decimation of local wildlife

Grimbal

Our cute, delicate, beautiful, timid little Maisie is now the local killing machine of small furries & feathers it seems

2 days ago it was a little mouse - still alive when she dropped it outside the bedroom door, and we managed to get it out still breathing. It was gone in the morning, but we're not sure if that was due to another little feline avenger or whether it had recovered enough to make it's own way home


Today, we've had two birds brought in. The first was still alive as she was attacking its back end _pale_ ,but at least the second was already gone by the time she trotted into the house with it.


I'm a newbie cat slave & finding this tough. I know it's a natural instinct & that it is, in a way, a good sign that our little rescue cat has settled in, but I can't shift the image of that poor little bird struggling to get away from her


It's nature, red in tooth & claw & I guess I had better get used to it -any hints how to (wo)man up?

londonsurrey

I growl at my cats, and snatch the "offering" away.
They don't tend to bring me many offerings now.

Fire_Fox

Is there a danger time of day? Dawn and dusk are often high risk. One of my previous cats used to have 'killing sprees' months apart. One day she brought a dead vole in and laid it neatly next to her new toy mouse and it all clicked into place, she was returning the favour/ showing us she could hunt too.

I have no idea if this will work but you might try feeding some raw bone in meat like chicken wings or drumsticks, might help her express some of her instincts in a non-violent way.

Lastly does she have bell? If you want to try this be sure to use a quick release collar for safety.

Grimbal

She's only recently started bringing gifts home - around the time I first gave her chicken wings in fact ! Today, she's been on the rampage seemingly all afternoon and has now gone out again - no doubt for more victims.....

ETA: she does have a bell on an ancol quick release collar: we were hoping that it might help a few small furries escape but obviously not

bazster

You might be able to reduce her opportunities but I'm afraid once a killer, always a killer.

Our big fella is murderous. As with all cats, night-time is the worst, so now he comes in and stays in when we go to bed, much to his disgust. But one afternoon I watched, horror-struck, as he leaped into the air and pulled down a blue tit in flight, which he started dismembering on the lawn before I could rescue it.

We had to abandon our garden and conservatory that evening because of the plaintive cries of the poor bird's mate sat in the cherry tree.

Horrid cat.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Mice and rats are vermin. They're also the reason we domesticated cats in the first place.


To be unhappy with them doing what they are here for seems a little ungrateful, to be honest.




But as far as birds go, dawn and dusk are the critical times. And the times the cats are most likely to get run over/into fights. Keeping them in can keep them out of the majority of trouble.



But then again, I will admit that I have battles rescuing moths and spiders from the cats, which usually end in a cat making sneezing noises as they hastily swallow whatever it is they've got as I thunder down the hallway after them.

geri1965_2

The only sure fire way is to keep them in. Or lock them out so they don't bring them in (although obviously they can still kill them!)

I am not much help, as I can barely bring myself to touch the dead things, let alone deal with anything still alive.

Grimbal

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Mice and rats are vermin. They're also the reason we domesticated cats in the first place.


To be unhappy with them doing what they are here for seems a little ungrateful, to be honest.




But as far as birds go, dawn and dusk are the critical times. And the times the cats are most likely to get run over/into fights. Keeping them in can keep them out of the majority of trouble.



But then again, I will admit that I have battles rescuing moths and spiders from the cats, which usually end in a cat making sneezing noises as they hastily swallow whatever it is they've got as I thunder down the hallway after them.

Oh, I'm not ungrateful at all - as above, I do realise it's a completely natural behaviour & one which I hope points to her becoming part of the family & feeling settled. I just need tips on how to perhaps minimise the numbers & deal with any aftermath. Quick, painless & as non-interventional ways as possible to despatch the unwilling participants for example

Grimbal

geri1965 wrote: »

The only sure fire way is to keep them in. Or lock them out so they don't bring them in (although obviously they can still kill them!)

I am not much help, as I can barely bring myself to touch the dead things, let alone deal with anything still alive.

I couldn't do that - she's so obviously happy to be out and about & then come back for her home comforts that I wouldn't want to stop any of these behaviours. It's lovely that she now sees where we live as her home, and she's obviously fond of us (as much as any feline overlord deigns to show affection), so wouldn't want to stop her.

Fire_Fox

Grimbal wrote: »

Quick, painless & as non-interventional ways as possible to despatch the unwilling participants for example

Wring their necks or bash them over the head, not nice to do but fast.

ETA: just remembered once coming home to my same hunting girl repeatedly bashing against the magnetic cat flap. The obstruction was the blackbird in her mouth which was stopping her getting close enough to trigger the mechanism! Wondering if a microchip flap might have the same 'benefit' of stopping Maisie bringing animals in, so some might escape?

Grimbal

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Wring their necks or bash them over the head, not nice to do but fast.

ETA: Wondering if a microchip flap might have the same 'benefit' of stopping Maisie bringing animals in, so some might escape?

unfortunately we already have a chip flap. But, thinking about it, she brought the mouse in at dusk, so via the cat flap, but the two birds were when the doors at the back were open. You may be on to something as far as cat flaps & birds go you know.......