Cat could've killed turkey chick, daughter is upset

[ConcernedMom123]

Hi, we have an outdoor cat, and lately, he's been throwing up an awful lot. Today, I noticed some feathers in his vomit, and they could've been from a brush turkey chick, based on the colour.

I ended up having to tell my daughter, as she asked about the vomiting, and she's really angry with the cat. We don't know if the turkey in question was alive or dead, and she says she would've been OK if it was already dead.

She's also upset because it was a cat that killed the brush turkey, she said if something like a bird of prey or snake killed it, she would've been OK as they're wild animals and don't have other options.

I then proceeded to ask her what the difference was, to her, between him killing a mouse/rat and him killing a turkey chick. She told me it's because mice/rats are "dirty", and "carry diseases".

I guess all you can say is cats are predatory animals and everything is fair game, it's their nature and not something they can change.

If you don't want the cat killing chicks maybe secure them or rehome the cat? Not sure what else you can do.

A little bit more context needed here, really. If your daughter is 18 that’s obviously a very inappropriate response for her age but if your daughter is in the 4-8ish range I’d say that’s an age appropriate response for someone younger realising for the first time that their own pet could behave in that way.

Cats are difficult pets really as they kill so much wildlife. I wonder if over time it'll become quite strange to voluntarily keep an animal that kills our declining bird populations. How old is your DD? I guess it is a choice now how much you try to steer her thinking vs. just comfort her about the fact the cat did this. I'd choose the latter personally.

Cats tend to kill birds that are old or diseased as they can catch those ones. Catching and killing vermin is generally seen as a useful service. Nature isn’t pretty, animals kill other animals (well some of them do a large proportion of domestic pets just rely on their owners for food!). What does she think is in cat food?
The feathers could be from someone’s bin? I’d expect more than just feathers if the cat has eaten a chick 🤢

Might be an idea to take the cat to a vet if the vomiting has been for a few days..

Agreed, cats can get dehydrated quite quickly if they're being sick a lot

How old is she?

Cats are pure carnivores. If you have one, it is eating meat.

This isn't the issue, as he has caught mice in the past and doesn't have a problem with it, and in fact, engages with her dad in a game called "tug of mouse"

She doesn't have an issue with the cat killing mice beyond just finding it gross and engages in a game her Dad plays called "tug of mouse"

No age again.

I'd take this opportunity to get her thinking.

'Does a pigeon value its life less than a turkey? What about a cow or a pig? Do they value their life less than a dog?'

'Have we the right have we to determine that a pigeon has less right to life, just because we don't like them?'

'You ate turkey at Christmas. You don't need to eat it to survive. So if you think it's wrong to kill when you don't need to- whats the difference between what the cat has has done and what you do, every time you eat an animal?'.

Ģet her thinking early. You only get so many of these opportunities in life.

Ooh and 'I keep catching the cold off you. You're chalk full of diseases. Should we kill you? Maybe I should feed you to the cat instead'.

@Pinkbonbon, you're funny.

@Pinkbonbon Bold of you to assume she eats meat

She's a vegan.

@Pinkbonbon Her argument is that humans, being omnivores, are not required to eat meat, and that being that the cat in question is domestic, is well-fed and doesn't need to hunt.

This thread is batshit.

She's vegan but plays tug of war with mice? Bullshit.

Hmm I agree with @Pinkbonbon. The two facts don't add up....

The game of "tug of mouse" involves pulling an (already dead) mouse away from the cat, before relenting and letting him eat it.

Your DD needs to toughen the fuck up. Cats kill things. Predators sometimes kill for fun not because they’re hungry. Has she tried having this conversation with the cat?

She's OK if it's mice that he kills, and it was made clear that she wouldn't have had an issue with a snake or a bird of prey killing the chick.

Seems like a fake thread....

What’s your opinion on the cat shenanigans?

I've heard some vegans say that even cats can be fed vegan these days (generally most agree on dogs but there's much more argument about cats). Still wouldn't stop their hunting instinct though. The best move would be to keep your cat inside. Cats have prey drives unfortunately.

It's a slow night on mumsnet

Your dont say how old your daughter is, but I'll guess she an older child/young teen as she sounds quite immature. Cats sadly catch things, they don't distinguish between what she thinks is cute and fluffy or vermin. I'd not tell her about any more feathers until she's a bit older.