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cats - animals not the musical

28 posts & 16 voices | Started 4 months ago by gnusmas | Latest reply from gnusmas

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gnusmas - Member

my cat keeps bringing me home presents.

over the past couple of months i have had a magpie, numerous shrews, countless numbers of mice, voles etc

he has a reflective collar with 3 bells on it to try and calm down the presents but yesterday and today was really quite exceptional.

yesterday - 1 pigeon and 3 shrews
today - 4 birds - 3 blue tits and a robin.

i feel quite sorry for the birds and i know it is nature's way but what a hunter!! He had a fractured pelvis at 4 months old and now can't run but still he gets all these.

Doesn't he understand we get our food from the supermarket???????

Posted 4 months ago #
clarkpm4242 - Member

Hmmm, keep the cheeky chappie locked indoors at night. Should reduce the body count.

Posted 4 months ago #
gnusmas - Member

he is in all night because the cold gets to his joints since the fracture, todays count was in a space of about 4 hours earlier today!!!!!

Posted 4 months ago #
jonk - Member

Your cat is obviously very talented and should be rewarded! My tom is the same and catches all sorts he's even caught a sparrow hawk!

Posted 4 months ago #
gnusmas - Member

bet that was a sight to see, it was comical enough to see him carrying the pigeon - it was the same size as him!!!!

Posted 4 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

You can get various gadgets to reduce hunting sucess.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/may/19/birds-cats-rspb-protection-tips

CatAlert sonic collar.
pounce protector” called the CatBib™

also
http://www.birdsbesafe.com/

Posted 4 months ago #
dave_rudabar - Member

I nearly returned my old cat to the rescue centre as weeks of presents like that stressed me out.
The replacement one is a bengal cross which was a housecat prior to me getting it, i'm considering not letting it outside as it's so fast the local wildlife is doomed

Posted 4 months ago #
Sam - Member

In what way is it nature's way? IIRC domesticated cats originally came from Africa, having them killing many native birds and small animals is pretty poor. In the same way you shouldn't have a dog off the leash if you can't control it, you shouldn't have a cat if you can't stop it killing native birds. Personally I'd be rid of the lot of em....

Posted 4 months ago #
mrmo - Member

In what way is it nature's way? IIRC domesticated cats originally came from Africa, having them killing many native birds and small animals is pretty poor. In the same way you shouldn't have a dog off the leash if you can't control it, you shouldn't have a cat if you can't stop it killing native birds. Personally I'd be rid of the lot of em....

And humans are from Africa, your point is? have you seen how many animals are killed by cars?

Posted 4 months ago #
clarkpm4242 - Member

Fatten him up so much that he slows down..?

Does neutering help curb the instinct (assuming he hasn't been, yet)?

Posted 4 months ago #
mrmo - Member

Does neutering help curb the instinct (assuming he hasn't been, yet)?

My experience is neutered males tend not to be so interested in hunting, females it makes no difference. I have received rabbits, voles, mice, bats, slow worms, frogs, toads, lizards, a stoat, the only thing that reduced the killing was moving.

Another way to think of this is as vermin control, most of what is caught is mice, things that are pests, the rest is collateral damage, i suppose you could look at it as darwinism in action. Cats will catch the stupid birds the clever ones will breed.

Posted 4 months ago #
gnusmas - Member

he is quite fat with all his food he has caught - he was neutered at 8 months old

its quite a shame to see all the dead animals but on the other hand it's nice that he has chosen us as his owners by the giving of gifts, albeit a bit too much

Posted 4 months ago #
Sam - Member

And humans are from Africa, your point is?

My point is that it is an introduced species killing native ones.

have you seen how many animals are killed by cars?

Yes, and it's awful. Hardly a way to condone keeping an animal which kills to please its owner - gnusmas, pretty sure domestic cats almost never eat what they kill.

Another way to think of this is as vermin control, most of what is caught is mice, things that are pests, the rest is collateral damage, i suppose you could look at it as darwinism in action. Cats will catch the stupid birds the clever ones will breed.

