Chip Off The Old Block

Twice today, I entered to barn to find Chip frolicking behind the haystack with a dead body in his mouth. While not entirely sure whether Puff's catching the mice, or if it's Chip himself, one thing is for sure, he's got the instinct and the tenacity of a true mouser.

On my first trip, I was horrified by the grizzly discovery of a disembodied head lying in the middle of the floor. Curious to know what happened to the rest of it, I peeked into every nook and cranny wondering if Puff had eaten it. I had my fingers crossed it wasn't true. Killing a mouse is one thing, but eating it is quite another. Friends have told me that when you feed a barn cat it is likely to kill more mice because it is killing for sport rather than for food. Conversely, an unfed cat will only kill when it's hungry. So it seemed unlikely to me that Puff was eating as well as killing.

As I was about to leave the barn, Chip appeared from behind the haystack with what looked like a string hanging from his mouth. He wouldn't come to me, but instead ran back into the dark corner. I grabbed a broom and went after the little bugger. After poking him a few times he finally sprang forth and showed me his coveted prize. He had the headless mouse in his mouth and could not have been more pleased with himself.

A few hours later, I return, lunch in hand.
Puff, Ernie, and Uncle Charlie dive into bowls.
Chip--conspicuously missing.
Thumping sounds behind hay.
Chip emerges.
Fully intact body dangling from mouth.
"Cute factor", zero.

We're losing our kittens and gaining cats. Boy they grow up so fast. Maybe now I can get something else done around here!