My cat has killed 2 birds today

[whataboutbob]

... that i know of, it could have been more. Up till now it had only been mice, which suited us as we had infestations before getting her.
I find it upsetting to see the poor defenceless birds lifeless in her mouth. Have put a collar with a bell on her, but she's learnt how to creep along without it making a sound. Birds are obviously nesting now, the eggs have probably hatched already and the thought of her raiding nests is horrid. After today's massacre I called her in and locked the catflap.
Can anything else be done to stop this?

[monkeyfacegrace]

Why would you stop it

Free food, good nutritionally for the cat, cat gets to act as nature intended.

[ItsAllKickingOffPru]

It's what they do. Keep her in or accept it. There's no difference between mice and birds if it's the killing you object to.

[girliefriend]

I don't think there is much you can do sadly, I don't like it either but fortunately my cats are a bit crap at hunting!

Maybe try an additional bell on the collar?

[whataboutbob]

Well I would want to stop it because I see birds as enhancing the environment, unlike rodents. They are also vulnerable at this time of year because they are breeding. And as is widely reporting, we are losing a lot of our native birds. But rodents aren't endangered as far as i know.
She never eats her prey, she just dumps it at our feet and waits for the praise.
I'm thinking of dusting down her litter tray and locking her in for the next couple of months.

[sanfairyanne]

two bells? keep her in more? birds are very vulnerable at this time of year as you know

[HootsMon]

We moved house last year. Our new house is no more rural than the last one (in fact it's only round the corner!) but our cat has been bringing in far more critters than he did in our old house. Now it's springtime we get a 'gift' every few days. I find it quite upsetting - a few weeks ago he brought a dove and last week a squirrel. He's only a small cat so I don't know how he gets them through the cat flap. We've tried collars with bells but he just loses them.

I really don't know how he manages it because he's rubbish at flying frenzy!

[NickySummerbee]

I hate it too OP. I don't mind it when our cat brings home a mouse, but the baby birds it raids from the nest at this time of year are awful. We live in an urban environment & there aren't many birds around, I would like what few there are to live! It has been better since we put a bell on his collar but he still manages it...

[SonceyD0g]

Wait until you get a rat!

[whataboutbob]

Thanks everyone glad it's not just me who has suddenly woken up to a horrid aspect of their pet's nature!
Now I really don't want to be flamed, but this is what I did on Saturday when i found an assortment of feathers by the back door. I clipped her claws. With standard nail clippers. She didn't struggle that much and it was all over in less than a minute. I think it has subdued her. The other day she went to sharpen her claws on the garden fence, then remembered and slinked off. No more dead birds that I can see, touch wood. I remembered my mum used to do it to one of her cats who was a curtain climber.

[walkardaniel]

This is what they do actually and you can't trace the cat. According pet specialist the cat had strong hunting intuition which didn't translate into co-operative instincts.