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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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Vitriolinsanity · 11/11/2024 19:34

Cats are predators.

As are birds of prey. I was tempted to have a chat only yesterday with a hovering sparrow hawk. Birds are smart though, they all go quiet when there's a predator. A magpie will happily kill a nest.

So are dogs. On the last two walks my friend's dog, at astonishing speed, killed a rabbit and a bloody squirrel that was a seriously unaware of the species.

LBFseBrom · 11/11/2024 19:36

Nature raw in tooth and claw.

fetchacloth · 11/11/2024 19:39

I'll just have a chat to my cat and see if I can possibly reason with him.
I'll let you know how I get on. 😂

RecklessGoddess · 11/11/2024 19:54

This is why my cats are indoor cats, as well as the fact that they're far more likely to end up hurt or killed if they're allowed out! People would soon complain if everyone who owned a dog, just let them out on their own every day!

K0OLA1D · 11/11/2024 19:56

RecklessGoddess · 11/11/2024 19:54

This is why my cats are indoor cats, as well as the fact that they're far more likely to end up hurt or killed if they're allowed out! People would soon complain if everyone who owned a dog, just let them out on their own every day!

That's like comparing a sparrow to a golden eagle.

letthemalldoone · 11/11/2024 19:57

RecklessGoddess · 11/11/2024 19:54

This is why my cats are indoor cats, as well as the fact that they're far more likely to end up hurt or killed if they're allowed out! People would soon complain if everyone who owned a dog, just let them out on their own every day!

I'm so glad that mine chose to be indoors! They were all used to being outdoors prior to going into rescue. I think they had their fill of it.

GlomOfNit · 11/11/2024 19:58

I have two cats who are currently under supervision outdoors as they're fairly young as yet, and I'm worried about the roads. They're definitely in training though - they like to spend hours with their faces glued to the windows, bird-watching. Grin

Our last cat was rubbish at birds which made me feel better. We evidently have a very healthy local population of bank voles in our semi-rural area, as that's mostly what he brought back (not all that often). He also killed the house mice that live in a little colony under the patio (and I think his presence in the house was the main reason they stayed there and didn't come inside!). He had, I think, two baby rabbits from the field at the back of the garden in the whole nine years we had the dumb beast. I don't think that's too bad.

Putting bells on cats isn't proven to work (i.e. it doesn't necessarily warn birds) and must be a total nightmare for cats to have continually jingling just next to their ears. Far better to keep an eye on them when they're outdoors if you're able to, and if you have a big bastard hunter, then maybe modify its outdoor life a bit. Not letting them out during the dark/twilight hours is sensible. Consider keeping them in during fledging season if you can see a bird's nest nearby. Cats deserve an outdoors life, it's natural for them.

Jumpers4goalposts · 11/11/2024 20:01

laraitopbanana · 11/11/2024 19:27

Sorry…history moment (not sure why)

but did you know that still to this day, cats are known to be the pets of witches because when when the pest arrived, it was mostly through rats. Of course, people owning a cat were safe coz the cat were killing them. Turned out a lot of them were women (older women and cats were already a thing), boom : witches own cats.

Crazy.
There is no story where a woman survives and she isn’t a witch to kill 🧙

My cat is a black cat as well 🧙‍♀️ and as a child I always wanted to be a witch

Screamingabdabz · 11/11/2024 20:07

So I see from this thread that some cat owners are conscious of the risk to wildlife and will keep their cats in at certain times to mitigate the risk, but what’s with all the other snarky and bitchy comments? And the laughing emojis? You think gratuitous killing of birds and other wildlife is hilariously funny? Wankers.

Whatthebarnacles · 11/11/2024 20:17

Screamingabdabz · 11/11/2024 20:07

So I see from this thread that some cat owners are conscious of the risk to wildlife and will keep their cats in at certain times to mitigate the risk, but what’s with all the other snarky and bitchy comments? And the laughing emojis? You think gratuitous killing of birds and other wildlife is hilariously funny? Wankers.

The very essence of WILDlife shocks some. Fine. Others? Must be wankers according to those offended by... nature.

Get a grip.

Jifmicroliquid · 11/11/2024 20:18

Mine catches moths, not birds.
She deposits them on me when I’m asleep.

laraitopbanana · 11/11/2024 20:19

Jumpers4goalposts · 11/11/2024 20:01

My cat is a black cat as well 🧙‍♀️ and as a child I always wanted to be a witch

That’s it.

You must be one!

Whyamiherenow · 11/11/2024 20:22

We have a cat. Long story. Accidental rescue.

Nothing can stop him killing when he wants. One collar with a bell / two bells / three bells. Rabbits, rats, pigeons, moles even. It’s just their way. He’s old now so slower and the gifts are less frequent. Other than keeping cats indoors all the time. There’s no way to stop them.

WeWillGetThereInTheEnd · 11/11/2024 20:30

How on earth do you train a cat, not to hunt birds? Animal trainers say they can train a cat to do anything, a dog can do. The difference is the cat has to want to do it. Cats either hunt birds or they don’t. Those that do, are not going to want not to do it!

My cat is nearly nine, and while we can train her brother not to go on the table at mealtimes, we have got nowhere in 8.75 years with her! She only does what she wants!

Having said that, we keep them in a night. He hasn’t a clue how to catch a bird; and she’s lost interest. Ime, young cats can be keen hunters, but they can’t be bothered as they get older!

PietariKontio · 11/11/2024 20:31

Although domestic cats aren't native as such, they've been part of the ecosystem for many years, as far as I'm aware, wild bird numbers aren't declining significantly, and what decline there is appears to be more due to environmental and human factors. Which seems to suggest that there is somewhat a balance between birds born and birds taken, which is a very natural situation, regardless of our interference.

