So upset with my cat

[wondering7777]

My cat has just brought an almost dead bird into the garden. I'm so depressed and feel so upset about it. He's killed mice before but never a bird. Just awful

Well that's what they do I am afraid !

It is sad if they do that. Has he got a collar and bell? If not, maybe time to consider, if only for the summer months at least while the baby birds are out and about.

They don't differentiate . They don't think " Mmm Kill rats good. Kill mice good . Kill birds bad"

Mine are after the magpies and squirrels , they don't care .
Some cats are more predator than others.

Personally I don't like colllars on cats .
Three of us are vegetarian but as a family we chose cats , so we accept their habits .
Our old cat brought a frog home (I managed to get it from her , I think they taste rank so she didn't harm it)

despite how it looks, actaully mpst cats can't catch a healthy bird, birds caught by cats are almost always sick, old or injured.
It used to be thought that the bird population had suffered due to domestic cats, but the RSPB now says that cats don't and can't catch healthy birds and cats don't make any difference to the bird population.

Small consolation I know when presented with a half dead animal

Hmm. Either the RSPB have never met my psycho killer of a cat, or there must be one helluva lot of sick and injured birds flinging themselves into her clutches!
The ones I’ve rescued intact that she’s dragged indoors include a furious (and apparently perfectly healthy) massive adult wood pigeon!

One of my previous cats caught a moorhen which he dropped after trying to get through railings. (Dozy cat hadn't realised that with a socking great moorhen in his mouth he was never going to fit).
The moorhen escaped back to the river unharmed.
When the cat came back in he was soaking wet under his belly and legs but was bone dry on top. We realised this little sod had actually gone into the river after his prey. Glad to say he never did it again.

I had a Google after Steppemum’s comment and found this:

www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/gardening-for-wildlife/animal-deterrents/cats-and-garden-birds/are-cats-causing-bird-declines/

There's nothing you can do. Cats are predators.

When I was a child one of our cats killed "our robin", the one that hung out in the garden all the time. My DB was terribly upset.
Just make sure your cat is well-fed to minimise the damage but you have to accept it's their instinct.

A huge part of their brains is devoted to spotting movement so they virtually have to notice prey.

It’s not their fault.

@Fluffycloudland77 that's assuming they actually have brains. I don't think my three did/ have!

@Babdoc, my cat once brought in a healthy large pigeon too. I couldn't work out how he got it through the chip operated catflap. Anyway, the bird was ok. He has brought in healthy smaller birds too, plus mice, goldfish and a baby rabbit once (rabbit was fine, I took him/her to a wildlife place).

OP, unfortunately it's what cats do. It is upsetting when they bring home prey. My cat is 8 now and seems to be slowing down in terms of hunting. I still get really angry at him if he does catch anything, that's a human response too. We just have to learn to live with it. In America people often de-claw cats, which is a cruel solution.

I get slow worms. Eeek.

But yes, they are doing what cats do.

Hmm. Either the RSPB have never met my psycho killer of a cat, or there must be one helluva lot of sick and injured birds flinging themselves into her clutches!

Quite,my psycho manages to do ok!!

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