bird murdering ....

[basildonbond]

Shuri (ex-Dubai street cat) has obviously decided that the best way to keep warm is to go hunting... He doesn't do anything in our garden as the puppy would want to join in too and get in the way ... So he goes two doors down where the neighbours have got a bird table ... He thinks that's very thoughtful of them, thank you very much and has caught three birds in the last week

Our neighbour seems to think I've got a lot more control over Shuri than I actually have and wants me to Do Something ...

He does have a collar and bell most of the time (much to his disgust) but he is a champion collar-loser so there are times when we're 'between collars' (although I got a spare today so I'm prepared!). Any ideas, cat gurus? :)

Ouch - are you on good terms with them? (Or were.)

Poundland collars, two for a £1 and they are snap release.

You can get anti hunting bibs, they can still pounce but not bite. He would never speak to you again though.

If you want to stay on good terms with then don't let him out without a collar and bell.

We bird fanatics get very tetchy when other people's pets kill our feathered friends.

Those pitiful bells on the collars are next to useless. I'm seriously considering piercing my cats' ears and attaching big, cast iron, chirch style bells to them! I know dead birds and mice are part of the package with keeping cats but, between them in the last month mine have bought in over 50 mice, voles and shrews. They must have hit a mother load of nests. Thank gods they haven't discovered the neighbour's bird table... Yet!

Yes - that is definitely a Yet. They'll have discovered some 'mouse runs' in eg the longer grass/low bushes and be satisfied with those for the time being and until the supply runs dry. Also, cats being quite lazy for their fun, they'll likely be happy at the moment with prey at a lower level rather than having to climb at all - and that's in a winter garden with no baby birds flobbling around on the ground and more limited cover for them in the shrubbery so that your garden's Watch Bird can see them more easily and warn all comers.

I don't know as there's much you can do, basildon, other than try the collars which Fluffy mentioned. If you've got an outside cat, there's a basic conflict between those and birds - and it's not just other people being concerned because many cat owners themselves like birds and have a problem with their capture.

The RSPB have some useful \link{http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/gardening/unwantedvisitors/cats/birdfriendly.aspx\advice} on the topic which you could institute in your own garden but if you mentioned that to your neighbours they would likely say something like 'Why should I have to do this in my very own garden when it's your cat that's causing the problem?'.

Perhaps give them permission to squirt him with water if they see him hunting in their garden?

Put two bells on the collar. RPSB recommends this. They may be able to creep along keeping one bell silent but they won't manage two.

I restocked our obelisk bird feeder yesterday. I already know that Moonkitten can climb halfway up, but the birds would have to be excessively stupid/blind not to see/hear a large and clumsy B&W kitten trying to surreptitiously climb a cast iron obelisk!

I am looking forward to getting home tonight just to see if the birdies have found it. Hoping the cats aren't sitting underneath like Simon's cat with the hungry expression! I also have a supersoaker water pistol. Bought to squirt squirrels on the feeder, but also works with cats!

you could suggest that they put a wire mesh layer beneath the table part which is bigger than the table part where the birds eat, so that though he will be able to climb the pole part but not be able to get to the table part

catgoods.com/

The cat anti-hunting, massive sulk inducing "I'm not talking to you lot" bib.

Thanks for that Fluffy but I think you ought to trial it on your boy first. (With full video of you trying to put it on! )

My cats would murder me if I came anywhere near them with that bib! It's bad enough when we have to change their collars.

He is now re-collared (let's see how long this one lasts - I think he's on a one-cat mission to keep the world's collar manufacturers in business ...)

I really wouldn't fancy my chances with that bib, fluffy - he's pretty biddable but there are limits

I write our address on the collars in biro, I get lots back that he loses in gardens.

Try that, people are probably finding them but throwing them away.

Ooh good idea - I'll try that, thanks :)

We came down to feathers yesterday morning, thankfully the rest of the bird was eaten, but Huntercat has a steady stream of mice, shrews, birds etc.

If they have the instinct to hunt they hunt. He is well fed, has treats etc but if it moves he pounces. Even feet under the duvet are enough to trigger an attack!

I'd go with the water pistol option, you could give them one and say squirt him if he's in their garden, but otherwise it's nature red in tooth and claw.

I don't use collars or bells, I've known plenty of cats who hunt successfully with them and as an occasional tinnitis affected soul I cannot give my cat a constant ringing sound in their ultra sensitive hearing, it seems cruel to me. My two can hear a treat packet opened a floor away for the other cat and be down in two seconds flat - and that's a faint rustle.