My cat caught a bird yesterday :-(

[Dancergirl]

She brought it in last night, think it was a baby bird and it was still squawking

I managed to rescue it and put it outside, I don't think it had long to live anyway sadly.

From the evidence in the garden today it looked like she finished it off

My dds were so upset. We all love our cat to bits but how on earth do you justify to children how cruel nature can be sometimes?

It's not 'cruel' - in that the cat does not operate according to human ethics. She didn't catch the bird to torture it - she did it because it is in the nature of felines to hunt.

We probably wouldn't put quite the same value judgement if a wild animal (most likely another bird) had taken the chick to eat or to feed its own young; I suppose it seems more 'cruel' because in the case of cat they don't have to kill to eat.

I did try to explain to the dds that a domestic cat has similarities to wild cats who hunt but that squawking did upset me.

I think it's good personally. You're cat is supplementing her diet in the healthiest possible way :)

How old are they? (my DD adores Spring/Autumn/whatever Watch which is full of sex and violence and Chris Packham reminding people not to anthropomorphise!)

Both mine are competent hunters. I bought them v loud bells, which seem to make a big difference, despite being not any bigger than normal bells.

I put three bells on my cat, he really sounds like Christmas as he jingles around. He has only caught one bird since we put them on him. It doesn't stop the voles and mice bring caught though sadly.

I haven't heard of extra loud bells NotQuiteCockney where did you get them from?

Theres always this if you really want to humiliate your cat

hootshoot

She won't wear a collar! We bought a lovely collar for her and engraved security tag. Took us ages to get it on her, she kept pawing it then she managed to lose it outside!

I have one dozy cat and another with the killer instinct and we have little 'presents' brought in several times a week in summer when we can't get the killer one in at night.

Two weeks ago she bought in a live rat which escaped her clutches . I managed to trap it under a box and liberate it.

Not sure if that was better or worse than the live bird with one leg which managed to hide for a day in the shoe rack.

Please do tell about the extra loud bells.

I don't like my cats killing things but,
There is no way in hell I'd set the rat free
I would get DH to euthanise it.
Any badly injured animals receive the same treatment.
Not nice, but kinder than letting them suffer for god knows how long.

I got mine on ebay I think. I'll have a dig. I was quite at the thought, but they weren't expensive, so thought it was worth a go, and it has made a difference. The better hunter can catch wood pigeons now, but not songbirds, which is an improvement imo.

Rat was repatriated into a cemetery far away .

Am about those cat bibs - have looked them up on Amazon and have been loling about how someone's neighbour thought the cat had a flip flop stuck round their neck!

This is them, I am pretty sure.

They are very light and don't seem any bigger than normal bells but goodness me are they loud. I think it makes the hunting more of a challenge for the competent cat, and stops the more rubbish cat from hunting at all.

My cat managed to 'kill' a feather today. Dead chuffed she was!!!!! Presented it to me with little meows. However I do know she can and has killed birds, one I had to take round to my neighbour who keeps birds to see if he could save it. He did say it survived but not too sure if he just told me that so I wouldn't feel bad.

NotQuiteCockney, thanks - may have to get some and see if they help.

or you could just get a small dog

I don't take animals of the cats now. Even though it upsets me that they have caught them, if the animal has been injured by the cat, which it probably has, it will more than likely die anyway, if not of injuries then from shock, so in removing the cat, I would be prolonging the agony for the little creature. I am lucky I guess that my two will eat anything they catch, just leaving me a couple of feathers or an internal organ as proof of their good work. Which I would rather they didn't do.

My two being home moles, baby rabbits, birds, mice an adult rat and a baby rat. I prefer these presents dead tbh.

Point out to your dds that birds eat worms, cats eat birds. It's a short food chain, admittedly. Are your dds vegetarian? If not, they really aren't in any position to object to the cat. And even if they were... the cat is doing what cats do. Just as larger birds catch mice or rabbits, bears catch salmon, chimps hunt monkeys, tigers hunt other mammals (brain freeze, can't think what tigers eat but I know it isn't Quorn or tofu...) All part of nature's rich tapestry innit? Most small furry or feathery things end their days as the lunch of some other larger furry or feathery thing.