When otters were 'rewilded' to bring numbers back to their turn of the century numbers, they had a terrible impact on both wild and domesticated animals. The ecosystems were just not there to support such a prolific predator. That situation is somewhat balancing out now, but there are still numerous issues, that are far greater than domestic cats' impact on bird numbers.

However we feel about nasty cats killing lovely birds, and natural versus human-made effects, the basic nature of predators and prey would be happening regardless - sometimes there's a balance, sometimes it tips too far one way - too many prey animals isn't always beneficial either - and in a country that barely has any truly natural environments left, any kind of natural balance is long gone.

Whether due to rewilding or pets, or space for crops, or animals for food, there is no perfect (eco)system; farming vegetable crops kills thousands of small mammals and birds every year.

It's not uncaring, or cruel, or entitled to have uncollared outdoor cats, our behaviours as humans keeping predators as pets over decades, has shaped the wildlife we see as natural.

SnoopysHoose · 11/11/2024 20:35

I've had a word, no catchy the wee birdies but rats and mice are ok, I got a rather bemused look.

K0OLA1D · 11/11/2024 20:35

PietariKontio · 11/11/2024 20:31

Although domestic cats aren't native as such, they've been part of the ecosystem for many years, as far as I'm aware, wild bird numbers aren't declining significantly, and what decline there is appears to be more due to environmental and human factors. Which seems to suggest that there is somewhat a balance between birds born and birds taken, which is a very natural situation, regardless of our interference.

When otters were 'rewilded' to bring numbers back to their turn of the century numbers, they had a terrible impact on both wild and domesticated animals. The ecosystems were just not there to support such a prolific predator. That situation is somewhat balancing out now, but there are still numerous issues, that are far greater than domestic cats' impact on bird numbers.

However we feel about nasty cats killing lovely birds, and natural versus human-made effects, the basic nature of predators and prey would be happening regardless - sometimes there's a balance, sometimes it tips too far one way - too many prey animals isn't always beneficial either - and in a country that barely has any truly natural environments left, any kind of natural balance is long gone.

Whether due to rewilding or pets, or space for crops, or animals for food, there is no perfect (eco)system; farming vegetable crops kills thousands of small mammals and birds every year.

It's not uncaring, or cruel, or entitled to have uncollared outdoor cats, our behaviours as humans keeping predators as pets over decades, has shaped the wildlife we see as natural.

Brilliantly put

Talkinrubbishagain · 11/11/2024 20:50

We spent 20 years creating a wildlife garden. ( it’s very large).
A new neighbour next door moved in with five cats.
We found quite a number of mutilated birds, /slow worms/ rabbits / voles / frogs etc. What was a thriving area is now very low in wildlife. Rarely seen unless they are dead! it breaks my heart.I used to get super film on my wildlife camera,now, it hardly gets anything apart from cats!
I did ask the owners to keep them in at night…they couldn’t do that apparently.

TWETMIRF · 11/11/2024 20:55

Isseywith2witchycats · 11/11/2024 18:12

could you imagine how stress full it would be if someone put a collar round your neck and every time you moved or walked the bell tinkled in your ears , bell collars are very stress full to cats as their hearing is much more sensitive then ours

Only someone who doesn't suffer from tinnitus would wish it on others, I haven't heard silence since I was a child. The quieter things are around me, the louder my tinnitus. It gets so loud that I can't hear people speak when they are right next to me.

LlynTegid · 11/11/2024 20:55

At least try a bell collar, I agree. I am ashamed to say that growing up we did not persist with the first cat we had, who is entirely responsible for any knowledge of bird breeds I have.

Horrace · 11/11/2024 21:04

Mine are all vegan

Nextdoor55 · 11/11/2024 21:23

lasagnelle · 10/11/2024 16:15

"whilst cats are not threatening any species with extinction, they do kill in excess of 50 million birds each year as well as frogs, slow worms and various small mammals."

https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/ask-an-expert/96132/ask-an-expert-cats-and-wild-birds#:~:text=In%20gardens%20here%20in%20the,worms%20and%20various%20small%20mammals.

Oh come on! you can't blame the eradication of wildlife on cats, us humans are far more responsible for killing wildlife, just by having windows for a start, there are thousands of birds and wildlife that get run over daily and birds that fly into windows all of the time, not to mention wildlife 'sports'. I mean seriously you have to start with the human species... cats are cats. Besides which my cat couldn't catch a bird or mouse if she tried, she's far to lazy

Nextdoor55 · 11/11/2024 21:25

Talkinrubbishagain · 11/11/2024 20:50

We spent 20 years creating a wildlife garden. ( it’s very large).
A new neighbour next door moved in with five cats.
We found quite a number of mutilated birds, /slow worms/ rabbits / voles / frogs etc. What was a thriving area is now very low in wildlife. Rarely seen unless they are dead! it breaks my heart.I used to get super film on my wildlife camera,now, it hardly gets anything apart from cats!
I did ask the owners to keep them in at night…they couldn’t do that apparently.

you need to get a few cats yourself, they are much more interesting than birds and will kill the rodents bird feed inevitably bring

Nextdoor55 · 11/11/2024 21:28

Whyamiherenow · 11/11/2024 20:22

We have a cat. Long story. Accidental rescue.

Nothing can stop him killing when he wants. One collar with a bell / two bells / three bells. Rabbits, rats, pigeons, moles even. It’s just their way. He’s old now so slower and the gifts are less frequent. Other than keeping cats indoors all the time. There’s no way to stop them.

nope and no way to stop birds and wildlife fly into cars and windows either, both of which we humans are responsible for. We have to start with us people

ichundich · 11/11/2024 21:48

This is what kills wildlife: BBC News - Eighteen swans found dead under Cambridgeshire power line - BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cew2nzvdyklo