# Help! My girl got hurt!!



## Gretchen (Oct 24, 2011)

My husband went to let the cat out, and Little Miss Mantis was down on the ground....my cat got her. :helpsmilie: 

Her abdomen seems to be punctured, but she's responsive. What should I do??


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## azn567 (Oct 24, 2011)

Depending on the extent of the damage, it may or may not be fatal. Can you post up a photograph of her? If she is fatally wounded, then many people decide to put their mantises in the freezer so they can go to sleep. Then you could bury her in the yard somewhere.


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## Gretchen (Oct 24, 2011)

I will try. She was walking around, oozing a bit. Looks like a wing is "dented". I feel so bad!


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## Gretchen (Oct 24, 2011)




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## Gretchen (Oct 24, 2011)

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/684/missmantishurt.jpg/


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## PhilinYuma (Oct 24, 2011)

I'm afraid that your mantis is fatally injured, Gretchen, which is a great pity, especially if this is your first. Some people, like Rebecca, keep mantids on a plant out of their cage, but it does need to be in a safe place, away from large pets and little children. Many folks put a dying mantis like this in the freezer so that they don't have to watch it die, but it will certainly not feel any pain either way.


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## Gretchen (Oct 24, 2011)

*Cries*

She is my first, I'm very upset.

I have her inside with me now, she still has a lot of spunk left for a fatally injured girl, so I'm just spending some time with her...she's on top of my bamboo plant.

I've kept her out of harm's way for almost 3 weeks... away from my cats and those wielding leaf blowers.

The only thing that gives me any comfort is knowing she wasn't long for this world anyway, with her natural life cycle.


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## lancaster1313 (Oct 24, 2011)

Poor thing.  

Is she moving around normally despite her injury?

I have never had a mantis with an abdomenal injury like that, but sometimes roaches will live for quite a while and act normal, even with such a serious looking injury.

I have no idea what I would do about it medically, but maybe another member would have advice.

If the mantis doesn't seem to notice the problem and doesn't seem to be suffering, I would probably try to isolate her and see how she does for a day. If she is obviously dying then I would help to speed it up with the freezer, or feed her to a larger carnivorous pet. For me, it would all depend on her behavior.


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## Gretchen (Oct 24, 2011)

Yes, she seems fine despite the extent of her injury...she seems to want me to hold her. She's very alert and responsive. I can't imagine anything can really be done medically...


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## PhilinYuma (Oct 25, 2011)

Unfortunately, that is not hemolymph leaking out of her abdomen, it is her gut. However, whatever you think is best for her probably is.


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## lunarstorm (Oct 25, 2011)

So sorry to hear this. I can understand how upsetting this is, I had a similar thing happen with a popa spurca nymph. I put her on top of a terrarium, turned around to grab something for a brief moment and then heard a noise. When I turned back around, I noticed one of my cats in the room and the nymph was on the floor. The poor nymph's abdomen was punctured (I'm pretty certain the cat swatted her) and I put her into the freezer a short while later.


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## Gretchen (Oct 25, 2011)

I really appreciate all the replies and sympathy, thank you so much!

For now, she's inside, hanging out on my bamboo plant, in a shoe box, chilling out.

While this was going on, I learned that a friend of a friend's stepson had caught a wild mantis recently, and although she didn't make it, she did leave behind a nice ooth.

I strongly encouraged my friend to tell his friend's stepson about this site. You're all so awesome and knowledgeable.

I will still be hanging around here, mantis or no mantis...I could see this becoming a hobby, but not right now.

I'll be asking a small favor of you folks next month...  

Thanks again for all your support!


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## CoolMantid (Oct 25, 2011)

Try to DAB the wounded area with a cotton ball it might stop it from oozing anymore...... Does she still eat and was she pregnant?


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## Gretchen (Nov 22, 2011)

Sadly, she only made it another day...I was so sad to let her go, but it was inevitable anyway. Still, she was my first and I nearly gave her a facebook page to call her own, I had so many pictures. She did have her own album. Almost famous!


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## Krissim Klaw (Nov 22, 2011)

I'm sorry for your loss. Fly free little one. May the winds guide you to the place where mantises flutter like fairies through the fields.

Cats and mantises can take some juggling to keep at once. Despite how careful I was with my cat, I still could have easily lost one of mine to an attack. I thought my cat was in a different room but he was up on the top bunk prowling and the second I had my back turned he made a go at it. I was lucky in that moment that my mantis was better at watching out for danger and flew across my room to safty.

Thankfully mantises seem to go rather peacefully and quickly once it is time.


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## sinensispsyched (Nov 29, 2011)

If my chinese mantises ever breed, you're more than welcome to have some nymphs or ooth, whichever one you want.


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