Damned cat!

[BlondGirl]

I have complained before about this. My damned cat has this perverse pleasure.

She goes outside and catches birds and, instead of killing and eating them, she brings them inside the house and lets them go.
It drives me nuts. (Sometimes she will put it in a paper bag play space and "keep watch over it" until I arrive home from work.)

I do prefer this to dead creatures left all over the house--but this is driving me berzerk.

Today's victim is a small sparrow--obviously not fully grown. I caught it and let it out--it flew back in. I caught it again and the same thing happened again. Damn. I am afraid it may be my own personal house-bird before the day is over.

(I have always wondered how my cat does this without injuring them. Obviously her mouth is not big enough to hold them entirely--so how does she climb the tree, get the struggling bird, jump down, climb under the house, climb inside through the hole in the bathroom floor that I leave unrepaired for her, and then let them go--all without any discernabile injury?)

 

[cymbidia]

Cats are so interesting. When they love you, you really know it.

My cat leaves dead things on doorsteps for us. We've all learned to LOOK before we step out the door, any door.

I think i'd prefer live birds to dead, often half-eviscerated things, quite frankly. Less mess.

 

[miz_understood]

Wish your cat could come over here and give my pair some lessons, I often arrive home to a trail of feathers through the house leading to a pair of claws and a small bloody red thing ( havnt figured yet which part it is ). They also bring in a lot of field mice and play some kind of cat tennis with them batting the poor mouse across the room with the winner making the kill.

Cats have very gentle mouths when they carry things around in them, remember this how they carry thier young.

 

[BlondGirl]

I have often watched a mother carry her young--the kitten will go limp when carried by mom--it is instinctual.

But the birds??? Damn, I have a hard time catching them sometimes and I have gotten loads of practice. I know it can't be her breath that knocks them out long enough to make it back in the house.

(I think she began this due to my reaction to the carcasses. When I find one, I will pick her up and it up and very forcefully throw them both out into the front yard yelling the whole time. There is no doubt in her mind what I dislike. It is most effective if the kill is still warm and unpunctured by her teeth--then she gets to go without the snack.)

She doesn't bring mice in very often--I AM glad for that. The one time I found one was a small thing that looked like a kangaroo rat. It could really jump too--took a lot to catch it and it jumped out the window before I could go let it go somewhere away from my home.

I really dislike the idea of belling my cat, but I am considering it. I fear her getting a collar caught. Would it be too impractical to pierce one of her ears and put in a small rattling ring after healing?

 

[sabbathstorm]

My own cat can't catch a cold let alone a creature. He likes insects and mainly uses his paws to kill/stun. My neighbor's cat is a different story. I've been taking care of him and he shows his appreciation by bringing me mice which have no obvious marks on them. He's also brought a rat....now don't ask me how he did that one!

 

[Bigdog]

I really dislike the idea of belling my cat, but I am considering it. I fear her getting a collar caught. Would it be too impractical to pierce one of her ears and put in a small rattling ring after healing?

They make cat collars that have break-away connectors, if the cat gets hung up the collar snaps open. They may even make them with a bell already attached.

 

[Kymberley]

Just for you Blondgirl