Is there anyway I can get two kittens and not have them kill the birds in my garden?

[blueby7]

I am looking at getting a pair of kittens but I have some lovely birds in our garden and I worry about the impact.

I had cats growing up in the countryside and they did kill lots of little animals/birds but I don't remember seeing a huge amount (probably due to my father dealing with it before we saw).

I have read that some breeds are less likely than others to hunt but really I just wanted a couple of regular kittens and nothing fancy.

Am I kidding myself that the impact won't be too bad? Is it just luck of the draw as to what kind of cat you get?

Its just the luck of the draw. My three were meant to be indoor cats but became such eacape artists they are now out door cats. The amount of wildlife the kill is obsene and I hate it.

We have a standing order to the local bird sanctuary because Im forever taking injured birds there.

To be honest, much as I love my cats, we wont get more when they are gone bcause of this.

Keep them inside, birds have enough trouble surviving now without these savage beasts killing them

It really is luck of the draw. My boy started off being terrified of outside and was meant to be an indoor cat, but he had other ideas. He is a hunter. We do keep him it at dawn and dusk to help. He doesn't kill massively often, but it's inate in cats.

The only way is to keep them indoors, if you're happy to do that. Some are more prolific murderers than others, but it's a basic part of their instinct. Some cope with being cooped up better than others, there are no guarantees. They are a predator.

It is luck of the draw tbh.

Mine catches mice on and off, but has only ever caught 2 birds in 4 years. However, birds definitely avoid our garden.

A collar with a bell helps, but isn’t totally safe for the cat (the safe easy release ones tend to get lost within hours).

Get shit cats. Not entirely what I expected when they were foisted on me, but their hunting total so far of 3 leaves and two worms over a 7 year period keeps me and the birds happy!

They are both currently lying in flowerbeds ignoring the pigeon on the shed roof.

Go for an indoor breed. We have two BSH cats. It was in the breeder contract that they are supposed to live indoors. We had planned to let them out when we moved to our current semi rural place when they were 2 but they have shown no interest in going outside.

They enjoy presenting me with pipe cleaners from my daughter's craft drawer rather than dead critters. They do catch the occasional house spider but I don't mind that at all.

Mine never catch anything.

I mean they try, but birds can fly and they can't, so...

I have been told that only usually have good hunting skills if their mum taught them.

My mum's old boy could catch rats but the birds were quite safe unless they had a nap on the lawn.

The ultimate solution is to adopt very young kittens for a life indoors such that they don't miss the outdoors so much provided the indoor environment is enriched for their entertainment such as a catio. Cats are top quality predators with killing on their mind. It is impossible to stop it if they go out unsupervised but as the others say it depends on the cat as to how keen they are on hunting. Females are normally less adventurous and have smaller home ranges. Whatever the experts say well fed cats are less likely to hunt but they will still hunt.

@murasaki that sounds lovely. Fancy a swap - you can spend your evening after a long day at work coaxing a terrified bird out from under the kitchen counter and doing the 2 hr round trip to the bird sanctuary and I'll admire the leaves and worms?

If youd like you can have the particularly sadistic one who de-wings flys and watches them writhe about.

You could try rescuing a pair of older cats, my DCats stopped hunting once they reached 3 years, although it was mostly live frogs from my pond.

I will say though that I rarely get birds in my garden at all I think the cats presence scare them off.

We have 2 kittens, ragdol mix, both softies and have been indoor cats since birth.
We are having a new patio built and then a catio installed.

Ouch @Rainbowsandrainclouds1 , that does sound traumatic. I'll stick with trying to convince the big orange one not to sleep on my head and the small girl that visitors are ok really.

I just got lucky really, I do feel for you.

I can't vouch for this, but someone very experienced with cats told me so there may something in it. Basically, don't play games with them ever that teach them to be little hunters. You know the sort of classic cat toys with a mouse or a feather on a string that you get them to chase. Lasers on walls, all that sort of stuff. I'm sure their natural temperament and instinctive behaviour comes into it in a huge way, but in my non-expertt mind it made some sense as that sort of play is basically training sessions in hunting!

Totally luck I think. Our old cat has only ever brought in moths, and that has only happened about 4 times in the 10+ years we've had her. My husband originally got her from a friend of a friend whose cat had an accidental litter, and was separated from her mum too young. So I wonder if the pp who said about cats learning hunting skills from their mother is right and ours missed out.

Over the last 20 years all the cats that lived with me have been shit bird hunters. I got given a frog once, which hopped round the kitchen. And current kittens are great at hunting and eating spiders, which is something I totally support.

Have a dog as well, ddog stood guard by the bird table and feeders if dcat dared approach - they didn't really get along though, dcat has since passed away

Regardless of whether or not the cats actively try to catch the birds, you will likely find that the birds stop coming into the garden once they know that a cat is about.

In my experience, cats rarely manage to catch birds. They are far more likely to catch small mammals like mice and voles.

You could rehome cats that can't go out- either due to breed or Medical issue.

Cats with FIV can't go out. We rehomed a pair of kittens, one of whom has a mild neurological issue. It means he is a shit climber and would be unsafe outside, but in other ways he is 'normal'. They're fine inside, but we do play with them a lot.

Or don't let them out at night. Get a cat flap with timer and make them come in at tea time. The majority-but not all- cat predating happens from dusk til dawn.

@murasaki they do have their uses with pest control. We are relativly rural and next door used to have a huge issue with mice. One of males will purposefully pootle off next door to catch his own dinner if he feels he is being neglected (i.e fed 10 mins past the usual time)

But, its horrid to watch and the birds I hate more than the mice.

Agree it's luck of the draw. We have two, one can't catch a thing and has never killed anything in her 9 years but the other is a hunter and has brought a wide array of gifts for us.

My cats are 14 & 15. We have probably had about 10 mice, 1 bat and 1 lizard of some sort over that time. Plus some twigs.

Not sure about the mum teaching them to hunt theory. We adopted a mum and baby pair, mum is a rubbish hunter, sadly her daughter isn't (although she wants to keep her catches as pets rather than eat them)

Have them as indoor cats 🙂 kittens will be fine indoors as they won’t know any different. Give them lots of toys, cat trees etc. It keeps wildlife safe and keeps kitties safe from roads.