A revenge kill of two cats for my baby chickens

[FlyHigher]

It's a long story, but I'll try to be short. Two years ago, I killed two cats as a revenge for my several 4-week-old chickens killed by them. That was my first time raising chickens, and I had no clue that a domesticated cat can be such a horrible predator for chickens. As we all know, cats are so loverly pets for people.But, the fact is they kill badly, not only chickens, but also other small animals and birds. They are really good predators and very dangerous! If I had knew this, I would never leave my chicken alone with my cat for one second. But, I have no knowledge about this at that time, so it's all my fault.

I'm from east Asia. In my country people even eat dogs -- actually, in their eyes, all creatures can be a delicious dish(however I'm vegetarian and believe meat is not good for people's healthy).Although I am not a Buddhist, but I do believe some doctrines of Buddhism,such as people should show love for all creatures and killing is not right for any reason. I killed cats for chickens doesn't mean that I love chickens more than cats. In fact, I do admit cats are cute and lovely pets, and before that I was obsessed to them. But when I see a predator killing, my first thought would always be saving the prey first, since a predator can't be starved to death without a prey, but the prey can't escape and will be killed by him ruthless if it is not saved by human beings. It's too painful to see all this.

One of my baby chickens got hurt so badly by my cat, and the only thing I can do was watching his/her life withered in my hands, gradually, painfully! In huge fury, I hang him to death. Another cat was a wild cat which was abandoned by one of my neighbors. However he managed to live for several months in neighborhood, and really got a lot of weight--I thought probably a lot of birds got eaten by him. One day moring, he crossed the wall(two meter high) of my yard, attacked my flock, seized one, and ran away quickly. A day after that, he came again. He was so quick, I just can't stop him. Afterwards, I began to watch closely, whenever he showed on the wall of my yard, I would warn him by shouting at him. But no use, so I just put poison
on the wall...

It's tragedy, and I really felt sorry for having to kill these two cats, and I hate myself for the lack of knowlege about predators. It's a good lesson for me. But all was too late. I really hope all that didn't happen and the cats and chickens could get along with each other at peace. Furthermore, what a wonderful world will it be If all predators would stop killing and eat vegetable for food!
.

 

[mattblackburn]

**** i dont think i would admit that in the us. strangle then poison of domestic housecats here would get the police called.

 

[chugenot]

**** i dont think i would admit that in the us.  strangle then poison of domestic housecats here would get the police called. 

 

.

I agree.....

 

[FlyHigher]

**** i dont think i would admit that in the us. strangle then poison of domestic housecats here would get the police called.

I know what you mean, and I believe the case is true in the system of us.
But I do have some question for that--while housecats' life is life, housechickens' is not? How can people who kill cats get punishment, while cats which kill chicken not? To be frankly, I really get confused by this. I just can't understand the logic.

 

[CariLynn]

In the USA, many people do not see chickens as "pets", as we do dogs, cats, horses, etc. Many people have chickens for eggs and meat or to sell what they gather from them. Chickens are livestock, something that many also do not see as cuddly, cute animals.

The cats are doing what they are doing by instinct, by stalking. They don't consciously know that they are going to hurt something or something you love. Same with my Siberian Husky who will hunt, stalk or kill anything small. Do I blame her? No. I try to understand what drives an animal. Perhaps you need to read up on the nature of a cat and try to better understand them. Same with that I think it is horrid and disgusting that you come from a country that eats dog, however, I try to tell myself that is your culture and what you were brought up to think that it is okay to eat a pet.

I would greatly caution you to really think about what you did, learn the valuable lesson that is there and to move on. Build a coop that is cat and animal proof, there are great photo's on this board of examples.

 

[FlyHigher]

In the USA, many people do not see chickens as "pets", as we do dogs, cats, horses, etc. Many people have chickens for eggs and meat or to sell what they gather from them. Chickens are livestock, something that many also do not see as cuddly, cute animals.

The cats are doing what they are doing by instinct, by stalking. They don't consciously know that they are going to hurt something or something you love. Same with my Siberian Husky who will hunt, stalk or kill anything small. Do I blame her? No. I try to understand what drives an animal. Perhaps you need to read up on the nature of a cat and try to better understand them. Same with that I think it is horrid and disgusting that you come from a country that eats dog, however, I try to tell myself that is your culture and what you were brought up to think that it is okay to eat a pet.

I would greatly caution you to really think about what you did, learn the valuable lesson that is there and to move on. Build a coop that is cat and animal proof, there are great photo's on this board of examples.

Yes, it's the fact that in many people‘s eyes, chickens are just livestock, have no status compared to “pets” like dogs or cats. But another fact is more and more people in us or uk begin raising chickens as pets. They love watching and feeding them, and enjoy their company very much, esp. kids. Somethime a chicken's life or death means a lot to the whole family. So, in a sense, these chickens are already de facto pets for many people.

We all agree that predators' killing is by instinct. So is virus or snake, don't they kill by instinct too? As for virus or snake, if we can't stop them, we just kill them. I know such a metaphor is not so proper. But if I have a way to stop the predators, I will not kill them. And if I do nothing to stop predators killing, a lot of life would be killed. It is not humane.

