Cats and killing birds advice please

Charlie23

Hi hopefully someone will have some advice, i'm sorry but this will be a long story!
My cat is 3 years old and is very gentle and loving. In the past 18 months her sister got hit by a car and died so she became the only cat in our house. She has been bullied pretty much since her sister died and it got to a point where she haad to be kept inside as the neighbourhood cats were attacking her and coming into the house.
Normally she is timid and loves to watch birds and any other animal but the only things she has brought in has been butterflies and catterpillars. Last sunday she bought a bird in, we assumed she must have picked up another cats leftovers. Since then she has brought another bird into the house and killed it (while we were at work) and today she brought one bird into the house (who later died) and then we found her with blood all over her and then found 3 other bird bodies! These birds are 6-7inches long and our cat is small and petite.
My question is does any one have any advice please, our cat has never been like this before and i'm worried about the birds. We also have a 15 month old daughter so i'm worried our cat will attack her. What can we do? is there something wrong with our cat?
The pub 3 doors down has been putting out bread for the birds so it means there are even more for her to go for. The cat has meat every evening,
I just don't know what to do.
Thanks for any advice.

mrbadexample

Get the cat a collar with a big bell. Give the birds a sporting chance.

Charlie23

she has a really skinny neck which is why she hasn't got a collar at the mo. i'm so annoyed with her, i know it's nature but she killed a family today.

deedeeliz

Charlie23 wrote: »

My question is does any one have any advice please, our cat has never been like this before and i'm worried about the birds. We also have a 15 month old daughter so i'm worried our cat will attack her. What can we do? is there something wrong with our cat?

There should be no association with your cat attacking wildlife and attacking your daughter!

The best advice is a collar with a bell. Just make sure it's a collar with a safety release so she cant get caught up in it

mrbadexample

Charlie23 wrote: »

she has a really skinny neck which is why she hasn't got a collar at the mo. i'm so annoyed with her, i know it's nature but she killed a family today.

Earrings?

Little_Chicken

Collar with a bell is the best bet - maybe a friend to play with?!?!?!

mrbadexample

Little_Chicken wrote: »

maybe a friend to play with?!?!?!

Actually, that sounds like a good point. If she didn't act like this before her sister died, maybe she's bored and taking her frustration out on the birds?

bungle82

I thought that this was what cats do??

It's why as much as I love cats, I would never have one - I couldn't deal with all the birds and mice they bring home!!

I wouldn't have thought that there is much you can do to stop it - it's a natural instinct. The only thing I can think of is a bell on her collar like others have said.

LittleTinker

Theres nothing wrong with your cat and she wont attack your child

Not much you can do for the birds either.

nappentass

Another vote for a bell - it usually helps..
Although saying that around us there are a lot of fledgelings which probably makes it more likely for less skilled cats to succeed.

As far as I know one of my cats has never managed to catch anything other than frogs & worms for most of her life - 10 years - then last saturday I caught her with feathers hanging out of her mouth, we're not sure what happened, but the bird must've been in shock because she put it down for me and it was easy to throw a towel over and take it out - the poor little thing didn't look injured so my OH was taking it away down the gardens to put it somewhere out of our cat's way, when it just flew off.
Now if it'd been her sister it would probably have been more messy and not a good ending.

Unfortunately it's in a cat's nature to hunt so you just have to try to deal with it. At our old house I used to try not to let my cats out overnight when there's young birds around, certainly stopped having the morning clean-up problems.
HTH
Jill

Charlie23

Thanks for all your advice my cat is now wondering round with a collar and bell on! she's so funny as she keeps running from the ringing noise!!! :rotfl: bless her she's so dim! Her neck is so tiny there is loads of the collar left hanging.
We were just worried with my dd that the cat might start to like blood and attacking things. Its good to here that she will be fine.
I understand it's what cats do, it's just been such a shock to go from not catching anything to catching lots of birds (another one found today so that makes 7 in 8 days!)
Poor cat she's been collared, wormed and fleaed all in a space of two mintues! she's feeling unloved!