Any tricks for stopping cat from killing all the local wildlife?!

[Jeffers3]

My cat is really affectionate, cuddley, runs from where ever he is to greet you when you arrive home BUT he is a killer!

It's everyday and we've had it all: mice, rats, shrews, pigeons, partridges, pheasants, rabbits.

Luckily he doesn't seem to have an interest in small birds.

I am at a bit of a loss on what to do, right now it's one creature in a 24 hour period but in the early Spring it's about 3 in 24 hours. He wears a collar with a bell and I've homemade some bandanas that go through his collar in an attempt that he will be more easily seen by birds but it doesn't seem to be working.

Any ideas?

I have several bells on my cats collar and it has pretty much done the trick.

Yep, our cat has 3 bells on his collar but he still manages to catch the occasional song bird

I wouldn't use a collar - look up collar injuries if you want to see why.

Unfortunately it's part of the joy of cats. I have read they hunt most at dawn and dusk so you could try keeping them in at those times. My girl cat has strolled in with a live female blackbird in broad daylight though so it is not completely effective!!

Eliza, is it even when the collars are the safety ones which come apart under any strain?

He looses at least one a week so I buy a couple each week with the weekly shop!

They don't seem to be doing much though so if those collars can cause injuries then it'll come off.

Maybe a fluorescent collar with reflective strips, plus more bells. You can get them with quick releases, my outdoor cat had one. I can't really think of anything more you could do that would be safe for the cat. Bird scare things would only work on your property and that's probably not where he is getting them.
Failing that, feed him a bit more? Not saying he is hungry at all but maybe it will lower his prey drive a bit if he is extra sleepy and full, but he could gain weight which is obviously not good.
Is the issue in cleaning up his kills or that you think he is decimating local wildlife? Or both.
Unless he is taking chunks out of them if he brings a pheasant etc home stick it in the freezer! Mice and rats are pests and so are rabbits to a certain extent so I wouldn't worry about them. Birds and some shrews I think are a bit more iffy. Partridge and pheasant are usually raised for shooting, so again you aren't endangering any species there, more probably get killed on the roads.
Other than keeping him in as a housecat it might be unavoidable, but I imagine that would be stressful for you both so I wouldn't attempt that unless you get desperate.

Most of it is cleaning it up to be honest. Downstairs is all stone tiles and wood so luckily it's not too bad. It's when he chooses to decapotate rabbits on the stairs. Getting blood stains out of carpet isn't the easiest! And knowing that everyday when you come in there's going to be something to clear up!

I do worry about some of the creatures though, the shrews especially. Usually everything is dead but I sometimes have to do a 'rabbit rescue' then walk the poor thing down the lane so he doesn't find it again!

It's funny you say that about eating the pheasant. My parter' friend said we should eat the partridge and we spent a good hour googling whether you could eat something killed by a cat - you can, and it's currently hanging ready for them to eat...

I suppose lots of people spend a fortune on a raw diet for their cats and dogs, maybe he is telling you that the cooking isn't up to scratch 😂😂😂 he wants pheasant pronto!!

I know @thecatneuterer is much more knowledgeable on the subject of collars.

But eg. This article has a few cases of allegedly "quick release" collars being involved.

icatcare.org/advice/keeping-cats-safe-campaign/collar-injuries

I'd love mine to have bells on as I have a mobility disability and keep tripping over them! but not worth it...

Our old girl was an utter murderer and a thief, she would kill anything she could and also steal roadkill and bring it in. Physically she couldn't take on a pheasant but she had no problem dragging a flat one home through the cat flap.
Carpeted everywhere except the kitchen so we just kept the kitchen door shut overnight and braced ourselves in the morning for the carnage.
Could be very messy if something put up a fight or was a few days old. She is still going at 18, no more of her own kills but still likes to bring roadkill home occasionally.

From what I can read on the page Eliza posted, quick release ones are ok, so long as the catch does release easily. I always check ours and I know he can get them off easily enough because we have to buy him a new one nearly every month, I do worry about the safety of them still though!

Wish I knew how to stop our fluffy killer, he loses his collars and bells within 24 hours of wearing them.

Today, I came home to blood and feathers through the house, upstairs and down, and a semi plucked pigeon behind the hall curtain.

The bird is currently eating chicken feed and corn in a cardboard box looking fairly healthy considering the volume of feathers I have cleaned up.

The cat, is trying to look innocent.

This was the largest bird he has tackled, normally it is mice or blackbirds or smaller. He is ganged up on by our chickens though despite leaving them dead mice to fight over.

I have the same problem ( bluetit corpse removed from scene for sale of decorum, but tonight's offering). Anyone know how to get blood out of seagrass, given that you aren't supposed to shampoo it?

I think the RSPB ask that you don't let your cats out when it's dark as they can cause significant loss to native bird species. Domesticated cats aren't a native species, so letting them wander about unchecked is very damaging to British wildlife.

A collar with a bell the size of Big Ben should do the trick. Stops cats from roaming, too .