i need advice. my cat has a very nasty habit of bringing home alsorts of wildlfe ,i mean its even brought home a live bird which was flapping for its life around the house. we do feed it well,& she meaoos most nights when we are in bed during the early hours. what can i do ?
cat advice needed
oh right ,well thanks for that,i'll just enjoy watching are cat take rabbits heads off,i just hope she does not bring in a magpie
i have been told that cats generally hunt the most at dusk and dawn so maybe you could keep her in for these times??
Get it a collar with a bell, and if the cat is exceptionally prolific, add another bell. A collar with a quick-release buckle, or better still, those which are all nylon - like a stretchy piece of elastic, so the cat won't get caught up in branches. RSPB says collars with bells cut 50% of bird kills. Mice and other creatures will also have a better chance of hearing the cat's approach.
Have a go at de-training the cat's predatory instinct using the 'aversion therapy' of a water pistol, fired at the cat when it is seen attempting to creep up towards a bird. Cats don't like water, however harmless it is, and when this is linked to a firm "No!" you may be able to uncheck the pattern of behaviour to some degree. I did with a little black cat, one who never ventured beyond his own garden so was usually a 'sitting target' for my marksmanship with the water pistol.
Have a go at de-training the cat's predatory instinct using the 'aversion therapy' of a water pistol, fired at the cat when it is seen attempting to creep up towards a bird. Cats don't like water, however harmless it is, and when this is linked to a firm "No!" you may be able to uncheck the pattern of behaviour to some degree. I did with a little black cat, one who never ventured beyond his own garden so was usually a 'sitting target' for my marksmanship with the water pistol.
It doesn't mean your cat isn't well fed. You could stuff it full all day every day and it will still hunt. Its a cats instinct. Cats are natural predators and no amount of food will stop this.
It isn't a nice thing to have to deal with but it's just one of those things you have to accept as a cat owner.
I was horrified when the first mouse was dropped at my feet, and even more horrified when the first live bird was bought in and let go. Getting it out safety isn't always an easy task but you do get used to it. I don't mean that in a callous way because it always makes me very sad to have to deal with these things but I love my cats and have grown to accept what nature makes them do.
It isn't a nice thing to have to deal with but it's just one of those things you have to accept as a cat owner.
I was horrified when the first mouse was dropped at my feet, and even more horrified when the first live bird was bought in and let go. Getting it out safety isn't always an easy task but you do get used to it. I don't mean that in a callous way because it always makes me very sad to have to deal with these things but I love my cats and have grown to accept what nature makes them do.
Originally Posted by flakecake:
“It doesn't mean your cat isn't well fed. You could stuff it full all day every day and it will still hunt. Its a cats instinct. Cats are natural predators and no amount of food will stop this.
It isn't a nice thing to have to deal with but it's just one of those things you have to accept as a cat owner.
I was horrified when the first mouse was dropped at my feet, and even more horrified when the first live bird was bought in and let go. Getting it out safety isn't always an easy task but you do get used to it. I don't mean that in a callous way because it always makes me very sad to have to deal with these things but I love my cats and have grown to accept what nature makes them do.”
“It doesn't mean your cat isn't well fed. You could stuff it full all day every day and it will still hunt. Its a cats instinct. Cats are natural predators and no amount of food will stop this.
It isn't a nice thing to have to deal with but it's just one of those things you have to accept as a cat owner.
I was horrified when the first mouse was dropped at my feet, and even more horrified when the first live bird was bought in and let go. Getting it out safety isn't always an easy task but you do get used to it. I don't mean that in a callous way because it always makes me very sad to have to deal with these things but I love my cats and have grown to accept what nature makes them do.”
Exactly what i ment.
My cat kado brings in birds all the time as does the next door neighbours but during the summer months more. So i dont know if its kado or the neighbours cat that has done it. I hate it myself and if possible try to take them off him.
It is there instinct and despite the fact we find it horrible and don't appreciate it. We cannot stop it.
Nature is an amazing thing. They have never been taught. They left their mum at eight weeks but the need is there.
At the moment my two couldn't catch a lame, blind, deaf bird as they are thick as a plank of wood. It will happen and I will probably be on here screaming and crying.
I do think some cats have more of an instinct and are better at it!!
Nature is an amazing thing. They have never been taught. They left their mum at eight weeks but the need is there.
At the moment my two couldn't catch a lame, blind, deaf bird as they are thick as a plank of wood. It will happen and I will probably be on here screaming and crying.
I do think some cats have more of an instinct and are better at it!!
the bell aprouch sounds good ,& i think we did have that a good while back,but she still did bring in kills. however i am more than happy to readopt it to include extra bells if the throey works ,it does sound good. .my cat has brought in birds ,killed one & another still flapping for its life. she has bought in loads of mice some dead ,others dieing. rabbits too . but the one thing ,i can't get my head round is why are cat when it eats the rabbits it only wants the head part not the body? surely thats a bit of a waist you'd think theres more meat on the body part ,not the head.the watch pistol theory sounds ok ,but no good on the hunt part ,as we cannot be on the cats tail 24/7,in the house maby.certainly some good advice here . the bell theroy i will look in to next time i go to the shops.
You can't stop nature! If you object, don't have a pet.
Bells don't work either. I see plenty of cats hunting and catching birds and mice.
Bells don't work either. I see plenty of cats hunting and catching birds and mice.
i'd rather have a cat than a dog ,as thech they are cheaper to keep & need less looking after etc that is cat are wid animals ,dogs arn't
Originally Posted by emails:
“oh right ,well thanks for that,i'll just enjoy watching are cat take rabbits heads off,i just hope she does not bring in a magpie”
“oh right ,well thanks for that,i'll just enjoy watching are cat take rabbits heads off,i just hope she does not bring in a magpie
”
I had a cat who tried to drag in a baby seagull. It was bigger than the cat.
The cat eats the rabbit's head because that is where the nutrients are. They tend to eat the head and organs (heart, liver) first, they would only then eat the flesh if they were really hungry.
If a cat is a good hunter all the bells in the world won't help, although it will make you feel you're doing something so worth it from that point of view. Keeping them in at dawn and dusk is the most effective thing you can do.
If a cat is a good hunter all the bells in the world won't help, although it will make you feel you're doing something so worth it from that point of view. Keeping them in at dawn and dusk is the most effective thing you can do.
