I know it's instinct for all cats to go after birds but our young cat is catching at least one, if not two tiny birds a day. As out garden is a haven for birds there is little I can do to deter them but I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas on how we could stop this. I hate coming home finding these little birds, dazed and half dead on the patio.
Sad, but nature is cruel. Survival of the fittest and all that!
Try being a responsible cat owner and keep the cat indoors for the next few weeks. Yes the cat will whine and moan but it'll get over it. Unfortunately, most (not all) cats are excellent instinctive hunters - it's up to you to be responsible and not afford your cat the opportunity to damage local wildlife. Part of being a responsible pet owner is not letting it harm other wildlife - you wouldn't let your dog go around attacking lambs.
Edit - note I'm not criticising but you do have to take responsibility for your animal (and yes I own cats and practice what I preach!).
Only to a point. The domestic cat is not a native species. We are disturbing the balance of nature by bringing in these hunters into an environment where they don't belong. So we should take extra measures to protect our wildlife - such as putting a bell on the cat, keeping it indoors, or chaining the cat to a post if you really want to have it in your back garden.
Cats have been domesticated for at least 5,000 years, but, as pointed out above, not in Ireland. As a non-native species they do need to be controlled when parent birds are rearing as killing the young birds will devastate some species which are already under intense pressure.Cats have only be domesticated for 200 years...
I spoke to the vet about putting a collar & bell on the cat however he said that you should never put a collar on a cat as they climb a lot and can end up hanging themselves on a tree/hedge.
I spoke to the vet about putting a collar & bell on the cat however he said that you should never put a collar on a cat as they climb a lot and can end up hanging themselves on a tree/hedge.
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