HunterCat driving me crazy! What can I do?

[HunterCatsSlave]

HunterCat is just over 5 years old. Driving me crazy with her hunting instinct.

She is bringing in at least one animal a day and I need to stop it as we can't cope with it anymore. The animals range from birds and mice to rats and bats, include a few toads and voles and you get the general picture. (There is also the time she caught a pigeon, bigger than her, and dragged it up the garden) Sometimes they are dead, sometimes half alive and sometimes in full health apart from the fact they are between HunterCat's jaws.

She has a distinctive meow when she has new treasure. She comes in the cat flap and announces her arrival.

Sometimes she just plays with the treasure and abandons it once it dies, other times she eats it. She is very protective of whatever animal it is and if it's still in a decent state, I chase her round the house to get it off her and free it. If it looks worse for wear I figure it's kinder to the animal to let her finish the job as I couldn't, and don't want to leave it in pain.

I tried to lock her in one night and I didn't realise her disgust until I woke up soaking wet, where she had weed on me and the duvet, with her snoozing her head of, on the dry patch. (Definitely a protest wee as litter tray available, but she only uses it when it's heavy rain, usually goes outside) I told her how cross I was but she didn't give two flying fucks wasn't apologetic.

I've tried locking the cat flap so she can go out but not come back in at night. She rams the cat flap with the treasure in her mouth. I don't let her in but it's a noisy affair and I don't think it will be ok to lock her out at night once winter comes.

Recently the pattern has been to go hunting about 9pm and arrive by 11pm with her finds. The other night I locked the flap at 8pm and didn't let her out till the morning. She was back within 30mins announcing her find.

Apart from this hunting, she is a lovely cat. We love her dearly and rehoming is not an option. I just want the hunting to stop/reduce as I'm fed up of it. It makes me sad every time another animal dies because she fancies a hunt, and I'm fed up of the cleaning up feathers, innards etc.

I'm sure I can't be the first cat owner to have a cat like this...any suggestions on stopping it please?

Bumping in the hope of some replies.

Bell on an appropriate collar?

Our indoor moggy loves to bring us gifts of particular toys with a particular yowl (a mouth full one) to go with it.

My cousin who lives overseas has an indoor cat that does the exact same thing.

I had never come across it before. Not suggesting you make your cat an indoor one but in your position I would go for a bell on a collar.

The bell being a warning to prey, that is.

Thanks Clalpolly, should have said in my op, we have tried numerous collars but she gets rid of them so quickly. The quick release clasps are just that. Gone in a short space of time. The very first collar she had, (as soon as we got her at 14wks) only lasted 3weeks. And that is the longest any collar has lasted her.
Most are gone within 24 hours, some after less than 1hr.

Worried about using one without a quick release clasp due to strangulation risk. She is a tree climber, and would hate to find her suspended. 😔

I lock mine in the utility overnight & put the spin dryer over the flap so he can't break out.

In the morning let her out, then lock the flap. She'll still hunt but you won't have to deal with it.

I once catsat a cat with a glow in the dark collar and five bells, still murdered all the wildlife.

Could you make her an outside shelter and stop using the flat for a bit so you can not let her in when accompanied by treasure?

Just home from work and had to pick up a dead thrush from my living room floor. 😥 No sign of HunterCat!

Gandalf: I had wondered about sorting an outside cat kennel for her. I suppose I'm worried she might go off and find another family to torment with her treasure love. Most nights she sleeps on dd's bed and DD would be upset if it wasn't an option due to being locked out.

But at the moment it seems to be the only option, apart from picking up carcasses. I tolerated it for so long, but recently a mouse escaped from her in the kitchen. Obviously got into the back of the cupboards and pooed all over food etc. Its clearly dead now, as I can't find it, but you can imagine the smell of it in this heat.

I've cleaned everywhere I can get to and the smell is starting to wear off so will hopefully disappear soon.

Not too worried about her being out at night at the moment but will sort a cat kennel for when the nights start to get colder. Of course, she has never slept in any of the purpose bought cat beds so may never use a kennel either. But we can try it. Got to be better than this.
She's lucky we love her.