Could a red kite potentially snatch a (small) cat?

[iknowimcoming]

Iknowcat is 12 years old, has no lives left, run over twice, fang teeth only on one side, and is a general bastard, brings all manner of critters in my house in varying states of alive to dead, bites and scratches us without warning and insists on coming to the loo with me all the time she is also teeny and doesn't look her age.

Today I spotted her out in the back garden charging round like a loon (not unusual) but soon realised she appeared to be evading something in the sky and was fearfully constantly looking up and darting under bushes etc, I couldn't see anything but heard the cry of a red kite and thought blimey she's being stalked by a kite! They are 10 a penny round here and they used to freak out my chickens by flying over their run. So I googled and it seems unlikely they'd take anything bigger than a rabbit say, but as I say she's really small, should I be worried? Doubt there's much I can do mind ...... reassure me please? Pita as she is I do luff her really ....

[RamblinRosie]

I very much doubt it, they are scavengers, we've loads around here and I've never seen any aggression towards my tiny cat.

[Weedsnseeds1]

Unlikely, but your cat will be hard wired to view birds of prey as dangerous and act accordingly. As PP said, they are scavengers. I visit a pet food factory and an abattoir in a red kite area and they hang around those like vultures!

[RacoonBandit]

Agree with pp. Watched a programme last week about them and they dont catch live prey. So lil kitty should be fine.

[CMOTDibbler]

There's huge numbers of red kites round my parents, and dad says they will take live prey - but they aren't very good at it and will only try it in open areas. So he's seen it from a tractor while they are cutting hay and the rabbits etc run out. The kites are hanging around to get the squashy bits and will give it a go with live stuff while they are there.
In the garden, the kites are probably hanging round in a thermal and your cat instinctively knows to hide.

[iknowimcoming]

Ah thanks all, thought I was being daft, just had a bit of a wobble! They roost in some tall trees across the road from our estate and I saw one a couple of weeks ago at the top of my road in a tree and even though they look big when they fly was shocked at how massive they look close up. I will tell Iknowcat to keep away from them but if you see a daily fail story about a kite taking a small black and white idiot - you will know it's mine!

[ChocoChou]

When I had a pup they used to fly round and round the garden above her so I never strayed far. They're big birds when they swoop!!

[megletthesecond]

Unlikely. They only scavenge. I saw one pick up a bit of leftover sausage at the school barbeque once.

[ASqueakingInTheShrubbery]

My XP used to live in a remote part of Wales where there are lots of red kites. He saw one swoop down for his kitten, who fortunately managed to scramble under something to safety. Whether it would have caught the kitten successfully we don't know, but it certainly tried.

[ASDismynormality]

We have red kites where I live too. Our rabbits run freely in our garden and though I have seen the kites circle over head my rabbits haven't been caught yet!

[LaContessaDiPlump]

I used to worry that they would snatch my newborn baby op!! So you're not alone with this......

He is now 5yo so a bit harder to lift

[ADishBestEatenCold]

AS others have said, Red Kites are mainly scavengers. They can and do hunt, but (despite their size) they are not powerful hunters and and are not likely to take anything larger than a small rabbit or tackle anything that puts up too much of a struggle.

What they will do is mob/swoop on ground predators, such as foxes or cats, so it may have been that. Or it could simply have been a young bird having a bit of practice and fun!

[Abraiid2]

Two kites once 'stalked' my terrier when she was a small puppy. It was a bit unnerving.

[iknowimcoming]

Iknowcat thanks you all for your input and wishes to reassure you that she is currently outsmarting all birds of prey by assuming her usual strategic position of ................. asleep on top of the boiler

[Trustyourself2]

She's no fool.