To think that if you've got a cat which hunts prolifically you should either

[ArseHolio]

Keep it in or put a fucking bell on it's collar.

I've just seen a neighbours new cat leap from the ground and grab a goldfinch from one of my feeders. Yesterday I found 2 piles of feathers and the day before a dead sparrow on my doorstep. In 4 years of feeding I've never had a cat problem untill this new one arrived.

I'm going to have to stop feeding them, I feel like I'm luring them to their deaths. Sad as it sounds I'm gutted, feeding the birds is something I get immense pleasure from.

I'm really quite pissed off

Ahh feck, it's an old thread.

When my cat catches mice/rats/birds, I'm proud because its nature. A bird will get food without a bird feeder, I think they are a bit poncey.

And to the person who suggested that cats shouldnt be pets, do you think the bird population would be any better if all cats were wild I.e not getting neutered not getting fed any cat food etc?

I used to hate spring a few years back. One small cat (with a bell on collar) used to raid birds nests and bring us the naked babies alive and we felt obliged to look after them (never worked).
And our other massive cat (Bengal) use to catch

baby rabbits and bring them back as well...alive or headless!

Bells make them better hunters actually

i fucking hate birds

pecky little shits

power to the cats

what does a BIRD do for you?
freaky beady eye
flappy scary wings

weird pecky beak
so it can fly - thats its USP

now cats have FUR and can purr and stuff

I think perhaps aviatrix you might like to read what the \link{http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/gardening/unwantedvisitors/cats/birddeclines.aspx\RSPB has to say about the effect of cats on the bird population}........

babyicebean, how do I teach my cat to hunt sausage rolls?
that I could live with, much better than the live frogs he brings home. Don't know where he gets them from, no ponds etc anywhere around

Lol @

at iCod, right there with you on that!

My 2 cats can't hunt. They are feckin eejits. So inbred that a) I can't let them out or they would be killed by car, dog, human etc b)they love all other animals. One of my cats is having a weird interspecies love affair with a lizard! Oh and I was living in nearly the busiest part of Glasgow when I got them.
My old cat (RIP) did get out. He was also fitted with a collar with bell. I once found him rolling in sand jamming his bell. I appreciated him when a nearby building got knocked down. He fair kept the rats at bay! Only flat in our block not affected and we were low down.

My neighbours love feeding the birds...nut balls, 2 loaves of freshly baked bread, lard balls, seeds, nuts, leftover rind, grapes.

Neighbours live in flats with communal garden.

Garden is covered in bird crap.
Path is covered in bird crap.
Fence is caked in bird crap.

Washing pegged out is inevitably covered in bird crap within minutes of pegging it out.

Affects at least 20 properties close by, and the closer you get to the bird feeders, the worse it gets obviously.

They share the garden with 2 families with young (pre school) DC.

Still, so long as the bird feeders are enjoying feeding the birds, no harm done hey.

It's not just the birds that feeders attract - the food also affects vermin - and that's why we ended up getting a cat - neighbours!

One of our cats is a master hunter, even taking down a crow once (second time lucky, the first one had to be taken to the vet to be put down by my mum because the cat couldn't finish it off). There are regularly, birds and vermin left as presents in the garden, behind the tv and once on my brothers pillow :o. She has had more collars and bells than I can count but can escape from them and they get lost while she's out and about.

However we also have a complete numpty of a cat who catches leaves and brings them in for us and if she's feeling particularly brave, she "catches" the old kills of the other cat and pretends they're hers. This cat has developed the ingenious method of turning her collar around so the bell is on her shoulder and doesn't ring so the leaves can't hear her coming.

Complaining about cats killing birds is like complaining about spiders catching flies - it's what they do.

Our cat is a serial killer cat, he kills things every day (normally heads and whatever innards he detests) remains left where we can find them.

He too gets his collars off somehow, I even bought a fancy one that was supposed to be serial killer proof. No such luck.

Birds are shit. I have tried to do my bit and can do no more.

DP's childhood cat used to hunt on 3 legs with one paw over the bell so it didn't ring.

DP's childhood cat used to hunt on 3 legs with one paw over the bell so it didn't ring.

ROFLROFLROFL

Now I'm singing CAT songs, damn you Manatee.

We've got 9 cats, 3 of which hunt successfully. Our neighbour is an avid bird feeder/lover and got very pissed off with one of our cats slaughtering everything in his garden and ambushing his feeders on a daily basis.

He (neighbour) was kind enough to rant speak to me about it before hurting the cat, so I bought him a super-soaker and gave him permission to use it on the cats. He's a lot happier about it because he gets to respond to the cats stalking his birds and since he's started soaking them (cats) he's had very few bird deaths. Yes, my moggies come home drenched, but they haven't been hurt.

Get yourself a super soaker and every time the cats come into the garden, soak them. They'll soon get the message.

I really want to train my cat to hunt on three legs now (ponders options).

It would be even more wonderous if he hunted commando style.

My cat used to be an avid hunter although since I moved to a town with less trees etc he has cut back. Pretty sure he only catches insects now, as when he caught stuff he'd leave me a present of their lungs or head- macabre cat!

However when he hunted I put a bell on his collar, made no difference whatsoever to the amount of prey, just drove us mad when he came in at night!

If anyone caught my cat doing something naughty I would prefer they chuck water at him to stop him than anything else...

Put out a small saucer of anti freeze. Apparently it keeps them away.

Are you suggesting poisoning the cats?

Only a moron or a very, very evil person indeed would leave a toxic substance out where any animal or child could access it.

"Antifreeze (ethylene glycol) keeps car engines from freezing in winter and overheating in summer.
However, ingestion of this product is one of the best known toxicities affecting household cats.
While many people take their car to the garage,
millions of us purchase over-the-counter antifreeze products to replace or supplement car engine coolants.
Inappropriate storage, drainage (into uncovered containers or pans),
spillage in the garage or driveway, and inappropriate dumping into streets
creates a real potential for lethal ingestion.
Following ingestion EG is metabolized into a number of chemicals that injure the kidneys, heart, lungs, and brain.
Acute kidney failure is the best recognized lethal problem but initially cats may appear drunk and then normal.
Without intensive care, cats exposed to toxic amounts of ethylene glycol will die.
Antifreeze carries a sweet, appealing taste so many cats drink it willingly.
As little as one teaspoon can be lethal to a cat.
Clearly, antifreeze must never be handled in a careless manner!"

Why on earth would you do that?