Certainly there is some pretty stiff competition but that may well be the most stupid thing I have ever read on STW....

Posted 4 months ago #
safi - Member

He sounds like a quality cat, overcoming adversity to bring home the bacon.

Posted 4 months ago #
gnusmas - Member

sam - he eats what he kills he brings it home, puts it sat the door for us we give him some fuss and then he eats it

safi - had him 2 years next month, would be mortified if anything happened. he is completely jet black not a hint of another colour on him, ironically kids called him jet!!!

Posted 4 months ago #
mrmo - Member

Sam, there is nothing natural in the UK, everything you see is the result of the actions of mankind, cats are as much a part of the UK landscape as anything else now, you may or may not be aware that the UK has actually had two native species of cat, although one is now extinct.

Yes cats do kill wildlife, but as the wildlife we see only exists because of the actions of people it is all balance. As for the comment about stupid birds, that is natural selection for you. You might not like it but that is how it is.

Posted 4 months ago #
hels - Member

Indeed.

My neighbour politely asked me if I could stop my cat from killing the birds. I politely pointed to the not 1, but 2 great big FO bird feeder things she has in the shared garden. Might as well have installed a drive through McDonalds.

My cat just sits and waits and birds don't seem to be able to learn.

Posted 4 months ago #
Taff - Member

Do you congratulate him when he brings something in? If not try it, scorn them and they bring more in, they are doing it for you normally

Posted 4 months ago #
mintimperial - Member

great big FO bird feeder things

I've heard it suggested (by a birdwatcher) that birds are unlikely to be caught by a cat at a bird feeder as they're alert and on the look out for predators and other enemies in that situation. I never saw our cats catch any birds on the bird tables or feeders when we had them at our old place, but they brought plenty in from elsewhere. They don't catch much now though because they're fat, old and lazy. And all the wildlife gets run over by cars on the road outside.

OP: Apparently cats bringing dead stuff is them trying to teach you to hunt. You should get a gun, shoot something big to make your point, maybe a horse or a cow - then the cat will know that you're able to fend for yourself and will leave off with the gift-giving.

Posted 4 months ago #
epo-aholic - Member

lol, we have a house cat and when we wake in the morning the bedroom is strewn with all her toys, i guess 'gifts' as well only less smelly and cruel

Posted 4 months ago #
mashiehood - Member

Apparently the next time the cat brings home a present cover it in curry powder and give it back to the cat - works after a while as the presents will stop (so the clever lady at home says!)

Posted 4 months ago #
coffeeking - Member

Best way to stop them is to thank them and congratulate them and make a fuss over them. Seems counter intuitive but if you tell them off or ignore them they assume you want a bigger or better present. Our cats only ever brought home a couple each and then stopped after such treatment.

Posted 4 months ago #
Alejandro - Member

Wow! That is quite some catch for one day alone. If they bring stuff in and you don't want them to, you should be angry and show your displeasure. They do it to impress their owners, and can see when you're impressed and when you're angry, do don't pet him/her when it brings stuff in.

They're still the finest creatures that walk the earth though, well done for having one.

Posted 4 months ago #
Merchant-Banker - Member

Best way to stop it is put a bell round the little murderous fecker.

Posted 4 months ago #
gnusmas - Member

we make a fuss over him every time he brings something back, can't not really as he is being nice to us and we still get more.

mintimperial
OP: Apparently cats bringing dead stuff is them trying to teach you to hunt. You should get a gun, shoot something big to make your point, maybe a horse or a cow - then the cat will know that you're able to fend for yourself and will leave off with the gift-giving.

LOL at this, do i then have to drag it home and eat it myself?

I thought if they brought you back something alive they were trying to teach you to hunt and the dead animals were gifts?

Posted 4 months ago #
gnusmas - Member

merchant banker - he has 3 bells on his reflective yellow collar (lots of sound and shiny at night)

could try a cow bell??

Posted 4 months ago #
Merchant-Banker - Member

Then you just have to accept he's very talented.

Posted 4 months ago #
gnusmas - Member

Posted 4 months ago #

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