How Would You Feel if Your Cat Killed An.....

[drdoolittle]

...animal you loved?

I have an outdoor/barn cat that stays in the goat barn. I got him last summer after seeing an ad on CL stating, "Needs to go today or will be taken to Animal Control". Well, the shelter they were talking about is overflowing with adult cats, and he wouldn't have had a chance, so I took him for a barn cat. They were getting rid of him because the lady was pregnant, and he has "issues" with children. Actually, it's not just children. He's a nice enough cat (and pretty) unless he gets in one of his "moods". We think he's bi-polar or something---purring and loving one second, growling and hissing the next. But I love him.

Anyway, he has NEVER caught any of the rats in my goat barn/chicken coop, but he does leave me "gifts" a few times a week----which I find in the morning when I go out to feed the other animals. Sometimes a shrew or small bird, once even a baby rabbit. Well, this morning I found a flying squirrel with it's throat torn out.

This little guy appeared in early fall last year, and we were really excited about him being here. One morning (around 3:30) I was out with the dogs, when something swooped down and landed on a tree near by. I went closer, and couldn't see anything, but could hear a sound like something gringing it's teeth. It happened again another morning, and when it happened a third time, I was ready with a flashlight. I finally got a glimpse of the little guy, and couldn't believe it! After that, I would watch for him, and saw him quite a lot before winter. It was a big thing on my FB page and friends at work would tease me about it. Hubby was really thrilled that he was here too.

We hadn't seen him since then, and Hubby even asked about him this spring----I just assumed he left or had been killed by an owl. It was really sad to find him this morning, and I decided not to tell Hubby----he gets upset when something like this happens. I'm not mad at the cat(it's just his natural instinct, and he thinks he's brining me a really cool present), but why oh why is he killing all the cute things around that I don't mind, but not ONCE has he even gone after those disgusting rats?!?

I don't want him to go after the rats now, as I had to poison them-------they were getting way too brave. Well, just wanted to tell someone-----glad you guys are here at times like this.

 

[Kaitie09]

I have a cat that is bi-polar too. She is a Maine Coon mix that lives inside for the most part and we always tell people that she will let you know if she wants to be petted, and to stop if you see her tail twitch. We have 9 cats and they all go outside and bring us "presents" Most of the time it is moles and small chipmunks, but we have gotten a live flying squirrel, live rabbits, and a baby Robin once. It just comes with the territory of owning a predator. I'm sorry it happened to you though.

The Maine Coon does not catch mice either. There was a mouse in her "room" (my brothers bedroom) That she just let run around for a whole day while she lounged on the bed. We eventually had to bring the dogs up to get it.

 

[mother o' chicks72]

Quote:
OMIGOD my bi-polar cat is a maine coon mix too! although I don't think he has actually ever killed anything because he is too loud and clumsy.

 

[roocrazy]

what did he kill? i didnt catch that?

 

[sourland]

Sadly enough, cats kill. It's just their nature. Their have been extensive studies done on their impact on native species. Flying squirrels are particularly neat, sorry that he got one.

 

[bossynbella]

sorry about that, our "barn" cat is good at killing the mice and rats, squirrels too, I don't mind except for the barn swallows, we have a pair of barn swallows that every year make a nest in our garage (barn) and every year she waits till the babies hatch then kills them. This year they where smart and built the nest in the window by the house, but I still worry she will kill them when they try to fly. I can't complain though, she never messes with our baby chicks, ducklings, keets or even the baby rabbits.
Sorry about your flying squirrel though.

 

[welsummerchicks]

How would I feel if he killed an animal I loved?

I'd feel like he was being a cat, and that I can't control whether he kills a wild flying squirrel or not. If I put a bell on him, he won't catch any mice. So that's not an option.

I'd be sad, but I'd accept that this is how things work. If I have a pet cat, he's going to kill various birds and squirrels. If I don't have a pet cat, most likely, another cat will be around who will do it.

I'd also feel tha tthe cat is very unlikely to kill a rat, because the rats are too big and dangerous, and cats aren't dumb - they know not to take on a full grown rat. They often won't even take on a baby rat because the adult rat will get involved.

In some places some of the field rats are kind of small and a big cat might take on one of them, but I wouldn't guarantee it. In a lot of places rats are almost as big as cats, such as in stables and barns.

I can't recall ever in almost sixty years, seeing a cat kill a rat. Maybe some do, but I don't think it's something you can count on.

For rats, I'd get German Shepherd dog. And if the dog killed some small animals, I wouldn't be surprised either.

If dogs and cats are loose, they're going to kill small animals. You can't pick which ones they kill unless you match predator to prey, spend a lot of time training on them to teach them what animals to kill, and keep them tied or caged up when they're not being set on those small animals.

 

[drdoolittle]

I understand that the cat is a predator----that's partly why I took him. I just wish he wouldn't have killed the flying squirrel. I didn't mind about the other animals he killed---it was actually kind of sweet the way he'd leave them for me to find. I thought he would kill rats, because the day we moved here, a cat showed up that was starving, and I fed her and she stayed around. She did kill some rats, and quite a few mice. My GSD scared her off the following spring (or perhaps a coyote got her).

I am thankful that my present outdoor cat has never gone after any of my chickens regardless of size or age----he's actually kind of afraid of them. You're right, welsummerchicks, I can't control what he kills----it's part of life.

 

[welsummerchicks]

I have to tell you this. But....

When I stayed at a horse farm in the Piedmont, the cats would go out in the night and then bring back their night's haul and sit on our beds and eat them - crunch crunch crunch. When we jumped up in the morning all the little bones would clatter to the floor......anyone hungry for BREAKFAST??? We're having crispy critters!!!!!

My dog also brought me a live possum once...THANKS, DEAR! Next time, DO KILL IT! Kinda like that scene in Jeremiah Johnson where the old guy brings a live bear back to the cabin...

I fear I may have roused and challenged some people who probably have much grosser stories to tell - LOL.

 

[Kaitie09]

Quote:
I have a couple that are a little gross. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and step on full heads that the cats regurgitated in the middle of the night. Everything is still intact too. I also had a dog that brought home a live raccoon and him and the neighbor dog played tug of war with it on our front porch. The thing was still living and scratching(it's head was in my dog's mouth, while the other dog had it's tail) until it was torn in half.