Lost my birds to a cat (need advice)

Goldenpheasantlover

Songster
13 Years
Apr 29, 2008
108
10
214
England
So we have had several occasions where we have lost birds to some animal but we had never been sure what it was.

1st: We lost our silver laced wyandotte male to something, we found him pretty much whole some way away with pretty big puncture wounds on his back. Night time killing

2nd: Our chickens had decided to start sleeping outside really high up in a tree so we couldn't really get them down. They had been out a few nights so we thought they'd be alright. Come down next morning and all 5 are gone, 4 young birds and their mum. Still had 5 left in the house though. All we found of them were lots of feathers caught in the branches and around the ground. Night time killing

3rd: Lost a hen near the border between our neighbours house and ours. She was on our side. Only found a pile of feathers. Day time killing

4th: Lost another cockerel, only found feathers. 3 chickens left now. I think this one was a day time killing

We still have those three hens and we don't let them free range any more. But I also keep a few Golden pheasants as pets. They are my babies and are very tame, one female will sit on my lap and fall asleep. However yesterday morning I went out to feed them and arrived to a mini massacre. I had three pheasants, 2 female 1 male, and I only found 1 and a half. There were a huge amount of the boy's feathers near the door and I found part of him on the opposite side of the run (they are in an enclosure, dirt floor but with wire that goes down pretty far and rocks buried under the ground to deter foxes). There were also a lot of feathers under one of my girl's favourite perch and she was missing completely. My last girl, the one that falls asleep on my lap, was lying on the ground under her perch, dead, with large puncture wounds on her back, similar the the ones on our first casualty. Everything had been knocked over or pushed out of the way by something, but the weird thing was that I couldn't see how it had got in initially. There was a large area on the outside where the dirt had been dug at by the wire, but it hadn't broken through that way.

And then I saw the holes halfway up the run. We had wire mesh for the lower half and then fabric mesh for the roof and upper half (something we are NEVER going to do again). I have no doubt now that it is a cat doing this because we have seen our neighbour's cat hanging around our area. It had climbed up the wire mesh, chewed its way in and then killed all of my babies! I had been planning on getting chicks from them this year because previously all 11 had been eaten by rats (but we've killed most of them this year so no problems there). I have had them for 3 years and raised them from eggs and if I hadn't got pheasants we never would have got into chickens
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I just wish I could have done something
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So now I don't know what to do. I live in England and I'm pretty sure that due to stupid laws we aren't allowed to kill domestic pets (although a farmer can shoot a dog if it is bothering his livestock) so I don't know how else I can protect my remaining chickens and the pheasants I'm going to hatch out this year. I have a dog that really doesn't like cats and is brilliant at disposing rats, so I'm going to have him on guard and if the cat 'happens' to get caught by him then that's the cat's fault, not mine.
But how else can I protect them? I can't exactly tell my neighbours to keep the cat shut away and I can't get rid of it because it's a pet. What do I do?!?!?!?!?!
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How heartbreaking for you!

But, if you can shoot a dog, why not a cat? Is there no law protecting you and your livestock? Is it legal (or at least possible) to use a live trap and properly dispose of kitty? (quietly, of course?)

I am so sorry for you losses. The pheasant loss is devestating.

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Well they only really count as pets in the law's eyes. We never normally have over 15 birds at any 1 time. As far as I can tell killing any domestic pet is illegal, but I'm going to do a little digging. I also might have a rather angry conversation with my neighbours.
The problem with a live trap is a) buying it and b) getting the cat in it. We live near a road so I was hoping that it would provide a nice little (false) death scene if I ever get my hands on that cat.

And thanks...I really miss them now...
 
I would suspect a raccoon, before I would a cat. Unless you have seen the cat doing the deed I would hesitate to blame the animal. A domestic cat will not take a kill up into a tree. I would try a wildlife cam.
 
We don't get very many raccoons around here, in England. It didn't take the birds into the tree, the birds were roosting in the tree and the animal took them from there. I might put a camera near the chicken run just to see what decides to say hello.
 
Could you possibly employ electric netting around the outside of the run as a deterant? I find that it is far more effective than most other means of dealing with a sneaky livestock killer whom you can't catch in the act. My heart goes out to you.
 
Quote:
I dont think a cat would dig the holes, more lightly a fox!

& i dont see the cat catching one in a tree either.

Where do you live ?

Reg in Luton
 
Quote:
I dont think a cat would dig the holes, more lightly a fox!

& i dont see the cat catching one in a tree either.

Where do you live ?

Reg in Luton

X2 it sounds more like a fox ,if there is anything nearby the favorite perch I have witnessed a fox walk up / jump to the top of a 8-10 ft tall shed
 

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