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DH wants to get rid of cat, I don't!

6 replies

Xenoophilius · 21/07/2011 14:24

We got a new young cat to keep our 19 year old tabby company after previous companion died. They get on ok, but young cat is bringing in a lot of injured mice, birds etc and letting them loose in the house. We keep finding decomposing corpses under beds and behind furniture often with maggots. We have two young children and DH has put his foot down and said she has to go. It is such a shame as she is a lovely cat, really good natured and quite affectionate even though she was a stray. She is excellent with the kids and after sleeps in their room as if she is keeping an eye on them! I really don't want to take her back to the RSPCA, but I don't know how to stop her doing this. Our other cat has stopped hunting, but she always killed and ate hers and left the guts for us on the front door mat. That was fine because they were obvious and could be cleared away easily. But now we keep smelling more bodies and having to look for them! We can't really keep her out of the house because even if we block up the cat flap, the front door is open all day as we spend a lot of time in the garden. She hunts all times of day and night and will bring home several field mice in a few hours if she is in the mood. We also have house mice in the house (we have mouse traps) but she never catches these, only field mice/voles/shrews etc. Will the RSPCA ever let me have another animal if I take her back, or will I be in their black books?

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worldgonecrazy · 21/07/2011 14:28

How many bells does she wear? You may have to add three or four to the collar to get them to make enough noise, and it only reduces hunting kills, it doesn't stop altogether.

Can you close the doors to unused rooms so that you know if she's brought something home for you?

You know she's only doing it to help out don't you?

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Xenoophilius · 21/07/2011 16:57

She doesn't wear a collar! I hadn't even considered it to be honest as she climbs trees and I thought it might be dangerous. She is microchipped so I didn't see the need.

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Xenoophilius · 21/07/2011 17:01

She is sitting on my lap as I am writing this - heart melts slightly... Does anyone on the isle of Wight or nearby want her? She really is a lovely cat. I hate to take back to the RSPCA. She is a real countryside cat and loves being outdoors.

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stinkyfluffycat · 21/07/2011 17:08

Our vet sells collars with a break - away clasp (think that's what it's called?) so if a tree climbing cat snags in on something and struggles to get free the clasp just snaps open and the cat goes on its way.
Having said that, my old cat used to have a bell the size of his head on his collar and it didn't stop him catching pheasants, weasels, woodpigeons..
If I were you I'd just do a daily 'corpse hunt' under beds etc and hopefully find them before they get maggoty..

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Fluffycloudland77 · 21/07/2011 22:27

Our cat only did this his first year in the country, either he's calmed down or realised I take everything off him.

This year I've only had a greenfinch corpse to dispose of.

I'd keep internal doors shut in the house so she can't deposit them under the beds etc.

You can buy plastic things to put round their necks with a plastic bib on them apparently it stops them being able to pick prey up. No idea what their called but a few google searchs would do it.

It's a rare cat that won't hunt esp in the country. It's like anything they have pros and cons.

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Xenoophilius · 24/07/2011 17:42

DH has relented a little! We are going to get a collar with as many bells on as we can fit - poor cat . Today she surprised us all by presenting us with a dead mouse on the front door mat, rather than hiding it under the bed for us to find when it starts stinking. May be she realised the game was up...?