Cats catching birds - clip claws??

[Effjay]

I have two lovely cats, 1 year old, who are very good at catching birds. They both wear bells. It's most days now and I'm getting quite distressed about it. Has anyone clipped the front claws of their cat? Does this work? Is there anything else I can do to try and stop them doing this?

[googoodolly]

Please don't clip their claws. They need them to scratch and mark their territory and they use them to bury their poop. Some people think it's okay but I'm of the opinion that unless there's an infection or it's causing them a health risk, it's unnecessary and it can be really painful for the cat if it goes wrong.

Unfortunately, if you have outdoor cats they will hunt and catch things. They're predatory animals and unless you keep them indoors, there isn't a huge amount you can do it. It's just part of owning a cat!

[Queenofknickers]

Agree with above. Also they don't usually kill with their claws - more a bite to neck.

[Effjay]

Okay, thanks folks. I won't do that.

[CocktailQueen]

Keep them in at the times they usually catch birds. Millions of British birds are killed each year by cats. Or get a bigger bell for them.

[gamerchick]

I don't think many vets will clip claws anyway if they go out.

What about an identification bullet from wilkinson? The type that screws in two to put rolled up paper inside. That against the bell means i can hear mine whenever she moves.

[tabulahrasa]

What do you mean by clip their claws anyway? I clip one of mine (well actually I get the vet to do it, because I'm bad at it, lol) because she's not great at keeping them short herself...but it doesn't do anything to the effectiveness of them. You can't clip them that short without hitting the quick and then they bleed.

If you meant declawing them, it's illegal in this country and involves amputating part of their toes...

They tend to attack with their teeth anyway, paws are just for holding things down as other people have said.

One of mine had an electronic collar that flashed and beeped when she pounced, that with a bell on did seem to make a difference to how many she managed to catch, it didn't stop her, but it did slow down a bit.