My cat is 14/15 ish. She has no teeth left. She however still healthy and fit in most ways, can still get over the back wall of the garden, and still catches birds, but can't kill them.
So not only do I get some living "look how awesome I am" presents, a couple of times now they have fought back and ripped her mouth up, pain, infection, vet trips etc. I have just sorted out the last sore mouth so she is under house arrest. This is miserable for both of us ! She is used to a cat door and going in and out at will and hates doing number twos in the house, will hold on for days.
Has anybody had any luck with bells etc, or any other kind of behaviour modification to stop the carnage ? Soon she will be too old to get over the wall and we will be OK, but at the moment I feel I am depriving her of being a Cat.
Not for an old cat, I had a cat the killed daily and returned the victims to our home. Which varied between mice and pigeons.
Two cow bell type bells(cat size) on her collar stopped this.
Cow bell type bells - good call, will look into this.
Anybody else ?
Cognitive behavioural therapy?
or
Make the cat wear an eye patch?
It'll screw up her depth perception and make her unable to catch things......also she will look cool and dangerous. Like a pirate.
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Move to Selkirk and introduce her to the Buzzard. Survival of the fittest and all that.
A pirate cat is possibly the most terrifying creature you could ever encounter. AAAARRRRRRRRRRRR
A pirate cat is possibly the most terrifying creature you could ever encounter
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This is just silly - a cat could never be a Pirate, they can't swim.
We've tried a bell, we still got a doormouse the other day.
Rather than placing the cat under house arrest we've put the catflap on out only. This was working OK until I came down this morning to find the cat looking smug. Further investigation revealed the catflap in multiple pieces and strewn across the kitchen floor.
This is just silly - a cat could never be a Pirate, they can't swim.
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Next you'll be telling us cats can't be air hostesses on account of not being able to fly.
I am not sure that "out-only" would help - she is damaging herself when the bird struggles, or she is trying to eat dead ones, I really don't know. This has happened when I have been away for a few days and somebody is feeding her for me, so I have a parallel theory that she is visiting some old lady who thinks "oh no that poor starving cat, I will just give her these yummy chicken bones".
Cats can't be air hostesses cos they refuse to wear make-up.
Further investigation revealed the catflap in multiple pieces and strewn across the kitchen floor.
😯
Its definitely a cat, this pet of yours?
Cats can't be air hostesses cos they refuse to wear make-up.
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They do love a kitten heel though. 😀
Just kill it dead.
Problem solved.
The Birds will thank you for it too.
or any other kind of behaviour modification to stop the carnage
the sad bit is that the carnage is the vets bills for the cat rather than for the bird/ small mammal devastation you/ your cat has been responsible for 14 years
If the cat had a job as an air hostess it would keep it out of trouble and it could pay for it's own vet bills.
Yeah, I should have added, can we take the sanctimony as read please...
I heard of someone who attached the bird feeder within a few feet of their kitchen window.
The cat would sit gazing up in wonder at the flapping of wings and bright plumage, kind of like a shopping channel for cats.
The cat seemed to prefer this to actually catching them.
Though if you're going to put bird feeders anywhere near windows, it's best to obscure the windows to stop the birds from flying into them.
denchers?
My cat, who even though hand reared from almost day 1, has turned into a semi-feral monster, killing everything in her wake. Bells have done nothing to stop her, she just slinks along in such a way to avoid ringing the bell! Best I can do though, as I love her more than the local wildlife.
(sorry neither comment is very useful)
If you're going to attach something to the cats collar to discourage it from chasing birds don't piss about with bells, do it properly.
Attach a couple of vultures.
Bells didn't work on our (at the time four toms). A collar would last on average 4 days before they'd removed them and left them in the wilderness.
We have one of the floor left and even as a manky toothless thing he still gums to death really good sized rats.
Our latest addition is a house cat. Not a decision I thought I'd ever make but for a number of reasons she ain't going out. I think this is the only way to be sure they won't kill.
Its definitely a cat, this pet of yours?
All 6KG of him, the vet says he's that size cos he survived as a stray for a year before anyone caught him and neutered him.
If she's jumping over the wall, watch out for smashed jaws after faceplanting if you mess with eyesight etc (Perchy's vultures could offsite the overwhelming effects of gravity though).
Attach a jack russell to her collar?
If she's jumping over the wall, watch out for smashed jaws after faceplanting
+1 for this. She could lose her looks and jeopardise her career as cabin crew.