Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If you have a cat you have to stop it scaring and eating birds

508 replies

lasagnelle · 10/11/2024 16:10

Get a bell collar or something. Give the wildlife a chance. Can you train cats to leave birds alone?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Burntout101 · 10/11/2024 17:03

HellsBalls · 10/11/2024 16:17

What about all the baby blackbirds that spend a few days in the hedges before being able to fly properly?

Show quote history

My neighbours cat killed every single blue tit that fledged from a nest in her garden one year. We kept finding them injured and there was nothing we could do for them.

UnderZealous · 10/11/2024 17:02

Could you ask badgers to stop eating hedgehogs, @lasagnelle ?

SoupDragon · 10/11/2024 17:02

My cats remove their collars. The longest one lasted is about 4 days I think.

I have a video of one of mine hunting what I think was a bee. His stomach is about an inch from the ground and he is edging forward so slowly it's almost imperceptible. A bell would be pointless. Their prey of choice used to be pigeons but not in any quantity to negatively affect the pigeon population.

They come inside to use their litter tray though.

HappyMe6 · 10/11/2024 17:02

Crunchymum yep mine are indoor cats too not upsetting wildlife no pooing in other peoples gardens inside and safe in a house where free to roam not outside with the worry of getting run over etc I also don’t give a flying f who dosent agree! They don’t own my cats

oakleaffy · 10/11/2024 17:01

ProvincialLady24 · 10/11/2024 16:14

What did he say?

Show quote history

“Fuck off 😾

I’m a predator and no matter what Whiskas I get fed, I still need to hunt- it’s in our natures”

In Australia, men have a bounty on feral cats ( non native species) and shoot them.

Cats carry a parasite that spoils lamb 🐑 meat.
Cysts from a worm.

They get some monsters- clearly doing very well in the Outback.

What is creepy, some hunters make stuff out of the pelts.

Yazu · 10/11/2024 17:01

I am shocked at replies here. Cats are invasive species, not wild animals, and it's not the same as lion killing a zebra, ffs! Collar with bells is the minimum what responsible cat owners should do. And comparing birds to rodents is just another extreme.

Cerealkiller4U · 10/11/2024 17:01

lasagnelle · 10/11/2024 16:10

Get a bell collar or something. Give the wildlife a chance. Can you train cats to leave birds alone?

As sad as it is

its the natural world. Animals have always killed other animals. You can’t stop it. Crocodiles hunt smaller prey. Sharks eat seals. Whales eat sharks

its actually what they’re meant to do and stopping those processes stop nature.

killing bees for example because we see them a threat would kill us all

sometimes these things however badly you think it is is life and it’s meant to be that way.

SpudleyLass · 10/11/2024 17:00

I think it's fair enough to have an indoor cat if that particular cat doesn't mind or can't go out for medical reasons, but I do find it questionable if you seek out a pet that you known has these instincts and to then be upset by them.

If it bothered me, I would just not own a cat.

JustinThyme · 10/11/2024 17:00

lasagnelle · 10/11/2024 16:54

I think it's cruel to have a bird feeder if you have a cat

Show quote history

That’s just bollocks.

The RSPB says it is fine to have bird feeders if you have cats and may even offset cat predation by providing food during lean weeks for the bird population.

OP, you don’t seem to know anything about this topic at all.

If cat owners want to reduce bird predation, the advice is to keep them in at dawn and dusk. That’s when the biggest risk to birds occurs.

Candymay · 10/11/2024 16:59

i wouldn’t allow mine to do this. Put a bell on or even better keep them inside. Much safer for cats to be indoor cats too.

helpfulperson · 10/11/2024 16:59

What about the numbers of rats and mice killed by cats? Would you rather they just continued to invade gardens/houses?

Cerealkiller4U · 10/11/2024 16:59

Quintette · 10/11/2024 16:11

I’ll have a word with mine, explain the problem. See what he says.

This made me laugh so loud! 😂

Chipsahoy · 10/11/2024 16:58

Mine are semi feral and keep the mice out my house. Unfortunately they get the odd bird in spring particularly. Not putting a collar on any of them, very dangerous on barn cats.

muggitymugface · 10/11/2024 16:58

We’ve timed out cat flap to keep her in at peak hunting times. If the is out she can come in at anytime.

As she’s got older, and lazier, she hunts far less too.

Elliania · 10/11/2024 16:58

Crunchymum · 10/11/2024 16:20

Mine are indoor cats.

I now expect an absolute pasting for that!!

Exactly! I've posted before that we live in a flat with no garden, so our cat doesn't go out and was reamed for being cruel because cats need to go out, it's in their nature. We can't win!

SpudleyLass · 10/11/2024 16:58

katepilar · 10/11/2024 16:57

People kill so much wildlife simply by putting so much lights on. Lots of species have gone excint in the past decades.

Yes, modern garden designs have a lot to answer for too.

Artificial grass for one.

TerryKirby · 10/11/2024 16:58

Tbh though, mine makes a sparrow last a whole week. He is very inventive with making curry/brothing the bones etc. So long term he is actually being quite resourceful I think

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 10/11/2024 16:57

lasagnelle · 10/11/2024 16:54

I think it's cruel to have a bird feeder if you have a cat

Show quote history

Maybe, but I don't. Look at the first line.

katepilar · 10/11/2024 16:57

People kill so much wildlife simply by putting so much lights on. Lots of species have gone excint in the past decades.

Flaskfan · 10/11/2024 16:56

One cat plays dead when you put a collar on him. The other one learnt to freak out from him, so they are collarless.

They've caught, between them, 2 or 3 birds in 9 years.
Next door has chickens. My two boys are currently helping to keep his garden free of mice, by bringing them into our house, which is... unpleasant. Especially as mouse catching appears to have awakened their competitive streaks and I feel they're trying to outdo each other.

Original poster
lasagnelle · 10/11/2024 16:56

BarbaraHoward · 10/11/2024 16:55

OP, while PPs are talking to their cats about the birds, perhaps you could speak to the birds about the poor little defenceless worms they keep eating?

Don't be ridiculous

OP posts:
SugarIsHardtoAvoid · 10/11/2024 16:56

I’ve always had indoor cats. I find it really upsetting the number of cat owners who say they’re worried an elasticated bell collar will strangle their cat so their cats don’t wear them. I don’t understand how it’s a risk. I hate cats killing wildlife when they’re perfectly well fed house cats.

BarbaraHoward · 10/11/2024 16:55

OP, while PPs are talking to their cats about the birds, perhaps you could speak to the birds about the poor little defenceless worms they keep eating?

Original poster
lasagnelle · 10/11/2024 16:54

Hoppinggreen · 10/11/2024 16:53

For when the cats reversing?

Show quote history

that sort of noise yes

OP posts:
Original poster
lasagnelle · 10/11/2024 16:54

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 10/11/2024 16:50

I went lateral. I haven't got a cat but I do have lots of birds on my feeder and hanging out in the bushes and trees in my garden, so I've asked them to be a bit more alert for things creeping up on them. I think they took notice, but it's hard to tell because they all flew off at the first sign of my approach.

I also asked them to keep down the chirrupping at four in the morning in the summer and the crapping on my washing, but I doubt they'll stick to that.

I think it's cruel to have a bird feeder if you have a cat

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread