Murderess

[pussnboots]

I have two rescue cats got them on 9th May, one is a laid back old boy tuther one is a year old female (they were rescued together) but I have dead critters in my porch every day and the young one is to blame. I know to put a bell on said murderess, but have mixed feelings about putting collars on cats, I don't suppose there is anything I can do to stop it, anyone any other ideas.

[daisya]

Other than keep her in which a lot of owners don't like doing, I don't think there is much you can do. If the collar is elasticated then it should be ok...I don't like collars on cats either but the bell option would be better to help the birds et al stand a chance of getting away. Cats are preditors so you can't change their behaviour...sadly.

[Barmaid]

Put a safety collar on her Puss. That way, if she gets hooked up, she won't hurt herself. Unfortunately, its a fine line between being an animal lover and a cat slave!

[Barmaid]

Sorry, I meant to say safety collar with a bell!! When ASBO was a kitten if he hadn't had a bell on him, I'd have killed him cos he had this horrible habit of running at you at 500mph and were it not for the bell I'd have trodden on him!

[petal54]

too true barmaid,cats is as cats does

[boxtops]

Nothing you can do, puss - I won't ever put a collar on a cat again, and while a bell might warn birds, it makes no difference to creeping things. It's that time of year, too - No.1 Son brought in a mouse no bigger than my thumb last week, Rover had a mouse the four times as big. I found a pigeon's wing on the bedroom floor - no other parts of the bird, just one wing. It's their nature, and don't forget these things are treats for you, not done for no reason :-)

[Barmaid]

Yeah, "the treats" thing. After clearing out 3 dead starlings from under the bedside table recently I am wondering when I get to retrieve the carcass of a large dog ....... (see my previous thread!)

[pussnboots]

Yes I know really that a collar with bell is the only answer, the thing is that the cats were having to live rough before being rescued so perhaps catching critters was their only food, but now they are well fed so I feel really bad that the birds/mice and even a pigeon met their demise just for fun.

[tinkerbell23]

Why do you not use collars? Not at all criticizing, just curious is it incase they get caught somewhere xx

[Barmaid]

It's not for fun Puss, it's a natural instinct for them to want to hunt. Some cats have a more developed instinct than others. The bell might give prey a fighting chance (unless like ASBO she learns to move without making the bell ring......). DESPITE ASBO's bell, I still had a daily rabbit, the odd stoat, a red legged partridge, several pigeons, and a few adult rats. Nothing you can do. that is cats for you!

[boxtops]

Tinks yes, Rover nearly hung himself twice with his collar (and these were the stretchy ones, when we had magnetic cat-flap catches) - once on the living room window handle, I found him dangling, once on a tree. Never again.

[pussnboots]

Yes tinkerbell, I had a cat once that somehow got his front leg through the collar and was unable to get home, a neighbour found him rolling about trying to free himself, so not put a collar on a cat since.

[boxtops]

Puss, wait til you get the beady-eyed live magpie sitting in your light fitting, staring evilly at you.....

[boxtops]

No 1 Son did that several times, puss - he could only walk with difficulty, but he came home wearing his collar like a bandolier.

[tinkerbell23]

Thanks was wondering, dont blame you x

[pussnboots]

Aww Barmaid you've made me feel better about it all now, the other downside tho is I hate seeing these poor dead animals, I have to put my specs on early morning and creep into the lounge just in case there is a dead body I don't want to stand on, luckily all 'presents' are left in the porch so far.

[boxtops]

I'm glad we took up our hall carpet, puss, the presents used to merge into the pattern - I can't tell you how many times I stood on half a mouse (usually the back end) in my bare feet (mind you, standing on slugs is worse...)

[pussnboots]

At the moment we have patterned carpets which will merge into dead things but we are about to have plain ones fitted so any alien blobs should be spotted.

[pussnboots]

Thanks for all your replies, I feel a lot better now about my hunter cat.

[ladybirder]

Are you letting them out all night puss? The worst killing times are dawn and dusk when the birds (and little fledgelings at this time of year) are feeding to get through the night and first thing in the morning when they are hungry and not too alert. Also, more cats are killed at night than any other time according to the RSPCA, they recommend keeping them in at night. If you put a collar on a cat properly (not too loose) then you shouldn't have a problem. It happened to me when one of mine got her leg stuck but it was my fault (too loose). As someone has already said a bell gives the prey a chance. I am so pleased now Maggie is 19 that she doesn't want to go out and kill our wildlife any more.