

[sasvermont]

I will confess to having fed them a few summers in a row, but stopped once I saw that my neighbor's cat was preying on them right on my porch! They hide out in my raised garden beds in the winter and then live all around the outside in the summer. Many end up flat in the road. AND THEY ALL LOOK ALIKE. We call them all "Chippie"..... they are darling, until you've had one enter your house and then try to get out. They can create such a mess. They usually end up in a toilet or some awful place like that - if they enter a vacation home off season or cottage. Again, bad survival skills shine right through.

[Logan]

Many chipmunks have been left for me on my front steps by Mimi. And one morning, I chased Butter, who was literally yelling from my neighbor's yard. Ended up snatching him up, with the poor little chipmunk in his mouth, screaming at the top of his lungs (ever heard a chipmunk scream? ). I shook Butter until he dropped it, and one more chipmunk survived.

What beautiful little creatures they are, but I too, wish they would be a little more sensible about coming in my yard!! Mimi isn't much of a hunter anymore, thank goodness, and Butter has realized that "inside" is a good thing, so all the wildlife is much safer now.

The picture is darling. Love the outline of the kitty's head, with the little chipmunk playing around outside.

[tuxluvr]

I love the "entertainment center" analogy - completely appropriate!


Here's another show that was on - a winter festival of sorts

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Wow! That bird looks like it's doing the same thing the chipmunk was - just sitting there teasing the poor, poor kitty that has those darn doors to contend with.

[AmberLee]

Perhaps someday I'd actually have a camera in hand when it happens, but there are several birds (mainly the hummingbirds) who stop by our patio, tease the cats into a frenzy, and zoom off. Love to get it on film ... so tired of friends saying that this could never happen! Anyway, thanks for sharing your witness of critters teasing cats.

[tuxluvr]

Amberlee, we have hummingbirds all the time at the window - they see themselves in the window glasss. I read somewhere that they consider it a rival bird, and often they charge at their reflection and bang against the window, sometimes with tragic results.

We actually witnessed one hitting the window so hard that it died instantly. These pretty little hover birds are quite agressive!

I had an outdoor kitty once who caught a hummingbird while it was visiting the feeder! I wouldn't have believed it if two of us didn't see it happen. It was partly because the hummingbird was in one of these territorial battles with another bird and was shoved into the path of the kitty, who was poised and ready!

[Harley]

All this talk of chipmunks brought back a chipmunk/cat memory of an incident almost 30 years ago. It was my first time as a counselor at church camp, which had a kitty that summer. The kitty caught a chipmunk and, trying to be the hero and save the life of the little critter, I had hold of the chipmunk in one hand and popped the cat on the head with the other to get it to open its mouth. The chipmunk bit and held on to my finger which caused me to fling my hand back, ripping the chipmunk out of the cat's mouth which flew about 20 feet through the air to safety. The camp nurse treated my bleeding finger and decided to send me to a local doctor for a tetanus shot and possible rabies treatment. She told me the symptoms of rabies - I kept wiggling my fingers and toes to make sure they weren't going numb and had figured out when I would probably expire if rabies developed. Fortunately, the doctor concluded that the chipmunk bit me in self-defense and that rabies shots were unnecessary.

[lynnestankard]

Oh Harley LOL - sorry that was so funny - what a wonderful picture it built up

Everyone- the photos were so cool. Thank You.

We don't have chipmunks here - but I adore the little fellows - they just look so cheeky.

Lynne

[tuxluvr]

Originally posted by lynnestankard
Oh Harley LOL - sorry that was so funny - what a wonderful picture it built up

Everyone- the photos were so cool. Thank You.

We don't have chipmunks here - but I adore the little fellows - they just look so cheeky.

Lynne

Lynn, they are cheeky and cute....... In areas where they become overpopulated, some refer to them as mice with better wardrobes