On the other hand, people's view of value can change too. Maybe one day we will see chickens in backyard are regard as pets for all people in us or rest of the world. Or maybe we should start to change the whole system a little now. IMHO

 

[fancyfowl4ever]

Quote: I can answer you that question!
It would be a wonderful barren wasteland cause eating veggies doesnt equal sterile, so those merry little plant eaters would multiply until they are so numerous as that vegetation couldnt grow fast enough to reproduce itself thus dying off, over grazing would also destroy the root system so the plants wont return for a long time after all the herbivores are gone. In turn those plant eaters would all start to die off, in drier climates first since vegetation has trouble growing there without being mowed down by an over population of herbivores. They would just starve to a miserable death and whatever animals remain would get sick from the rotting carcasses everywhere since there are no meat eaters to dispose of any dead animals and rather bacteria will work for weeks on end to decompose it producing toxic gasses and bacteria, which of course multiply and crossbreed producing even more toxic/dangerous strains.
What a beautiful place!

Chickens being Omnivores, what do you do when you see them catching a mouse and eating it alive or a baby sparrow or swallow that fell out of the nest and cant fly yet? Chickens just like cats, will instinctively go after small moving critters. Will the chickens be prosecuted like the cats since now the chicken is the horrible predator and whatever it killed the hapless prey? Its their instinct, you can either prevent it(no access) or live with it.

As for viruses, we dont kill them, we find antigens that stop them from infecting cells and reproducing. Like finding a door/fence the cat cant get thru. Thats what vaccines are, they teach your cells what kind of fences they need to build to keep a particular virus out(to put it in simple terms).

I also believe if we(humans) are meant to eat all vegetarian I think we would still look like Homo gautengensis all teeth and no brain(seen a skull, ugly critter that was). But to each their own on that one.

 

[DeannaOR]

I'm sorry I even opened this and read the op. I cannot fathom the thought process?????

 

[triplepurpose]

I found your post deeply disturbing and frankly a little frightening, and I had to calm myself and meditate for a moment before deciding to attempt to respond. Here goes...

It's clear to me that you already feel bad about what you did and regret it, so I don't particularly want to make you feel worse for no good reason. Please understand that.

I too have much respect for the wisdom and compassionate philosophy of Buddhism, although I am not a Buddhist myself. I also raise and kill animals for food, by the way, with great compassion and dedication, I hope, because I believe it is natural, good, and healthy--on that, we may have to disagree.

But anyway, having respect for all life has nothing to do with whether that animal is culturally considered a "pet" or not. If all life is sacred, then it is all sacred, regardless of how different cultures view the roles of certain animals or what place those animals take in that culture.

However, it is the original and pure nature of certain animals to kill other animals for food, just as plant-eating animals must kill other forms of life in order to live. It is not "wrong" for a cat to kill small animals, any more than it is for a chicken to kill bugs to eat, or the bug itself to eat plants. It may make us uncomfortable at times, but it is simply "how nature works." And actually, as anyone who has studied ecology will know, a predator without prey to eat WILL die! A cat can't live on vegetables--it can't digest them any more than we can digest grass. And prey animals without predators to eat the weak and sickly or to keep the population of the prey animals down will eventually die too. Strange as it may seem, they all need each other in nature to live and be healthy. It would not be a "wonderful world" if all predators stopped eating prey--actually, predators and prey would all starve to death as the entire food web unraveled, and the world would basically end.

Punishing an animal (let alone killing it) in any way simply to take revenge on it for living its true nature seems horrible to me and goes way beyond simply protecting an animal you love. But then I suppose you know this already, and it's obvious you feel badly that such a thing happened, so like I said earlier, I don't wish to "rub salt in the wound," as it were.

But what I DON'T understand, and what I find most upsetting, is why, even though you seem to know this, you continue at great length to try to justify what you did (or so it seems)! Instead, I recommend that you forgive yourself for your mistake, learn the lesson, and move on--while of course taking care to be more mindful and compassionate in the future.

I hope I haven't offended too much. All the best to you!
--Jackson

 

[bcbug1]

As with most predators, the cat would have eaten the chick and it would have gone to good use. Did you eat the cats? If you had, it wouldn't be so disturbing given the one cat was feral.

Predator/prey, it's natural and healthy and needed for the way ecosystems function. A carnivore can't just decide to eat vegetables - their diets, biology, life strategies, etc. evolved over time and they're part of complex food webs. What is a shark going to do, just decide to eat seaweed and ignore millions of years of evolution. So predators like cats can't change. I'm only for killing problem cats, like if they're feral and can't be caught and rehabilitated and adopted out to someone because they do cause a lot of problems for native birds.

Please consider the incredibly kind feedback you're getting in response to this post as everyone tries to tell you they're 100% in disagreement.

I have cats, dogs rats, weasels, minks, eagles, hawks and raccoons as potential predators here - should I kill all these predators? No. If I have chickens I need to ensure I look after them properly for the area (or not have them if I can't) - that means locking them up at night in a secure coop and having a run that keeps day predators out.