Useless cat not so useless

[S0rcy]

My cat is still growing and has no idea you shouldn't make NOISE when you hunt! He sits on the deck and "chatters" at the birds making a stuttering meow. Needless to say the birds/mice/squirrels/varmints are in no danger. Yet.

 

[whatnow?]

Let me share a little about this mouser.

He is an indoor cat by our choice, and somehow he manages to maintain a svelte 14 pounds. I'd guess he is 15 years old. He's actually my wifes... she's had him around longer than me and, without having ever discussed it, I know where I stand if it were to come down to him or me.

He, like most cats, likes to wake people up around 4 a.m. by crunching up misplaced plastic shopping bag or, my personal favorite

, he paws at our hollow core doors. When this became too annoying, we locked him in the basement. I use the term "locked" loosely because he is the only cat I know that can be isolated with a 24" high baby gate. For as long as I can remember he won't jump a baby gate, or onto a table, or a window... he WILL climb up to these things... perhaps you'll recall his expertise with stairs. His less than redeeming values include biting, dropping occasional dingle berries on the steps, and refusing to move from step 5, even if there is a basket of laundry coming.

HOWEVER, my kids could carry him by his tail, and he wouldn't bat an eye at them. He may bite me when they're done with him, but he is uncharacteristically gentle with the little ones. So, he gets to stay... in our home.... where he chooses to do... nothing.

 

[LynneP]

We support a feral colony with food, water, shelter. I wouldn't be without them- no rodents here! So long as I keep them away from the chickens, they should keep the predators at bay. They and the horse, who hates dogs, coyotes and foxes. Hoping...

 

[FarmGirl01]

I have a mule that will case anything that comes near. Great to have around.

 

[GoodEgg]

The kitten we found in the woods last year is growing up ... he brings us rats, mice, and rabbits. He can't figure out how to catch squirrels and birds, though he has tried. Anything that can climb a tree fast or fly away is safe.

I'm just as glad he's keeping the ground clear. We used to have mole trails all over the yard too, but not this year so far.

He leaves my chickens, ducks, and geese alone for the most part. Sometimes he gets in a "mood" and I know he's going to chase them, but he's only playing. He runs a wide circle past them ... but I still yell at him. I want him to know that's OFF-limits.

He's a good cat, and actually trained to do a lot of little tricks. Hopefully he will respect my fussing and leave the poultry alone. I just wish I could get him to leave the PENS alone. I'm making temp pens for the goslings and brooder chicks every day or two, with bird netting over the top, and he thinks it's GREAT fun to try to get into them so he can play with the netting. sigh

trish

 

[love-my-wolves]

Sheesh, I got 4 bad kitties, then. This is the only thing mine can catch:

I must've done something wrong........

They are currently in this same position right now, only they have swapped sides.

 

[Robotair2700]

Our indoor cat (fixed male) also (talks) chitters and makes strange noises all the while in the crouched, tail tip moving position. I think he is calling to the birds to get closer!
However I have seen our outside cat (fixed female) jump at least three feet into the air and come down with a sparrow. Good Job Yellow! but leave my bluebirds alone.
both of these think they should display their hunting prowess by delivering to us their Kill.



Bob and Charlene

 

[patandchickens]

The teeth-chattering tail-lashing thing does not necessarily prevent a cat from being a good predator. In college I lived in a house with a big blobby cat (he was around 20 lbs, of which probably only 5 was fat, but still) who did all that in spades. You would think he'd have been useless. But in fact, every week or so he would deposit the haunches of a squirrel next to my shoes in my bedroom. I don't know if he was part of the Cat Mafia or was trying to share or what, but eeuuuwww. We never did figure out how he caught all these squirrels -- my roommate theorized that he rolled over on them in his sleep and squished them -- but clearly being fat and loud did not interfere with his predatory efficiency.

His smaller more athletic and quieter brother, who you'd have THOUGH would have been the good predator, specialized in bringing live starlings and green snakes into the house and then releasing them. Oy

I love the "step 5" part of your story, whatnow - I used to have a barn cat that did that, we figured he'd been dumped off in the country after killing his previous owner that way

Pat

 

[CritterHill]

We have a pile of birdseed in our yard - the 2 and 4 year olds were helping me fill the feeder

- there is generally never less than a half dozen mourning doves pecking around in it at any one time.

Our young cat sat all afternoon on top of the pile of birdseed yesterday, hoping, hoping that the doves would come down and try to eat while she was sitting there! No luck.

Our old grumpy cat on the other hand brought a snake into the house and sat and watched while it slithered away under the stove.

 

[wegotchickens]

Patandchickens, we had a cat that would watch where squirrels and birds nested, and then he'd climb to them after dark and nab his prey. It was not uncommon to turn on the porch light and find Scooter eating a late-night meal of squirrel or dove. He didn't mess with the songbirds; he wanted a real meal.

My cat hated being chased by my 3 year old daughter, who would squeal in delight when she spotted him. One afternoon I heard that squeal when I knew my daughter was inside taking a nap. Turned out to be a mockingbird, chasing Scooter while squealing like a 3-year old! That bird did that every day for years!!

My neighbors loved Scooter. They'd had a serious problem with big rats before we moved in. within a year there were no more rats. He was their hero!