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AIBU?

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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:
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Newsenmum · 10/11/2024 19:44

mathanxiety · 10/11/2024 19:38

Cats are top predators in the UK. There is nothing out there stalking and preying on them. And there are millions of them out and about.

The damage to the gazelle/ rabbit/ worm populations is a drop in the ocean compared to the decimation of birds caused by cats.

Just because loss of habitat is a major concern doesn't mean being hunted by cats isn't something we also need to be seriously concerned about. Two threats can coexist.

Loss of habitat affects all wildlife. Cats will survive the destruction of the natural environment just fine.

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Where have you got your information about that?

Original poster
lasagnelle · 10/11/2024 19:41

K0OLA1D · 10/11/2024 19:38

We had lasagne for tea. There was no dead cow flesh included

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Yes but it's a bit of a clue.

OP posts:
Weirdaf1 · 10/11/2024 19:40

I've had cats for years. They spend most of their time outside. One in particular is an excellent hunter but I've never seen her catch a bird. We have loads of birds around our garden. I've watched her painstakingly stalk them time and time again to no avail.
She's caught so many rats, mice and even the occasional small rabbit but no birds.

mathanxiety · 10/11/2024 19:38

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 10/11/2024 16:34

Do you mind lions killing gazelles? Foxes killing rabbits? Birds eating worms? It's what animals do. Even the RSPB says that cats do not have a significant effect on bird numbers.

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Cats are top predators in the UK. There is nothing out there stalking and preying on them. And there are millions of them out and about.

The damage to the gazelle/ rabbit/ worm populations is a drop in the ocean compared to the decimation of birds caused by cats.

Just because loss of habitat is a major concern doesn't mean being hunted by cats isn't something we also need to be seriously concerned about. Two threats can coexist.

Loss of habitat affects all wildlife. Cats will survive the destruction of the natural environment just fine.

K0OLA1D · 10/11/2024 19:38

lasagnelle · 10/11/2024 19:37

I mean my name is basically lasagne so..

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We had lasagne for tea. There was no dead cow flesh included

Original poster
lasagnelle · 10/11/2024 19:37

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 10/11/2024 19:19

I assume not as they said the mass farming of chicken was a completely different topic

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I mean my name is basically lasagne so..

OP posts:
ilovesooty · 10/11/2024 19:37

Neither of my cats are allowed out after dark. Little cat seems to manage a lot of hunting in daylight.

Original poster
lasagnelle · 10/11/2024 19:36

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 10/11/2024 19:26

And how many bugs and worms? Can people just admit that they don't care about animals that they enjoy eating (unless they are vegetarians) or that aren't fluffy or pretty? It's really very hypocritical.

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No one enjoys eating worms

OP posts:
schtompy · 10/11/2024 19:35

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?

😂😂😂😂😂

mathanxiety · 10/11/2024 19:33

Crunchymum · 10/11/2024 16:20

Mine are indoor cats.

I now expect an absolute pasting for that!!

You won't get a pasting from me.

The insistence that top predators must be allowed out to wreak havoc "because nature" flies in the face of the fact that cats all over the world, including the UK, manage to live happy, healthy lives indoors.

mathanxiety · 10/11/2024 19:30

Herewegoago · 10/11/2024 16:15

Cats don’t actually upset the bird population, if anything they help to strengthen it. They only catch the weak/sick birds that wouldn’t survive anyway. YABU.

50 million sick birds, eh?

Seriously?

Herewegoago · 10/11/2024 19:28

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 10/11/2024 19:19

I assume not as they said the mass farming of chicken was a completely different topic

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Interesting. I’ve got both cats and chickens (and many other animals) I love them very much and take care of them to the best of my ability. I’m also all for the freedom and quality of life for all animals. That does however include letting nature take it’s course, and not interfering. I feel that people anthropomorphise far too much, and really we need to leave them alone a lot more I wonder where I rank on the ops morality scale.

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 10/11/2024 19:26

lasagnelle · 10/11/2024 18:49

50 MILLION dead birds a year. They might not be going extinct but that's a pretty low bar to set

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And how many bugs and worms? Can people just admit that they don't care about animals that they enjoy eating (unless they are vegetarians) or that aren't fluffy or pretty? It's really very hypocritical.

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 10/11/2024 19:26

DiscoDragon · 10/11/2024 19:22

My cats very rarely manage to catch birds. Birds can fly and they can't. My boy cat managed to catch one a couple of years back but he didn't kill it and quite happily let it go when I told him to, there wasn't a scratch on it. I don't think he had a clue what to do with it!

It's almost always mice or rats they go for, although we have had a live frog and a live lizard brought into the house. Both were rescued and released unharmed back outside again.

When I lived at home as a teen it was always frogs and I had the job of catching them as they were always live.

bakewellbride · 10/11/2024 19:25

Animal agriculture is destroying wildlife much more than cats - or anything - so if you consume meat etc you aren't really in a position to get annoyed about cats behaving naturally, it's hypocritical.

DiscoDragon · 10/11/2024 19:22

My cats very rarely manage to catch birds. Birds can fly and they can't. My boy cat managed to catch one a couple of years back but he didn't kill it and quite happily let it go when I told him to, there wasn't a scratch on it. I don't think he had a clue what to do with it!

It's almost always mice or rats they go for, although we have had a live frog and a live lizard brought into the house. Both were rescued and released unharmed back outside again.

minionette · 10/11/2024 19:21

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 10/11/2024 19:19

I assume not as they said the mass farming of chicken was a completely different topic

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Yes of course, I forgot chickens don't count. 🙄

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 10/11/2024 19:19

minionette · 10/11/2024 19:17

OP, you are responsible for far more deaths and suffering of animals than cats. Or are you vegan?

I assume not as they said the mass farming of chicken was a completely different topic

minionette · 10/11/2024 19:17

OP, you are responsible for far more deaths and suffering of animals than cats. Or are you vegan?

Herewegoago · 10/11/2024 19:15

Since it’s been completely ignored, I’ll ask again. Why are we ok with mice and rats being hunted by cats but nothing else?

Also why are we ignoring the destruction and havoc dogs are wreaking on wildlife and society? My parents dogs (huskies) have destroyed various creatures nests and have killed birds, voles, squirrels, rabbits, hedgehogs and baby foxes? Are all of those ok? Is it just cats we’re pissed off about or are we cross about all the unnecessary deaths by animals , including the insurmountable deaths caused my humans (meat eaters or otherwise)

Where are we drawing the line?

Riapia · 10/11/2024 19:11

I have trained Razor to only hunt starlings. Those greedy bastards deserve to die.

Stickytreacle · 10/11/2024 19:10

My cats grudgingly accept that you don't eat the birds, at least those in the house for rehab.
Collars aren't the answer, and I've witnessed some horrific injuries with collars, especially elasticated ones, so please don't use them.
Keeping cats indoors at dusk and dawn or in a cat proofed garden/catio is the most sensible way to protect birds.

ilovesooty · 10/11/2024 19:07

One of mine has removed every collar I've tried putting on him. He's seemingly given up hunting as he's got older. The other flatly refuses to entertain the idea of having a collar at all, let alone one with a bell on it. I'll have a word with him about his predatory behaviour.

SmudgeButt · 10/11/2024 19:05

I've known a few cats that jingle that bell all around the house at 3 am and then go out stalking in the garden and are completely silent. And anyways since when has a bird heard a bell and thought "oh a bet that's attached to a cat!!"

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