Should I stop my cat from killing birds?

[momophile]

Poll question: Should I stop my cat from killing birds?

My cat killed her first bird of the new year. Last year she took out at least four birds. She does not eat them, but instead leaves them for me to see (soooo sweeeeet). Should I try to stop her?

[Midlodemocrat]

1. Oh. Dear. God.

:cry:

[Not_Giving_Up]

2. It's her way of saying

"Thanks for taking care of me"....Let her show her appreciation.

[BikeWriter]

86. It's her way of aiding the extinction of our native wildlife.

[Beaverhausen]

3. oh boy

:popcorn:

[LynneSin]

4. Evita is a songbird killer

It's a part of their soul. If you don't want her killing them then put a bell on her collar so the birds are warned.

BTW, Evita is on Matcom's hit list so don't let him find out what your cat does. I think there is a $25 bounty on her :cry:

[momophile]

9. (gulp) I was just kidding... he... he....

my cat has never killed a bird! never! and she never would. she loves birds. as in, let's hug.

[IntravenousDemilo]

95. While "Evita" is a killer of song.

It would warn a lot more birds if kitty wore a little locket that played "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina". Probably scare them all away, in fact, never to return. Come to think of it, any of your neighbours with musical taste would probably flee in fear, too.

[azmouse]

5. Only stop her from killing mice.

[Midlodemocrat]

7. Wrong. FORCE her to kill mice.

:hide:

[azmouse]

8. But... but... but...

Mice are cute!

[Midlodemocrat]

10. No they aren't. They are disgusting vermin

who deserve to be punished for entering into my home.

[azmouse]

15. ...

[Strong Atheist]

34. Ignore Midlodemocrat. I think mice are cute too. nt.

[azmouse]

66. Yeeesss!!!! I have a fan!

Thanks, SA!!! :hi:

[Strong Atheist]

69. Hey, YOU liked my pictures ... nt.

[azmouse]

71. Are you posting more pics today?

Ya know, to get everyone in the right mood for the weekend! :woohoo:

[Strong Atheist]

72. Lol! Sorry, I only post when I find sites with funny pics... so far, twice

as I found pic-loaded sites... and that second time, all those grumps complained...:evilfrown:

[IntravenousDemilo]

96. The ones that don't carry Hanta virus, anyway. n/m

[RebelOne]

6. Well, if you kept your cat indoors, she wouldn't be out killing birds.

[momophile]

14. she is watching me through the glass door right now...

probably reading everything over my shoulder (she is that smart). I saw her sizing up a squirrel a few minutes ago.

[JackBeck]

11. My little Suki has killed a bird.

While I was upset about it, she brought it to me and I thank her, told her she was a good girl, but that we don't do that in this house.

[BikeWriter]

55. Man Seeks Person Who Shot Cat With Arrow

http://www.wpxi.com/news/6882180/detail.html

[JackBeck]

58. That's a horrible story with a happy ending.

When I first moved to Brooklyn 10 years ago, there were signs up all over my neighborhood trying to catch the person who was shooting cats with a BB gun. There are some really disturbed people out there, for sure.

[BikeWriter]

61. That's another good reason to keep cats indoors.

[Theres-a]

12. .

:popcorn:

[madinmaryland]

13. Are they farm raised and released prior to your cat going out

to hunt the birds? If so, then you should stop it.

[LynneSin]

16. I heard her cat takes a lawyer cat along on the hunts

:scared:

You should see what happened to the lawyer cat while 'quail' hunting

[Midlodemocrat]

17. I thought they went 'quayle' hunting.

:shrug:

[madinmaryland]

18. lots of tooth and claw marks on the right side of the face?

[momophile]

19. 'peppered' was how my cat described it nt

[ET Awful]

20. The only thing my kitties ever get a chance to kill is my toes and toy

mice :P

They're indoor only cats. Hell, both of 'em would probably run and hide if confronted by a bird.

[Nikia]

21. Domesticated cats are not part of a naturual ecosystem

If you released all domestic cats into the wild and they could not depend on food given to them by humans, several species of birds would probably become extinct. Domesticated cats did not evolve with the ecosystem unlike naturual predators.

[Brewman_Jax]

38. Big if

and bigger fabrication. Land destruction by humans has done more damage to the songbird population than an army of cats. To date, humans are the only species to have caused another species to become extinct.

[BikeWriter]

52. How is that a reason to excuse predation by feral cats?

[Brewman_Jax]

56. Blame them for what they're responsible for

[BikeWriter]

62. I blame the owners who allow them to roam.

[Kali]

74. for instance by letting cats run wild?

:popcorn:


My cat brought in her first lizard of the year yesterday. Must be spring. She is kind of handicapped and doesn't really go out of the house much (afraid of the dogs) but does find the occasional lizard, small snake etc. I don't think she has ever caught a bird - even when they accidently get in the house, but she get mice every now and then.

[Nikia]

79. Not true

It is believed for example that several birds on Pacific islands became extinct primarily by the introduction of rats. Several other exotic species have caused declines in some species or local extinctions. Some of these were purposely introduced species while others were accidently introduced by humans. Domesticated cats are a species introduced by humans.
Come to think about it, there were probably a great deal of other species that caused extinctions of other species. Although many extinctions have occurred during the existance of people, many other extinctions of species occurred before people inhabited the Earth or a particuliar area. Although many of those extinctions may have occurred by climate stress, during that time predators may have consumed all of them or other species that survived may have outcompeted them for more limited food supplies.
It is absurd to believe that humans are the only species have caused another species to become extinct. That is what Darwinian selection is all about.

[greendog]

22. ~

[GoddessOfGuinness]

23. There was an article on DU about a cat who contracted bird flu

Do you want to risk that?

[momophile]

24. yikes! I didn't think about that!

I guess I'll put the bells back on my kitty's collar. You win!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

27. DU Cat Vet suggests that all outdoor cats

should be kept inside. If your kitty found a dying bird, he could bring the virus home to you too.
Sorry if I sound scary; but it's pretty terrifying business... :hug:

[sendero]

25. That's what cats do..

.... if I saw a cat about to kill a "special" bird, i.e., one that was somewhat rare or whatever, I'd thwart the effort - which is pretty easy, just toss something at the tree or make a fuss the bird is outa there.

But in general, that's what cats do. If they are hungry they will eat said bird.

[BikeWriter]

39. Cat-killing dogs have moved, but fear remains

http://www.townonline.com/newburyport/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=437894

[reyd reid reed]

26. Cats is cats

And part of being cats is the hunting thing. They do it. They'll either go outside and hunt birds and rodents and small reptiles or they'll stay inside and hunt your toes or each other or the kitchen curtains. But they hunt.

You can minimize their success by putting a bell on their collars to warn away the birds, but that's about it.

And watch where you step for the next little while.

[BikeWriter]

53. Birds do not have a natural fear of bells. Keep the cat indoors.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

70. I don't think they fear bells

However, the bells are an alarm that there's a sneaking cat nearby.

[BikeWriter]

82. Cats With Bells on Their Collars Do Kill Birds

Studies have shown that bells on collars are not effective in preventing cats from killing birds or other wildlife. Birds do not necessarily associate the sound of a bell with danger, and cats with bells can learn to silently stalk their prey. Bells offer no protection for helpless nestlings and fledglings

Cats are not ultimately responsible for killing our native wildlife--people are. The only way to prevent domestic cat predation on wildlife is for owners to keep their cats indoors!
http://www.wildbirds.com/protect_cats.htm

[radwriter0555]

28. Last week a cat in germany contracted bird flu from her sporting with

wild birds.

I'm just sayin...

[Kali]

75. If I recall it was a feral cat, but nevertheless....

[misanthrope]

29. So, what about a neighboring animal...

...hunting and killing your cat? Is that sweet, too?

[Skittles]

30. yes

while it is in her nature to do such things, it is obviously not in your nature to approve of such things

[khashka]

31. Let her do it.

Yeah, it's icky. But they are predators - it's in their genes.

Domestic cats rarely grow up - we baby them, keep them trapped between being a kitten and an adult cat. But say they see us the same way. As kittens.

We don't hunt. They see that and try to help. (No concept of grocery stores) So they hunt for us as if we were their kittens.

You can't stop her from doing this (even though you might find it disgusting). What she is doing is an act of love - she's trying to take care of you. You don't hunt, so she'll do it for you.


Read Desmond Morris's "Catwatching" and "Cat Lore".


Khash.

[matcom]

32. so much bullshit for so early in the morning

:eyes:

put a fucking bell on its collar. you people are complete idiots

[Maddy McCall]

36. You are killing me this morning.

:rofl:

I really want to drink a beer with you one day. :D

[LynneSin]

40. You know, they're just cats and this is what they do

it's their very nature to want to hunt and kill. Not like these cats are going to extinct an entire population of songbirds

:eyes:

[matcom]

44. again

don't come crying to me when you find your dead cat in the street.

why don't you ask your vet what he/she thinks of outdoor cats.

