My cat nearly got picked up by a seagull tonight...?

[LanguidLobster]

We were walking and she was trotting along behind then we turned around and saw this huge white thing swooping down with claws outstretched to grab her and screamed our heads off so it left her alone and swooped off.

I didn't realise seagulls were so bolshy though, that's scary

Beryl oh god - I guess a raven wouldn't have the leverage to get far with a cat.

David Cameron was talking about culling of seagulls, I do think he has a point, I may look into it more as they're too prevalent now and too violent.

Last parliamentary petition only got about 149 in 2006.

I may end up with a beak embedded in my forehead before this is out...

They can scratch you, one of my relatives was swooped on and scratched across her face, glasses knocked off, I've had ice creams and other treats taken out of my hand whilst I've been sitting down.

They are incredibly aggressive if you are near a nest, which I think you are as it's attacking all of you now. I have been out with an umbrella and kitchen gloves on to pick up a baby and move it after it fell off our roof. You really don't want them nesting on your property if you can help it, once they do they are a protected species.

I really think the law needs changing to protect people in living environments.

As far as I'm aware seagulls are protected under EU directive at present.

I would feel reassured if it was just their nest they were protecting but I had no idea if it wanted to eat my cat or scare it off, or if it meant harm to me but decided I was too much of a wally jumping around wielding my handbag in its face and not worth bothering about, or if it thought 'ok, scared off'. We live opposite though.

Thanks, will look into it.

Olinguito that made me laugh! I agree, it was very hard for my cat to retain his dignity in the face of an angry blackbird!

Nicer then what I done lmao.
I was watching a local cat from my daughter's bedroom window, when this beast of a seagull swooped from our side of the road at the cat, who mad a hasty retreat, it went to the rooftops on the other side of the road, just waiting, when the cat came back out from under a car the seagull done the same thing, the two were doing this for over 10 mins, it was getting too close for comfort so I threw a hanger at the bird....evil I know but it scared it enough for the poor little kitty to bolt home.

Years ago I lived in a bungalow. One evening I was in the garden and our cat was on the roof - and I spotted there was also an owl on the roof that the cat was stalking! I watched for a few seconds in fascination, since I couldn't imagine the cat would possibly win - when all of a sudden the owl's mate came swooping down and grabbed the cat and tried to carry it off!!! The cat wasn't the daintiest of creatures and almost immediately the owl had the drop it (back onto the roof, fortunately) - the cat bolted off the roof and down a tree and ran inside (she was fine). Was one of the oddest things I've witnessed though!

My cat WAS picked up by a seagull once!! We had a building below with a flat roof, and my little cat used to like to come out our window onto the flat roof for a wander. I was down in the garden with the dogs when I saw a seagull swoop down and pick up my cat!! It carried her about 3 feet before dropping her- luckily back onto the flat roof! I nearly had a heart attack.

Yikes, Platypus I'd have a heart attack as well!

I was staying in St Ives recently and could see a few nests from where I was staying, some were being sat on by ma, and sometimes pa took over. Some already had chicks. I have been to St Ives many times, usually in Sept. it was noticeable this time how noisy and “swoopy” they were - they get more assertive at this time of year.

I have called them chicks but not sure if baby gulls are chicks. They were quite cute. Kept flapping their minuscule wings and going to the edge of the flat roof and then being ushered away from the edge by mum. Others were nesting on the most inappropriate spaces. An angled roof, not sure that one was very sensible.

We haven't had any other incidents since Tuesday and Wednesday last week. I wear an early 1900s whistle around my neck now as a deterrent blast in times of trouble but I was trying to demonstrate it to an inquisitive neighbour and cat literally jumped off all 4 paws. Whistle works!