Cats having a constant source of protein from the garden

[FluffyBoots]

MY cats are very very good at catching small fluffy things of the rodent variety. Think shrews and baby mice. They are a team to contend with, and often I come down at night and they have several holed up in different corners of the house. it is a nightmare. They often behead them and leave bits (they don't like the tails) of intenstine, often gall bladder.

I could leave them outside, but they are terrified if they can't get in and will shout a lot to be let in (my fault, that old talking to them thing when they were babies making them more vocal).

Should I

• YABU - allow them to bring takeaway's into the house. It is their home. I have ny own takeaways. YANUB - harbour them under lock and key so that they can't go hunting.

NOTE - Some of this may perhaps be tongue in cheek x

I’m getting the posh cat flap to try nd stop mine bringing them in, I just find tiny kidneys on the mat!

FGS don’t flush any down the loo! My DM did that once and it bloated and blocked the toilet! She was quite inventive in how she dealt with it but it was really unpleasant. Either she was incredibly unlucky or you were really fortunate but it’s not something I’d ever risk.

Cats protection league told me to keep cats in at night. One way catflap.

OnlyCat has been amazing for us. Prior to that we had to deal with many live or dead presents. Since getting the cat flap, the extent of killing has slowly decreased too. Not sure if that is learned behaviour or old age setting in.

Lock the cat flap at night, if you must give them free rein shut the doors to the room with the cat flap in it. Put bells on them to reduce their kill rate

Ours do the same. Catch a mouse, bring in play with it for 10 min, get bored, release mouse to set up home behind the radiator cover 🙄

That’s the worry, isn’t it? Behind the radiator, the newly released girl cat catches sight of a previously released boy cat. Says ‘you’re a bit of alright’, and a year later, you’ve hundreds of their love children nesting in your house.

A neighbours cat catches bats. I have no idea how the stealthy little feline does it. Bit sad about the bat thing, they need all the population they can get.

Pity they can't only catch rats (sorry rats).

Dear God the thought of it 😃

I’m now leaving this thread 🤣🤣

DS once found a mouse asleep inside the toe of his trainer!
DH was shouting him to hurry up and put his trainers on and he said he couldnt, that was fun!

our cat was a prolific hunter but a bell sorted that out for the most part. I’m never sure why people have reservations about their cats having a collar and bell wen u can get good collars with come off easily if caught on a branch etc

Mine is shut in the kitchen overnight with access through to the back porch / cat flap. So if he brings in furry things (including once a bat) it stays in the contained space of the kitchen. I wouldn't give him free roam of the house all night, no way.

Yes!! Isn't it amazing how they line them up? If there is more than one they are always carefully lined up on one certain tile at the back of the kitchen - no-one believed me so I used to take photos!! I'm glad they have adopted the back of the kitchen now as I have stepped on a small thing that crunched and oozed between my toes in the middle of the night coming down for a glass of water - more times than I care to remember 😱By the time that is cleared up - involving foot washing and trying not to be sick - I am well and truly awake!!

One time - one brought a mouse in while I had friends round for dinner and proceeded to fling it up in air a few times before I managed to catch it (it was fine thank God) and my friend (who is a farmer) said "oooh - dinner and a show!!"

Ours nearly always leave gifts under a table occassionally at the back door. They are much more likely to kill birds than mice though, unfortunately.
Kitchen table, dining table, patio table....

They are cats - predators - so are we but do it hidden from public view. At least cats are honest about their slaughter.

Surely the obvious answer is bring them in at night to try and minimise the amount of needless damage your pets inflict on wildlife?

Toasty Boy Cat can go out at night and will often bring home a "kitty carry-oot", but he can only get into one room when he comes back in, as we keep the door between that room and the rest of the house shut at night.
(It's the kitchen and has laminate floor so it's easier to clean than carpet).

Mine brings them in at teatime to play with, at night to eat ! We’ve a collar and 2 bells on him but it’s not made any difference.

Collar with a bell!

During the evenings when mine were in full catch mode, I put the cat flap on exit only, so I could check them before they come in.

Also the cat flap that don't let them in with a victim cost around £500.

I'd keep them in a night. I think most murders are committed at dusk, overnight and dawn. So that might reduce the slaughter.

How do you try?

Chaperone them round the outdoors?

🤣🤣 This reads like official information from the national crime agency.