[LynneSin]

45. My cats doesn't go outdoors

because I live in an urban area

But when I lived in a more rural area this was the norm.

[matcom]

46. that norm made you an irresponsible cat owner

[LynneSin]

47. how am I irresponsible?

:shrug:

What because Evita found a way while inside my apartment to snag a songbird and pull it in.

Damn smart cat if you ask me - resourceful and just doing her part for natural selection. If a bird was so dumbass to sit on a windowsill where a furry paw is sticking out then maybe we needed to rid the songbird genepool of that bird

[matcom]

48. read my post

you said when you lived in a rural area....

[LynneSin]

59. I have never had a cat while in the rural areas

but other families did. Hell, my last apartment we had a cat shared by everyone in the apartment who lived there for about 8 out of the 10 years that I had lived there (a cutie named Ariele).

This is the norm across the country with cats living indoor/outdoors. It's also the norm that these cats will eat birds, mice, moles, voles, bats, snakes and anything else they can get their furry paws on them. I mean this is what their ancestors have done for millenniums and this is what their cousins do today.

Not all cats are meant to live indoors. My parents co-share a cat with a neighbor who they found pregnant about 8 months ago. But they were also responsible enough to have her fixed and get homes for her babies. She's now a pampered cat that splits her time between two homes where she is spoiled rotten.

We are not the ones to judge how people take care of their pets. I feel as long as owners of outdoor cats take care to get them fixed and provided shelter that there is nothing wrong with this.

[BikeWriter]

64. Cats are not a natural part of America's eco-system.

Our birds and animals did not evolve with defenses against them. All cats trapped on my property are taken to the local shelter, and there have been a number of them.

[BikeWriter]

57. (Read this:) Cat shot in neck with crossbow

http://www.planetboredom.net/story.php?id=592

[matcom]

33. don't come crying to the lounge when your precious cat gets run over

or tortured by some teenagers

or gets mauled in a cat fight

or gets feline AIDS

you get what you get

[BikeWriter]

35. Dead German cat had bird flu

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/conditions/02/28/birdflu.german.cat/

[BikeWriter]

37. Young Sarah finds pet cat hanged by sick thugs

http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_objectid=16765067&method=full&siteid=50003&headline=young-sarah-finds-pet-cat-hanged-by-sick-thugs-name_page.html

[Bridget Burke]

41. For your cat's own good--she should stay indoors.

Yes, it's a pain to clean a litter box. But it's also a pain to scrape your cat off the street. Or find that she's disappeared.

I inherited two declawed cats. They are pushing 20 now--& do not suffer from living indoors. They sleep a lot, since they're cats. But they play with each other, run around the house & enjoy their kitty lives.

It would be harder to convince an indoor/outdoor cat that she needs to stay inside. But she would live longer.

There is a "neighborhood" cat that several of us feed. One weekend morning, I was late putting his food on the porch. I called & he came running from the back yard--with something gray in his mouth. As he jumped on the porch, he must have opened his mouth; a sparrow flew out. Therefore, if I want to save the birds, I must feed the cat. (I've considered moving him in, after a medical checkup. But I don't know that a young, strong cat with all his claws would get along with my old guys. No, declawing him is NOT an option.)

[BikeWriter]

42. Well-fed Cats Do Kill Birds:

Well-fed cats kill birds and other wildlife because the hunting instinct is independent of the urge to eat. In one study, six cats were presented with a live small rat while eating their preferred food. All six cats stopped eating the food, killed the rat, and then resumed eating the food.
http://www.lcshelter.com/pet_tips_files/cat%20predation%20on%20birds.html

[Maddy McCall]

43. Well-fed cats kill orchids, too.

I just had to remove mine from the couch arm, from where he was batting the orchid blooms around. He's a mischievous little devil. He chases imaginary things all the time. :D

Good morning, BW. :hi:

[BikeWriter]

51. Good morning, Sweety. I'm glad your cat is inside and safe. :-)

[Redstone]

49. May I ask what the hell is "so sweet" about dead birds?

Doesn't strike me as "sweet" at all.

I guess I'll never understand cat people.

Redstone

[BikeWriter]

87. No one has answered you yet, Pard?

[DrGonzoLives]

50. Yes

Domesticated housecats in America are an introduced predator that the environment has not adapted to yet.

[GoneOffShore]

54. Do keep her indoors if you can.

If bird flu hits here you may end up with a dead kitty.

[Benfea]

60. Think of it this way: you're helping to control the bird flu epidemic.

;)

[Catchawave]

63. If she does not eat them, why is she killing them ?

Boredom?

