Please don't flame me...

[windchimes23]

I have a cat who is a hunter. He kills at least two animals daily. We've tried keeping him in but he breaks down the cat flap or escapes from open doors or windows at any opportunity.

This morning I awoke to two dead half eaten mice in the dining room and a dying magpie on the lawn. I had to put it out of its misery.

I have two toddlers, he scratches them and they tread in whatever entrails he's left overnight if I don't get downstairs and clean up first.

I've called 10 rescue centres today. The last one told me to have him PTS and deal with my own conscience as a murderer. Nice.

I'm in tears. I don't want to PTS, but what do I do? Lock him in a cage 24/7, make his life a misery?

I'm sitting here and I can't let my children out in the garden as there are 10+ magpies dive bombing the garden.

Help? He wears three bells on his collar and I try to keep him locked up from dusk til dawn

Is there a breed rescue that you can call? Is he a moggy?

Do your local vet have a rehoming facility? What did the other 9 rescue centres say, no room?

No flaming from me, I can see how you are trying to give the cat what he needs as well as what you all need

Bless you, don't know where to start.

Cats are hunters, that's what cats do, it's not your fault.

When does he scratch the children, can you keep them apart?

I think if you keep him you have to accept you have a cat that hunts and therefore you have to make sure you have cleaned up before the dc's come down in the morning, that's just pet owning responsibility.

I don't understand about the magpies and the lawn?

The magpie was a fledgling, it was bleeding badly from its neck. I had to kill it and dispose of it.

Now the parents and others are dive bombing from the tree every time we go out there.

I had to wear my riding hat to protect my head as I was disposing of it because they were attacking me, poor thing.

This has been going on since six am, they just won't go away

He's a common ginger tom, my SIL gave him to me seven years ago when he was a kitten as she said he was smelly. I have cats and dogs, I'm an animal person but this is just getting too much now

Have you tried cats protection? They often take good hunters to re home in riding stables, farms etc so they can be employed as pest control

Can you confine him to one room? ours is locked in the utility at night with tray, food and water. Overnight is cat hunting time but ours got used to being in.

If he's scratching the kids there must be a reason. If he feels threatened then he will lash out. Maybe a tall cat tree he can sit on out of the way would help.

Cats are hunters. Please don't pts. Keep your dcs away as they are abit young to be around a cat. I tried to separate my dcs from the cats when they were toddlers. Too much grabbing and smooshing when they are little. Can you get cat netting to put on the top your fence to stop him getting out? Since we've done that the body count is zero.

Will try, thanks.

Ah yes Soncey when I was looking for a rescue cat last year there were Cats Protection ads for feral cats to work on farms etc

Mine was a hunter. Now she's 8 and doesn't do anything. She's just fat and lazy. So maybe he will stop. And yes to stopping him going out at night.

I would recommend the netting like a PP said - make it impossible for him to climb out of the garden - so maybe mesh like they use in zoos so that he can't climb over fences/trees.

Unfortunately cats are hunters and it's just part and parcel of pet ownership. My two are indoor cats due to us living on a dangerous main road, but I just know our ginger tom would be a hunter if he was allowed out! It's just their nature.

Please don't get him PTS. He's just doing what comes naturally to him. I know dealing with entrails and half-dead animals isn't fun but unless you can re-home him I think it's just something you have to deal with. And keep him away from the toddlers - he's probably scratching because they pull him about and he hates it! Either supervise them together and teach them how to treat him properly, or keep them apart until they're a bit older.

If it comes to it, I think that a ginger Tom might be fairly easy to re home - people like them. (Although his hunting prowess would have to be made clear.)

Sounds like he would be ideally suited to being a farm cat.

Has he been 'done'? if not - that might make a difference

also - there are some tips here re training to be more 'daytime' - cats are nocturnal, to be honest i dont know why people have cats and expect them to be happy about being inside at night

He can come over and play at my house . Just moved in and discovered a whole colony of mice. Literally 100s.

I've contacted the CPL, very helpful people and asked for their help while he remains at home. Poor woman had 10 cats at home.

He is good with children generally, but toddlers stumble and flap about so we do try and keep them separate. I'll try and reinforce the cat flap tonight, God knows how.

In the mean time if anyone needs a mouser let me know. He's a demon

I'm serious! Where abouts are you? I've just had to evict a mouse from my bed......

Ilford, IG1.

Happy to deliver within a reasonable distance, to a good home who can cope with dead things.

We're rural and I see a lot of adoption notices for cats that are good mousers and not fussed about being lapcats.

I hope you find a solution, doesn't sound happy for either of you.

ToughAsOldBoots you have my rescue cat. We know each other in a former life. Black cat, Stilton, RTA Walthamstow?

I've just blimmin rehomed a pregnant female who turned up at my SILs house. I couldn't take her as we already have three including the demon killer (who was another cast off from my SIL).

I'm a bloody rehoming centre I swear. I do love this one dearly, but steam mopping at 5am, chopping heads off half dead magpies, two toddlers and a full time city job just don't add up right now.

Oh no im miles away