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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Cats killing all the baby birds

300 replies

paperdollar · 01/06/2021 22:26

There are so many cats in the neighbourhood the baby birds don’t stand a chance. I don’t understand how people can’t take responsibility for their cats and keep them inside during nesting season (at the very least) to stop them butchering all the local wildlife. All that time and energy spent by birds tending to their nest and providing food for them to be killed without even having a chance. One cat in particular has been stalking mine and my 2 neighbours gardens and taken most of the baby birds that have come this year, this is the least we have ever seen. Despite shooing it, chasing it, using water pistols/jugs of water, dogs chasing it, lions poo, high up feeders, removing feeders etc. I have been to the owners door to ask her to keep it inside for a bit to give the birds a chance but she said it is an outdoor cat and it is “nature” and nothing she can do about it. It is nature for birds and other wildlife to prey on baby birds as a means of survival, not your overbred, overfed domesticated cats. One cat owner has 9 cats with a nest in her gutter, next door to that has 3 with a nest also. One of them has a feeding pole in her garden low to the ground, so my stopping feeding the birds means they will be going there to take their chances. I can’t believe foxes are put down for killing cats for survival but nothing can be done about this. It is making me ill to witness, these irresponsible owners are not animal lovers. I post at the end of my rope having just chased one with a screaming baby in it’s mouth and dropping it only once it stopped. I’m wondering if anyone else has ever suffered the same and found something to do about it.

OP posts:
Beecham · 01/06/2021 23:17

Millions of little birds freeze to death each winter, and the population always bounces back. There's no way cats killing fledglings, (which are unlikely to have survived anyway if they're on the ground) is having a significant effect on the bird population. Studies have been done and the RSPB has a page on their website about it.

BrilliantBetty · 01/06/2021 23:17

By the way, you are absolutely raving mad to go round there demanding she keeps her cat inside. Very very damaging for neighbourly relations.

Dutypaid · 01/06/2021 23:18

Humans are to blame, not cats.

Taliskerskye · 01/06/2021 23:18

@MaxNormal
Fear you might be manipulated by little photos of death killers
Genuinely look up statistics
Not some random heartfelt stuff

Excitedforxmas · 01/06/2021 23:19

I’ve got mesh around the bottom of the trees which have nesting boxes on them. Keeps cats off . I do spray them with water too if they come in too unless the dog gets there first

ImInStealthMode · 01/06/2021 23:19

My indoor cat has never killed a thing. The seagulls & hawks round here pick off ducklings and baby birds in their dozens though. Who should I complain to about that? Hmm

OppsUpsSide · 01/06/2021 23:20

YANBU we are keeping our lovely, domesticated, well fed and cared for killer cats in. One is hopeless at catching prey as he can’t help swear at it first, but I’d rather not take the risk.

MaxNormal · 01/06/2021 23:20

@Taliskerskye I've seen the stats thanks. I have no idea why you think I've been manipulated. I just mentioned a recent image that had stuck in my mind.

OppsUpsSide · 01/06/2021 23:22

The seagulls & hawks round here pick off ducklings and baby birds in their dozens though. Who should I complain to about that?

Same people you complain to about lions eating antelope, not the people you complain to about owners not taking responsibility for domesticated animals.

Babyroobs · 01/06/2021 23:22

My spaniel killed a baby bird this morning and I feel awful. I can only think it must have fallen out of the nest already though as obviously he can't climb like a cat can. We kept him locked in most of the day but in the heat it's just so hard. All we can do is make it clear to him how cross we are with him but I think it is probably just his working dog nature. Our other one doesn't do it.

WaterBottle123 · 01/06/2021 23:23

Perhaps the cat should buy its meat in Sainsbury's like you do OP?

Whatthechicken · 01/06/2021 23:23

Are you ok with tinned cat food and meat cat biscuits? The animals that have been farmed for that have probably had a very awful and short life - but because we are not exposed to the brutality, we are somehow ok with that.

MaxNormal · 01/06/2021 23:24

www.nature.com/articles/ncomms2380

Study on the impact of domestic cat predation in the US if anyone is interested.

Taliskerskye · 01/06/2021 23:24

Stop having artificial lawns
Stop mowing the real lawns
Stop pulling down hedges
Stop removing trees
Stop removing wildlife they eat by using bug killer.
Stop paving your gardens

That is what counts

OppsUpsSide · 01/06/2021 23:25

Are you ok with tinned cat food and meat cat biscuits?

Yes, yes that is the same Hmm

Divebar2021 · 01/06/2021 23:25

I think about the destruction of our hedgerows by modern farming practices , the use of pesticides and chemicals. New housing developments springing everywhere ( 4000 new homes where I am). Homeowners paving over their front gardens to park their cars and laying AstroTurf because they’re tired of the kids getting muddy playing football and you want to blame domestic cats for the death of birds?

MaxNormal · 01/06/2021 23:26

Homeowners paving over their front gardens to park their cars and laying AstroTurf because they’re tired of the kids getting muddy playing football and you want to blame domestic cats for the death of birds?

Both of these things are an issue.

paperdollar · 01/06/2021 23:27

@OppsUpsSide

This is all I was trying to say. Not trying to stop nature as a whole. I don’t understand why you wouldn’t be horrified by your cat consistently destroying wildlife and harassing neighbours when it is preventable and there are many responsible cat owners out there who do so.

OP posts:
Taliskerskye · 01/06/2021 23:29

@paperdollar
Ah... harassing neighbours.

So that’s the problem.

OppsUpsSide · 01/06/2021 23:31

This is all I was trying to say. Not trying to stop nature as a whole. I don’t understand why you wouldn’t be horrified by your cat consistently destroying wildlife and harassing neighbours when it is preventable and there are many responsible cat owners out there who do so.

Yes! I have (inherited) cats and they are a luxury and live the life of luxury and have everything they could possibly require and more, they don’t have the luxury of needlessly killing birds that are in no way comparable to farmed animals (that’s a whole other topic)

paperdollar · 01/06/2021 23:32

@WaterBottle123 I don’t support the meat industry, I haven’t eaten meat since I was 9 years old. Probably why I feel so strongly about pet cats needlessly killing birds they aren’t going to eat for survival.

OP posts:
NoSquirrels · 01/06/2021 23:32

Oh I don’t know. I have two cats - one thinks moths are scary and doesn’t go further than the patio unless accompanied like a stately dowager for a turn around the garden. The other is a prolific hunter - mice, frogs, birds, you name it. He usually eats his whole kills - sometimes he’ll leave an internal organ or a headless mouse corpse if you’re unlucky. There’s no way I could stop him or keep him in. I feel terrible about it and we don’t encourage birds in our garden (feeding etc) because of him.

But as PP say, the magpies and jays are as vicious , and there’s nothing I can do about them either. And they’re much more shrieky and less furry and purry. So on balance we put up with his murderous dickhead ways. (He brought in an almost full grown jay once, so maybe that was an acceptable victim - except that it got away and shrieked around the kitchen in a terrifying manner.)

Keeping any domestic animals is probably selfish. But I try to encourage wildlife in other ways and try not to dwell on my cat’s behaviour.

Taliskerskye · 01/06/2021 23:33

Also when has a fox ever been put down for attacking a cat? I mean I have many foxes on my garden. Live and let live in my opinion.
But unless you catch a fox and kill it yourself, who is killing these foxes.

No vet would kill a fox you presumably caught and then took to the vet and went ahead with putting it down. Just because it attacked a cat???!!!???!!

June2021 · 01/06/2021 23:34

cats are vile

FrankiesKnuckle · 01/06/2021 23:34

No one has mentioned the lions poo yet?!

Lions poo?