Cats need to be kept inside for their own safety, especially in urban/suburban areas that aren't too cat friendly :(

On a personal note, I'm sick and tired of the neighborhood kitties digging up my flower beds and pee/poo'ing all over them. We'll be setting humane traps this year since we have a cat leash law in our area, animal control will pick them up.

Please be a good kitty guardian !

[BikeWriter]

65. Brava! I have a Havaheart trap. It works efficiently.

[Gormy Cuss]

67. Cats aren't a natural part of our ecosystem. Neither are starlings.

So, would it be OK for cats to kill starlings? I'm thinking we could have a Cheney-style canned hunt.
}(

[AtomicKitten]

68. I put a bell on my cats' collars to even the odds.

My little Renfield caught a hummingbird yesterday. RIP

[BikeWriter]

84. What assurance do you have he won't be "caught" by something else?

[Beausoir]

73. I've had both outdoor and indoor only cats. I learned my lesson the hard

way.

When I was young, we let our cat roam. She was always bringing home dead things. She was always infested with worms and fleas. She was filthy dirty and not very loveable in that state.
Then, some horrible person set a steel trap for her. It almost pulled off her back legs. She literally crawled home and almost made it to the front door. My neighbor noticed her laying out in the rain and we took her to the vet. She almost died. Spent 1 week in the hospital and many weeks on medications at home to fight the infections.

She healed and began begging to go outside again. So, we let her. And someone poisoned her. She didn't survive. She lingered for 2 days in the vet hospital before the internal bleeding finally claimed her.

Had I been older and much wiser, I would have taken much better care of her. I feel very badly that I let her down like that.

Now, I have two cats who were shelter rescues. They are strictly indoor cats and I adore them. They are sleek and healthy and gorgeous and happy and CLEAN. And...lucky to have me..because I am wiser now and I take wonderful care of them. Even if they don't always appreciate me.

[Catchawave]

76. Thanks for sharing

:hug:

I'm sorry for your loss, but celebrate those two lucky kitties who found you !

[BikeWriter]

83. Thank you for sharing your painful experience.

[pitohui]

77. you really have to ask?

let's leave the lack of affect and conscience thing to the other side, okay?

[CC]

78. I live in a rural area that is getting

more houses and people moving here daily that think since it is rural it is ok to let their cats (and dogs) run free. There are a bunch of bluebirds live by the single lane bridge a couple miles away and a bunch of cardinals living in bushes about a mile down the road. Never fails that at least once a week there is someone's dead pet cat along the road in one of these two places. Those are the ones we can see from the car.Cars got them as they hunted the birds. We are seeing more pet dogs lying along the road after losing to a car too. Rural does not make it safe, animals travel and there are still roads. My cats (ferrets too)are indoor only, even the ex-ferals that we rescued from outdoor misery and still miss going outside. My dogs stay contained to the yard or on leash always. It is just not worth the heartache to me to let mine run.

[blindpig]

80. oh. boy.

Here we go again.

Please keep your cat indoors.

[ernstbass]

81. Be careful if your cat runs wild

A neighbor's cat came into my fenced backyard to hunt at my birdfeeder and my dogs killed the cat - tragic for everyone involved.

[BikeWriter]

85. I've had that happen a number of times...

How the owners ignore the danger is beyond me!

[matcom]

88. because they are lazy

don't want the hassle of a litter box

don't give a shit in general

[BikeWriter]

90. Yep, and I hate shoveling up dismembered cats! It's sad.

They just don't love them enough to keep them inside. :(

[OhioBlue]

93. it doesn't necessarily mean they are lazy

I let my cats out for an hour or two at a time - they actually come back in to use the litter box - they both did just last weekend. They have fun running in the back yard and chasing leaves, climbing trees.

Honestly, some of the posts in this thread have made me think twice about letting them out, but they have so much fun and have never gone too far that I couldn't call them and get them back in the house.

[dbackjon]

89. No cat should ever be outdoors

They do not belong there, and kill tens of millions of birds a year. Any cat owner who lets his cat roam is irresponsible.

[BikeWriter]

91. Amen, well said! I wish they could be charged with it, too.

[matcom]

92. now THERE is an idea!

$100 fine per offense

3 strikes and your cat gets taken away and placed with a LOVING family

i like it

[OhioBlue]

94. what about barn cats

:shrug:

Barns have a lot of grain, attrack mice and rats, farmers have cats to keep the mice and rats away... they see it as a sensible way to keep the rodent population down as opposed to traps and poison..

[Pithlet]

97. Locking.

Do we need another indoor/outdoor cat flame war?