Advice please: one of my cats has just caught his third bird this week

[CharleytheFrenchPoodle]

I suspect there isn't much we can do, but am just after any advice about if we can make our two cats any more 'noticeable' to the local wildlife. They already have collars with bells on but that doesn't seem to be stopping them catching birds.
It doesn't help that there are loads of birds around at the moment as next door have just installed a big feeding station in their garden, right above a bush that the cats make a beeline for, hide in, then pounce when a bird goes onto the ground to hoover up any spare food- it's almost too easy for them!

In addition to the usual birds, mice, rats and frogs, our biggest cat also brought a live squirrel in once. Who shot straight into the wine rack and wouldn't come out. Fair enough with two hyper excited cats trying to get at him. Gee that was fun.

I was going to post about the same problem with my cat. He is a small neutered tom. Only 15 months old but his murderous streak belies his size. So far this week, we have had several sparrows and finches, an enormous partridge! And this morning the kitchen was decorated in the remains of a magpie. Previous kills have included numerous mice, birds, rabbits and most disturbing a mole that was running in circles as he had chewed its front leg off That had to be despached to put it out of its misery.
I hate cat collars as when I was working at a vets many years ago, we had several cats that had got front legs through them, causing horrendous wounds where they cut into the "armpit" area. The vet hated collars for this reason too.
The thing is that it's not really nature to my way of thinking. Domestic cats are the invention of human beings and I hate the fact my cat is doing so much damage to local wildlife. I have had cats all my life and he is definitely the most skilled hunter yet.
Can anyone recommend a "safe" collar although I see even bells don't always work from this thread

I think its difficult to find a non safety collars these days, I was in pets are us the other week and every single collar had a catch that came undone with only a very light amount of pressure.

Can you suggest to next door that they move their feeding station to somewhere that doesn't have perfect cover for your cat?

If they love birds I'm sure they didn't really intend to create a neighbourhood cat feeding station/bird cemetery.

When I moved to the countryside my previously lovely cats turned into killing machines. All you can do is wait for them to get arthritic

I think I might mention it to the neighbours and see if they are able to move it away from the bush. They've never been this bad before, I think it really just because the birds are such easy pickings with all the babies around at the moment and they go to the feeding station. I say 'them' but I suspect it's mostly EvilCat's work. FatCat is too lazy and clumsy to make much of an effort really.
Reading the replies though, I am glad we've only got birds to contend with. I was at some of those other unfortunate creatures...and as for that mole

Thanks foxsticks I will check pets r us again but last time I looked they didn't seem to have improved much.

Hope you find an answer Charley. Moving the feeding station sounds like a good plan.

There is literally NO solution

My lovely little kitty has become the most murderous a-hole, even with 3 bells on.

I know it's her instinct but I'd rather she just killed them and got it over with rather than just injure them. It doesn't help that the guy next door is a bird fanatic with about a million feeders!

Gibbs I use one of these collars, the catch is sturdy enough that he doesn't remove it himself, but will snap if caught in something.

I curfew mine at night which cuts down on predation. Even better might be curfewing them 4pm-10am (but I can't realistically do it).

I've no idea if this is a solution or just a coincidence, but since I started feeding our five cats a raw meat diet, they haven't left me anything but the occasional, say maybe one per month gift by the back door. When I fed them commercial catfood, I had up to three gifts daily.

We have had two this week. left by the cat flap at least, and not brought in. little cat is becoming proficient.

It is nature. All you can do is keep them in if you don't like it, or reduce the opportunity by thinning out bushes etc which is what I plan to do.

We've only had worms and a dead frog so far (had the cats about 6 months), but they are shut in from dusk to about 7.30am which I think helps. I've never seen them catch anything bigger yet but time will tell. One of them was looking with great interest at a passing heron the other day!

Ours rarely kills prey, just brings it in as gift. He is very seasonal, we get robins at Christmas and rabbits at Easter. He regularly brings in shrews, sometimes mice and small birds.

The most memorable occasions were a pied wagtail flying round my kitchen whilst I had an important Skype call ("umm, do you mind me asking, what is that flying round behind you?") and a dirty great blackbird brought to my bedside at 3am, flapping wildly.

I am still anti collar though.

previous cat once hot a baby magpie she was dive bombed every time she went in the back garden by mummy magpie for the following 2 summers. amazing.

I started buying these for our murderous little darling after the infamous 'four dead squirrels in a week' episode. m.ebay.co.uk/orderDetails?itemId=290686488169&txnId=993876549019

Hasn't stopped the slaughter completely but has definitely had an impact. I do have to take his collar off in the evenings when he is shut in as it is too jingly for me!!

Has anyone tried one of these collars? www.amazon.co.uk/Liberator-Audio-Visual-Cat-Collar/dp/B009YWPH3K/ref=pd_rhf_cr_s_cp_1_7ASR?ie=UTF8&refRID=06HSGVV38ARGV6D8YM14

We have lost a fully grown and a baby bird this weekend. I am irrationally cross at the cats and feeling guilty. I just wish they would stop it. I am going to look at bells on string as I feed the birds and DH bought me a bird table for my birthday but as yet has only had one visitor. >glares at BoyCat.