To be really upset with my cat

[elprup]

I adopted a young male rescue cat last summer. He’d been living stray and had a difficult start in life, so I thought I was doing a good thing.

About six months after letting him outside he began catching quite a lot of mice, which although not ideal, I could just about cope with.

However, he has now moved on to birds and has caught about four in the space of two weeks. I’m so, so upset by it.

This morning he came into my bedroom for a snooze and then went outside into the garden. I went down about 20 minutes later to find him in the kitchen with another dead bird in his mouth. I can’t believe he’s managed to kill another one just 20 minutes after being let out this morning.

He’s a lovely cat apart from this but honestly, I’m really regretting adopting him now.

I’m considering a collar with a bell but have read they can cause injury to cats if the quick release mechanism fails or doesn’t work fast enough.

I just hate to see all these lovely birds being slaughtered. What can I do?

That's what cats do. They can't help it. We've had several squirrels and even a (dead) snake or two (we're in the UK). For what it's worth, they do get better as they get older. Slower too, I guess. You'll just have to get less squeamish like all cat owners have to.

Get him a collar with a bell. We've had cats for 35 years and never had a collar problem. It really does help.

My cats got a bell with a safety collar, he’s never killed anything x

so within literally minutes of writing this post my cat just brought in a mouse...

In my experience, the new style safety collars don't stay on. Ours lose them by the minutes. That's not to say you shouldn't use them but the problem is they fall off.

But he was feral before, so hunting was part of his life. Buy a good quality release collar, and falcon bells, they work better than the piddly cat ones.
Please dont be annoyed by him, its nature....and this is from someone who loves birds and also her huge caucasian shepherd, who was similar to your cat, a prolific hunter, due to her past, she has brought wood pigeons and foxes in still alive, until the falcon bells, don't think she realises why they are one step ahead of her nowadays.

Sorry not foxes, squirrels, lol!

Bell on collar.
Then cat proof your garden so he cant get out and dont feed the birds.

so within literally minutes of writing this post my cat just brought in a mouse...

Little sod read your mind 😹

@Itstheprinciple I recommend Kittyrama collars if you've not tried them. One of mine was a fiend for losing his collar but he's not managed to with this one (it still has a safety clasp).

Mine brings me these gifts occasionally. Drops them at my feet and looks at me expecting some form of gratitude. I don't enjoy it, but he's a cat.

so within literally minutes of writing this post my cat just brought in a mouse...

Little sod read your mind 😹

If you don’t realise your cat has a MN profile and is spying on you, trying to make you look like an idiot at every opportunity, you’re so naive.

To him, you're an incompetent feeder.

www.birdsbesafe.com/
A PP posted about these. They are more effective than a bell. Safety collars are recommended with them.

My two childhood cats wore collars.

One was very clever and knew how to bust open the quick release catch so every single collar was lost within minutes so we just stopped buying them.

The other one always wore an elastic collar with safety/quick release catch, we noticed she was walking odd one day.
She had managed to get her leg stuck, trying to pull it off I suppose.
We noticed it quick so no lasting damage but it was really tight cutting into her arm pit, nasty nasty accident if we hadn't noticed it as quick as we did.

If you makes you feel any better the RSPB reckon that cats actually don't significantly impact on the wild bird population.
The loss of habitat and pesticides are far the main causes of bird death.

*What about magpies and crows?

They kill baby birds and they don't get slated for doing it.*

Are they kept as domestic pets?

Glad to see a couple of pp recommending the birdsbesafe colourful collar covers as I’ve ordered one for each of my cats. Order was prompted by one cat catching 4 birds in one morning last week!

Mine do seem to be particularly skilled hunters and bells don’t seem to make much difference. One cat currently wearing three bells caught 2 mice within an hour last night.

Keep your cat in?

Next door’s cat hunts and to be honest it has gone a long way towards ruining mine and my daughter’s enjoyment of our own garden. I’m not angry with the cat, but I consider my neighbours eminently selfish.

Lord knows how your dh manages to function in daily life if removing a dead bird from the house traumatises him

And yeah lock the cat flap if you don’t want the cat bringing you gifts. Or maybe build a catio.

Your husband is traumatised by removing a dead bird or mouse? Damn he must be the biggest wimp in the world. 😂

You got a cat. They kill things. Get over it. My parents cats bring in live rabbits and let them loose in the house. I've got a cat that is scared of flies and is unlikely to ever kill anything. They are all different. If you're too much of a snowflake to handle it, then next time you look for a pet get a goldfish.

He's a young cat, who had previously had to fend for himself. It's all instinct and nothing to do with what you feed him.
Don't be cross with him, he can't actually help it, he's just being a cat!

Had an adopted cat who would bring mice in several times a day. We lived next to a wooded area. I got her a collar with bell, it didn't stop her completely but it reduced numbers. It's natural to feel annoyed at your cat, I went through hating my cat at the destruction she caused to the local wild life.

you people need to post pictures of your cats. it’s The Law.

Cats gonna cat 🤷🏻‍♀️

Gratuitous photo of our female cat having the right hump because she was locked out of the bathroom.
My cats have a cupboard under the stairs with a catflap fitted so they can use their litter trays in peace and quiet.

They do not afford us such dignity and view every locked door as an insult

I wanted to use the laptop, but I didn't want to disturb him.

Your husband is traumatised by removing a dead bird or mouse? Damn he must be the biggest wimp in the world.

Hardly. It’s just quite upsetting dealing with a dead animal. If it honestly wouldn’t bother you at all then I think you’re the one with the problem, not my husband