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Ode to My Dead Cat: The Tale Of Chippy the Chipmunk

By
Real Estate Agent with Bean Group / Franklin

This is my cat, Princess. Alas, Princess is no more. I found some fur clumps in my backyard, last fall, that were orange, black and cream. Yup, you guessed right. She's been eaten. (I live in a rural setting.) So this is a tribute to Princess. May she rest in peace with Chippy, the Chipmunk.

Princess the Cat

This story begins with Princess overseeing the daily gardening chores, as she rests upon a stack of slate.  Quite suddenly, she jumps to the ground and runs over to the Barberry bush beside me. There was a chipmunk.

Predator CatPredator

Prey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                          

                                                                           Prey

As time went on, I watched Princess chase this chipmunk around the garden and under the bushes. By this time, I had given the little bugger a name... Chippy.

Several times, I caught Chippy fooling Princess, unintentionally...

Hide and Sneak 2 Hide and Sneak

so close

And at that time, I thought... 'Oh this is so cute... Hide and Seek between Princess and Chippy.

Then, things turned a little more frantic. Chippy was smart though, and avoided getting caught.

Slated to Die

Eventually, I became distracted with my flowers and stopped photographing the two. My IrisesOrchids and Azaleas had me and my camera lens, mesmerized.

 Yellow Iris        Peacock Orchid

White Azalea

Alas, it was time to leave the beauty of my garden and go into the house. I called to Princess and she followed me in. I saw no sign of Chippy, so I asked her, "Where is your friend?" No response.

I gave her some water in her bowl and headed to the back deck to water the outdoor plants.

 

There was Chippy!

Chippy meets his end

So, wherever you are, Princess, I hope you and Chippy are playing Hide and Seek once more. I thank you both for this wonderful memory.

Frances Sanderson, Franklin, NH REALTOR®, Certified EcoBroker®

Tony Orefice
NorthGroup Real Estate/www.TonyORealtor.com - Concord, NC
Realtor- Cabarrus County, NC

Not sure if I think this is an "aw" story or a horrible one...really, posting a pic of a dead chipmunk! I bet Chippy isn't looking on this too happy.  : (

Feb 19, 2009 10:19 AM
Jeff R. Geoghan
Coldwell Banker Realty - Lancaster, PA
REALTOR, Marketing Manager

Eeks.  I grew up in a home where the cat brought home all sorts of dead rodents - we got used to it.

Feb 19, 2009 01:24 PM
Frances Sanderson
Bean Group / Franklin - Franklin, NH

Tony,

I live in the "Live Free or Die" State of New Hampshire. Here, we understand the natural cycle of things and appreciate that death is a a part of Nature. If I have offended you, or anyone else out there, I apologize. For me, it was, as described, a tribute to my cat, who I'm guessing, enjoyed every moment of her freedom. Part of the price for that freedom, however, is survival of the fittest.

Jeff,

I may never get used to it, but I understand and appreciate that this is what a cat does. What bothers me is when I see an animal suffering. My neighbor, who was an animal control officer in town, used to call me over whenever her cat had left a squirrel or chipmunk near death and suffering, so that I would put it out of its misery, because I can't bear to see them suffer. 

Ultimately, the story of Princess and Chippy was a story about life and death. Thank you both for your comments.

Feb 22, 2009 03:36 AM
Anonymous
Luka

Problem is your cat wasn't a wild animal, as your pet you had an obligation to protect her.

Jul 04, 2010 05:43 AM
#4
Anonymous
Liz from NH

I also live in New Hampshire, and I would have encouraged my cat to leave it alone as obviously it would just be in its instinct to do what it did, which is what it was trying to do all along.  I think that everywhere, not just NH, appreciates that death is a part of nature...basically what you did was give this poor chipmunk a death sentence.  I hope a whole group of chipmunks is what got your cat.

Sep 16, 2010 12:58 PM
#5
Anonymous
Mike

hi im trying to find this bush that looks like a barberry bush and it

has dark blue berries and the bark color is gray and smooth the leaves

are almost like the barberry bushes leaves but not the same shape

and these would grow into a small tree but i cut them so they can't

and there leaves are oval shaped

Oct 17, 2012 10:29 AM
#6