Can’t cope with Hunter cat!

[PussInBin20]

There is no doubt my DCat loves catching things, we’ve lost count the amount of dead birds, mice, frogs. The worst thing is he brings them into the house.

However, on Thursday we returned home at 7.30pm after a lovely day out to find carnage!

Feathers all over the lounge and kitchen -and blood all over the floor, carpets, walls and furniture! It was horrendous. We found poor pigeon under our sofa (god knows how he got that through cat flap).

It was still alive but wounded, so we had to get RSPCA to collect it.

Cat recently had new collar and bell on. I just don’t know what to do to stop this.

DH wants rid of cat (he’s a dog person) but I love all cats and couldn’t part with him. DD wants a rabbit so probably quite happy to get rid of him. He’s not particularly cuddly - will sit on you for 5 mins if you are lucky.

He’s been neutered but won’t stop. Even yesterday DH said he was trying to bring another bird into house but DH had to wrestle it off him and it flew away!

Help!

He can’t help it, a big part of their brain is for detecting movement to hunt.

You can keep him in at dawn & dusk because cats are naturally more active at this time.

There was a debate about this on radio 4 and even the man from the rspb had to admit if it wasn’t for predation we’d be knee deep in birds.

It’s not just cats, sparrow hawks and buzzards will both catch birds & are very common.

Is he a young cat? I ask as some cats do hunt less as they get older. Keeping in at dawn and dusk can help.
It is instinct I don't know if there's anything you can do to reduce it except not let him out but that's not really fair on him. The icactcare website might be worth a look as it has all stuff cat related on it.
Not all cats are good hunter. Our lad is a useless he'd starve of he had to catch his dinner-our upstairs neighbour is regularly entertained watching him stalk his prey only for it to fly/run away.

Take away the cat flap so he can't bring it inside!

It is just part of being a cat, it is a completely nature instinct, unfortunately there is very little you can do. I would take away the cat flap. We don't have a cat flap, and they can and will come back at certain times and form a pattern, or will sit and wait to be let in.

DH wants rid of cat (he’s a dog person) but I love all cats and couldn’t part with him. DD wants a rabbit so probably quite happy to get rid of him

That is really sad (and I'm a bit grr to boot)

How old is your DD ? Does she realise that rabbits are just as antisocial as cats (they are not pick up/cuddle animals and are not recommended as DC pets at all. Far trickier to manage than most people think and need protected from predators . And not to be kept as singletons anyway but that's another thread all together)

My DH wasn't wild about our guinea-pigs (DD and I had 8 of them over a period of years at one time our herd was 5 piggies ) though he helped with buying food and fixing their accomodation.
He made no secret of the fact he liked cats better . But I wouldnt have cats+guineas and would only have cats if they had access to the garden.

We now have two young adults (the last guinea died in April) , a catdoor in the glass French door and they can use the microchip activation.

I love the cats but they aren't guinea-pigs .
I would never be annoyed by their natural behaviour .

I have had to dispatch various presents from our old cat that were too mangled to release if she didn't finish the job herself.

Yes to keep him in at night , it's the prime time for them and the riskiest time to be out .

Nail the cat flap shut! We have never had one. The cat scratches on the back door if it wants to come in (or sometimes jumps up so it’s little head appears at the window, very comedic). And if he’s out when we go out for the day then he stays out all day. And comes in when we come back.

We don’t have a cat flap for this very reason. He kills all sorts in the garden but never brings it in the house.

The cat flap is the problem. Our cats were scared stiff of our rabbits, they took no notice of the cats whatsoever.