Magpies at dawn

[helsbels666]

My not quite 1 year old cat somehow caught and brought in a magpie yesterday. It was almost bigger than him. It played dead and then we managed to get it free into the garden. It escaped. Is it an old wives tale that magpies rip cats eyes out? Ive had cats all my life and this has never happened before! I thought magpies were a no no to cats!

[SaxyJag]

Magpies are the same family as crows and as such can be pretty vicious if called upon to defend themselves. Not sure about ripping cats' eyes out whilst they're alive though.

Someone watched 'The Birds' once too often, methinks!

[Sphinx_Svens]

If you cat harms any more birds ...[edited by AB]

[andy-hughes]

Cats do what cats do - it's nature, and instinct.

What's your excuse Sphinx_Svens?

[Catso]

S_S: Birds do what birds do, cats do what cats do. God (or who/whatever) made them like that. If it's good enough for him/her, it's good enough for me; I wouldn't presume to know better.

To answer: they probably could/would if the cat was injured, but I doubt very much whether they would if the cat was alert. Magpies & crows will mob a cat, but they're very careful to keep just out of reach. Birds have an inate fear of cats.