I've noticed a sharp upturn in the amount of hunting that Zima is doing lately. After not bringing home any catches all winter, she's leaving an awful lot of small critters at the doorstep for us. A week ago it was a
small rabbit, yesterday it was a chipmunk, and today she left a half-chewed chipmunk with a leg missing. But something about today's offering gave me a hint as to what may be responsible for her recent killing spree. Remember that
catnip I planted for her amusement? Well, right next to the dead chipmunk was a sprig of that catnip plant. It appears that the cat is getting all hopped up on the 'nip and then chasing down some wildlife. I'm not sure if I should feel guilty about this or not. Maybe she is just killing more right now because this is the time when there are more young animals that aren't as savvy about predators as their parents. Or maybe it is an unintended consequence of the 'feline opium den' I planted. Looking at the bright side... she's an old cat, and at least she is getting some exercise (and supplementing her diet).
Here's a picture of the evidence (with dead chipmunk removed).