To save the little bird

[bloomingroses]

I recently came across a youtube video of a cat stalking a bird. The people filming it were making comments throughout about the cats timing and ability. The bird was oblivious to this cat because it was eating.

Anyway the cat pounced and caught the bird, the bird crying out in shock. Now if that’s was me I’d have scared the bird off to save it. However the majority of the comments were like “its nature, its what cats do” etc.

But this was I presume a domesticated cat. I know it’s what they do, but when you see it why not stop it. Just wondered what you all on here think.

Aibu to think, nothing wrong it’s what cats do, or Yanbu the people filming should have stopped it.

YANBU Cats are devastating our song bird population, they're not part of the natural cycle and aren't killing to feed themselves but it's Mumsnet and it's cats so prepare to be ripped a new one for thinking cats are anything but Gods.

Ive got a hunter whenever my cat is on the prowl I scare away anything. If my cat is playing with its prey it'll get the cat off it and let it go. I couldn't sit and watch it.

I couldn’t believe the joy these people seemed to getting about the bird suffering like that. But the comments shocked me, I was expecting more anger towards these people.

I don't know, I'm in two minds really.

On the one hand if you watch a David Attenborough documentary about a lion hunting an antelope, you are interested in seeing the process of the lion performing the hunt, locating the prey, silently sneaking up, pouncing etc. That's part of why we watch these things because that kind of process is fascinating to watch, even though it's a bit grim for the poor prey animal!

And cats hunt. That's what they do, they will do it whether you film them or not. It's arguably no worse to film a cat hunting without disturbing their prey than it is to own a cat and let it out at all. It's still hunting, just where you can't see it.

OTOH they weren't David Attenborough, they were an idiot with a mobile phone and a housecat. While the process is likely just as fascinating in a cat as it is in a lion, they probably didn't need to film it and comment on it.

Were they getting joy from the bird suffering? It sounds like they were impressed by the cat's hunting skill, which while one requires the other to happen, isn't really the same thing.

There is nothing natural about domesticated cats.

What a pair of sick fuckers. My terrier would kill a cat in 2 seconds flat, I don't stand in my garden watching the neighbours cat become a target for him, I scream manically and throw myself on the bloody dog. So undignified.

@BertieBotts

Were they getting joy from the bird suffering? It sounds like they were impressed by the cat's hunting skill, which while one requires the other to happen, isn't really the same thing.

Well they were laughing when it finally pounced.

Im a huge cat lover and currently have 2. But I couldn't handle them killing wildlife. It is in their nature but i still don't like the thought of it at all. Mine are house cats so thankfully they only hunt me!

Cats are terrible for nature! It's not nature at all they are domesticated and added to an eco system desperately dwindling from loss of habitat and people's pets. Keeping a cat thst roams is not at all ecologically sound.

@BertieBotts

I don't know, I'm in two minds really.

On the one hand if you watch a David Attenborough documentary about a lion hunting an antelope, you are interested in seeing the process of the lion performing the hunt, locating the prey, silently sneaking up, pouncing etc. That's part of why we watch these things because that kind of process is fascinating to watch, even though it's a bit grim for the poor prey animal!

And cats hunt. That's what they do, they will do it whether you film them or not. It's arguably no worse to film a cat hunting without disturbing their prey than it is to own a cat and let it out at all. It's still hunting, just where you can't see it.

OTOH they weren't David Attenborough, they were an idiot with a mobile phone and a housecat. While the process is likely just as fascinating in a cat as it is in a lion, they probably didn't need to film it and comment on it.

I'm with this view. I recall watching a documentary (I think it actually was an Attenborough one) where a herd of elephants was trekking through an arid, drought stricken, landscape. Over the time of filming a baby elephant got weaker and weaker due to dehydration until it collapsed. It's moth was in awful distress. She tried over and over to get it back on it's feet. After a time it died, and she refused to leave it for days. And they filmed it all. I was in floods of tears and could have happily strangled the camera crew at al. All they needed to do was fill a bucket with some water...

But equally, I understood the very rational explanation they gave for it. The weak, the unwary etc don't survive - it strengthens the collective. Other baby elephants in this herd did survive, this one didn't. It is nature.

Yanbu they are domestic cats, not lions on an African savannah. I'm of the opinion that pets should be kept indoors but I know that's not a popular opinion. Domestic cats being outside killing things is detrimental to the ecosystem.

@NoMackerelInSwindon

There is nothing natural about domesticated cats.

They weren't introduced from out space. They're no less unnatural than the fish that groom sharks. A species codependent with another.

Everything humans do, up to and including destroying the planet is part of their natural behaviour.

You might not like it, but it isn't unnatural.

There are native wildcats in the UK, and we've had domesticated cats for a long long time. The ecosystem seems to be managing. I mean, humans as a species in general are pretty damaging to the ecosystem, whether we have pets or not.

There are a lot of very sick people who get enjoyment from watching stuff like this. Its not the fact it happens, its peoples response to it that is disgusting. I mean what normal person laughs at suffering.

@BertieBotts hardly. How have you missed the biodiversity crisis... ecosystems are not 'managing'. Also, we have wildcats in the highlands of Scotland. Domestic cats are a huge threat to garden birds and occur an unnatural population sizes so hardly comparable ... try Googling UK bird population trends