Friday, September 29, 2006

Stiff Chipmunk

I was away for the weekend, and fall has started shaking the leaves from the trees. And so the pool is starting to fill up. The filter was jammed to the brim. As I started to empty it, I noticed a chipmunk sitting atop the pile. I assumed it was dead, but I was wrong. The little fella was probably stranded on leaf island for a couple days, and was barely able to move. I wrapped it in a towel and left him for the night.

This morning he was still warm, but he wasn't moving. One of its eyes was open, unblinking. I picked it up and it moved a little, so I took it out to the woods and put it by a tree.

I don't really know what to do. As bad as I feel about it, I've got two kids that would terrorize it indoors, and a dog that would eat it first chance. I am surprised it is still alive. Shocked actually. It simply doesn't move. My wife said it tried while she was watching. It sighed and lay still again. We're hoping the cold water tricked it into hibernation, but that's wishful thinking.

What would you do? I have a hammer, and thought briefly about ending it. But that was a little too graphic for me to stomach.

16 comments:

Tee/Tracy said...

Vets are usually in contact with wildlife people who rehabilitate animals. Call first and then take him to a vet who can give him some tender loving care.

Put that hammer away! :p

Kathleen said...

My friend would have killed it, but she kills chipmunks for some reason. I would have given it chipmunk CPR, rubbed its little body in the towel hoping to inject some warmth into it. But Tee's idea is a good one, too, although do wildlife people care about cute little chipmunks when they're a dime a dozen?

Bailey Stewart said...

Wildlife people care about all wildlife. I was thinking the vet too. Bad hammer. If not the vet, I'd much rather, if nothing else, you let nature take it's course. Poor baby.

Flood said...

What they said. Nature or vet. No hammer. Yuck. (I know your heart is in the right place.)

Scott said...

Alright, alright, no hammer!

It was only a thought anyway. I'm afraid nature is going to be the answer here. I'll check to see if it managed to move or get eaten by tonight.

Ultra Toast Mosha God said...

I hope it's okay.

Yeah, get it to the vets.

Anonymous said...

To the vets ... they will help it. Please.

Anonymous said...

To the vets ..... Pleeeease.

Scott said...

If I had discovered this earlier, it would have had a chance. There's no way it's going to make it now.

Toni Anderson said...

Poor little guy.
I remember finding a tiny baby bird in the woods behind my parents in law and desperately wanted to either put it in its nest or take it home. All the advice is leave it where it is, so I did, but I went on the same walk the next day and found it dead. I'd moved it to a safer spot, but obviously the little bird wanted to be on the path and someone had trodden on it.
I felt sick for days.

A secure box and a warm cupboard is good. But maybe it is too late??

These things happen...

Jada's Gigi said...

Poor baby..probably starving...they are cute aren't they?

fakies said...

If it were me, I'd put in a box, give it a blanket, and try to bottle feed. It would die anyway, and I would feel like crap. Better the vet feels like crap.

Miranda said...

I like Tee's idea.

Once, one of my aunt's cats went through the wash. It looked terrible and wasn't moving. Then it started to move slowly and my Grandma thought it must be in such pain it would be best to end it, but while she and my uncle looked for something to kill it with, it got better and better. It stayed with the family until I was a little girl. Sometimes those little guys get better.

Natalie said...

There is always someone willing to help a poor critter in need (ahem). If it's still alive, I'd call the vet. Even a local vet school would probably like to try to help it. If you are going to go the "let nature take it's course" route, at least leave it some fresh water and something to nibble on.

Anthony Rapino said...

I would say the vet or the box idea, but I guess it is getting late for any help. Maybe he/she's just in shock.

My brother once was able to pick a wild sparrow up (after it flew into a window) and it was so shaken up that it just perched on his finger for quite a while.

Anonymous said...

To the vets .... it would be such a shame to just let it die.