slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden) (10/18/85)
I have reason to believe that one of my cats has become a BIRD
KILLER.
This is our black one, Phantom by name. The other day I saw
him merrily crunching a dead bird on the porch for the 2nd time
in a week. He and the others have been munching on mice quite
a few times recently, but I don't mind that. The three young
ones are about a year old and are becoming quite active hunters.
I had always believed that cats are unable to catch birds--unless
the bird is very young, sick, or injured. But two such incidents
in a week makes me wonder.
Is there any way to disuade him from this practice? I have
seen people put bells on cats for this--but that would probably
drive me up the wall. We feed the birds in the winter--I hate
to attract them to their deaths.
By the way, these are the declawed cats that people have flamed
me about, and claimed were maimed for life.
--
Sue Brezden
ihnp4!drutx!slb
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I march to the beat of a different drummer, whose identity,
location, and musical ability are as yet unknown.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~booter@lll-crg.ARpA (Elaine Richards) (10/20/85)
In article <301@drutx.UUCP> slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden) writes: > >I have reason to believe that one of my cats has become a BIRD >KILLER. > >Is there any way to disuade him from this practice? I have >seen people put bells on cats for this--but that would probably >drive me up the wall. We feed the birds in the winter--I hate >to attract them to their deaths. Bells are very cute and they serve as a warning system to birds. You know if Kitty is being coy about coming home when you call. If you holler "KITTY!" and you hear the jingle you will be unlikely to slam a door in its face. It warns the sleeping owner of Pearl Harbor tactics. Best bet (my personal favorite) is to keep your moggies in the house. They live many years longer and are cleaner. My cat used to be an alley cat. She LOVED being in the house after all the hassle outside. They adapt. Your property, unlike dogs, have no legal rights outside. You have no recompense if your animal is shot or molested by others. ( I have heard of rural types playing target practice on cats, bells or no). Stop feeding the birds. You cannot serve two masters :-). The cats will not stop eating birds. If anything, put up a scarrecrow. Go to an aviary for your avian fix. > >By the way, these are the declawed cats that people have flamed >me about, and claimed were maimed for life. My mother's cats are declawed. They are massive,too. Never lost a fight with sheer bulk. Bird eaters, too. They just can't climb trees, they leap over them :-). E *****
joe@ccice2.UUCP (Joe DiBenedetto II) (10/24/85)
> > I have reason to believe that one of my cats has become a BIRD > KILLER. > > This is our black one, Phantom by name. The other day I saw > him merrily crunching a dead bird on the porch for the 2nd time > in a week. He and the others have been munching on mice quite > a few times recently, but I don't mind that. The three young > ones are about a year old and are becoming quite active hunters. > I had always believed that cats are unable to catch birds--unless > the bird is very young, sick, or injured. But two such incidents > in a week makes me wonder. > > Is there any way to disuade him from this practice? I have > seen people put bells on cats for this--but that would probably > drive me up the wall. We feed the birds in the winter--I hate > to attract them to their deaths. > > By the way, these are the declawed cats that people have flamed > me about, and claimed were maimed for life. > -- > > Sue Brezden > ihnp4!drutx!slb > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > I march to the beat of a different drummer, whose identity, > location, and musical ability are as yet unknown. > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <I really don't know your feeling about this, but if your cats are avid hunters my suggestion is make sure that now they get their dhlpp shots on a once a year basis and also a rabies shot. Your cats are coming in contact with wild animals and possibly absorbing diseases from the outside world. Your cats can also spread these problems to your own household. I just thought you may like to know this. Joe D. ccice6:joe
marauder@fluke.UUCP (Bill Landsborough) (10/25/85)
In article <301@drutx.UUCP> slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden) writes: > >I have reason to believe that one of my cats has become a BIRD >KILLER. Sue, I also have a DECLAWED hunter in my household which is a fantastic hunter. I have not tried to stop her because cats are hunters by nature and I think training them not to hunt would be impossible. Maybe try the bell or another trick it to fatten the cat up so it can't hunt effectively. Maybe if not a bell then a slightly noisy collar like two tags clicking together. As far as a bird feeder goes you should be making it cat-proof anyway to make the birds more confident of their safety.
larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (11/04/85)
> I have reason to believe that one of my cats has become a BIRD > KILLER. > ... > Is there any way to disuade him from this practice? I have > seen people put bells on cats for this--but that would probably > drive me up the wall. We feed the birds in the winter--I hate > to attract them to their deaths. > > By the way, these are the declawed cats that people have flamed > me about, and claimed were maimed for life. For all practical purposes, I can't see any way to dissuade cats from attacking birds (unless you had access to a large number of birds in a controlled environment and could `condition' the cat). I also question the efficacy of `equipping' a cat with a bell. If you have ever watched a cat sit in or near a tree and wait for birds, and then CATCH one, you would see how fast the cat was. I don't believe that most birds would react to the bell fast enough to preclude being caught by the cat. The only reasonable solution would be to keep your cat indoors. === Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York === === UUCP {decvax,dual,rocksanne,rocksvax,watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry === === VOICE 716/741-9185 {rice,shell}!baylor!/ === === FAX 716/741-9635 {AT&T 3510D} ihnp4!/ === === === === "Have you hugged your cat today?" ===
wersan@daemen.UUCP (John Slasher Wersan III) (11/05/85)
> Bells are very cute and they serve as a warning system to birds.
Sorry to burst some bubbles but...
I had (she had to be put to sleep) a seal(sp?) point
siamese, named minx, she had a coller that had no less
than 3 metalic name/rabies tags and a large assortment
of bells on it. This same cat was observed at full
attack speed, chaseing birds, yet there was no sound,
this same cat could be heard for miles around when she
walked. Point of story... cats can learn to move without
the bells making a sound. The only thing that ever worked
on this cat was to hit her when she caught a bird, and to
yell at her.
BTW it hurts to loose a old friend, I miss Minx, we grew
up together, we spent 18 years together.
--
John Wersan
UUCP : {decvax,dual,rocksanne,rocksvax}!sunybcs!daemen!wersan
inhp4!kitty!daemen!wersan
"The doctor said I had dain bramage...
But my friends don't know what 'dat shit is"suze@terak.UUCP (Suzanne Barnett) (11/06/85)
> > Is there any way to disuade him from this practice? I have > > seen people put bells on cats for this--but that would probably > > drive me up the wall. We feed the birds in the winter--I hate > > to attract them to their deaths. > I also question the efficacy of `equipping' a cat with a bell. If > you have ever watched a cat sit in or near a tree and wait for birds, and > then CATCH one, you would see how fast the cat was. I don't believe that most > birds would react to the bell fast enough to preclude being caught by the cat. > The only reasonable solution would be to keep your cat indoors. I have had cats practically all my life. Most have had bells on their collars. They generally don't work very well. The bells are usually too small and muffled by the cats fur, even when it's a short haired cat. However, I have found in the past couple of years, that several tags on the collar, identity, rabies and license isn't muffled, even by semi-long haired cats. One tag isn't noisy, but two or more are. But only when the cat moves. Cats tend to stare at and hypnotise a bird before going in for the kill. This is done from a fair distance (up to about 50 feet, possibly even more). Once the bird is hypnotised, teh cat never moves its eyes from staring into the birds eyes until the last pounce. I don't think the tag's noise would free the bird from the cat's hypnosis. Unless you keep the cat strictly indoors, I wouldn't feed the birds. That attracts them to your house and the cat. Quit feeding them and that, plus the cat's presence will discourage them from coming around; if they aren't there, the cat can't catch them. -- ************************************************************** Suzanne Barnett-Scott uucp: ...{decvax,ihnp4,noao,savax,seismo}!terak!suze phone: (602) 998-4800 us mail: CalComp/Sanders Display Products Division (Formerly Terak Corporation) 14151 N 76th street, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
gnome@olivee.UUCP (Gary Traveis) (11/09/85)
> > I have reason to believe that one of my cats has become a BIRD > KILLER. > > Is there any way to disuade him from this practice? I have > seen people put bells on cats for this--but that would probably > drive me up the wall. We feed the birds in the winter--I hate > to attract them to their deaths. > > By the way, these are the declawed cats that people have flamed > me about, and claimed were maimed for life. > -- > Sue Brezden > ihnp4!drutx!slb > Well, one way is to put a couple of those little globe-shaped tinkle-bells (the ones that start showing up around Xmas time) on the cat's collar. That will help alert the birds to the cats presence. Another thing, if you must feed the birds, make sure that the feeder is in the center of an open area with no place for a cat to hide. Birds knock the seed out of the feeder and onto the ground in order to sort the seeds out (different birds like different seeds). This also makes them sitting ducks. Gary