Topic: Hunting :( (Read 11934 times)

Sootyca · « **Reply #40 on:** October 04, 2016, 18:48:55 PM »

I saw a gull catch, kill and dismember a pigeon at weekend.....I think Buddy needs lots of treats as an apology.

HelenD · « **Reply #39 on:** October 04, 2016, 14:40:55 PM »

It was both interesting and gross at the same time LOL!! The hawk was beautiful, but the activity - not so much! Feel sorry for the people over the road who had to deal with the 'cleanup'

Bumped into my neighbour later on, and they said they had seen the hawk around recently, and did joke maybe Buddy was falsely accused

Lyn (Slugsta) · « **Reply #38 on:** October 04, 2016, 14:07:28 PM »

Wow, that must be an impressive sight!

Sue P (Paddysmum) · « **Reply #37 on:** October 04, 2016, 13:00:08 PM »

Urgh.

HelenD · « **Reply #36 on:** October 04, 2016, 11:24:54 AM »

Well it seems Buddy *may* have been unfairly charged with the pigeon situation!

Currently looking out my window, at what appears to be a Sparrowhawk plucking and devouring a pigeon across the road!!

Never seen anything like this before, especially so out in the open! Feathers flying everywhere and the local magpies are making an awful din!

I've taken some pictures - mainly to try and ID the bird, but also as evidence that it wasn't our pusstatt!

HelenD · « **Reply #35 on:** September 19, 2016, 18:42:57 PM »

LOL I don't mind frogs in a pond, just not in my house!

I think the fact he left it on the lawn for his biscuit meant the taste was not perhaps to his liking - hopefully the last time that will happen.........?!?

Sootyca · « **Reply #34 on:** September 19, 2016, 18:30:13 PM »

Robbie went through a phase of frog-watching - he would never actually catch one (even if he could!) as I don't think he liked the taste of them! I quite like frogs

HelenD · « **Reply #33 on:** September 19, 2016, 18:14:13 PM »

Eeew eeeew eeeewww!! Very nearly had a frog in the kitchen!!!

Luckily managed to spot him before he came inside with it, so I went out with his food pot and got him to swap....

*shudder* I don't do frogs........or partial frogs......

It's still on the lawn as its lashing it down at the moment, and I'm not going back out there to sort it. DH has a job for he morning if it's still there............

Lyn (Slugsta) · « **Reply #32 on:** September 16, 2016, 19:43:51 PM »

What a generous boy he is Helen!

HelenD · « **Reply #31 on:** September 16, 2016, 18:36:12 PM »

Oh the embarrassment!

Mr Fat Pigeon finally came a cropper it seems

Next door (with the big dog) have been away for a week and just got home. To find Mr Pigeon 'gifted' to them in their back garden!

I'd popped over to give them a key back, and she asked if a Buddy liked birds........!

Seems he was taking full advantage of the dog free garden and had a party all of his own! Luckily she wasn't angry, and the dog will be back tomorrow so that will put an end to it. I apologised profusely and said we had tried a collar but he wasn't having any of it. Luckily it seems she's had a cat before and had the same issue, so understood. Just hope he's not leaving presents at everyone else's........

And here I was thinking how good he had been and not got anything for ages.......

HelenD · « **Reply #30 on:** August 30, 2016, 20:24:50 PM »

Oh the nappy sacks are a good idea re scent cover! I'll bear that hint in mind, thanks!

Fingers crossed, nothing has been got that I'm aware of since Mr B. Tit the other day, so hoping it's not going to be a hugely regular thing?!?

Although there is a ruddy fat pigeon who is tempting fate methinks! We went out yesterday morning and thought there had been a massacre - feathers everywhere, it looked like a pillow had exploded on the lawn! We couldn't find any other 'evidence' though so cleared as much up as we could before family arrived, and Buddy got a bad reputation (he's kept in at night so it most certainly wouldn't be him LOL!)

My sister then later spotted said fat pigeon, perched up in our tree, moulting all over the place! The top of our gazebo was covered in feathers by the end of the day!

We had our big family BBQ yesterday, and Buddy was as good as gold! Slept snuggled or sprawled on our bed most of the day - so cute! He then popped down for a star appearance a bit later

He did head off on his own for a while after that, but DH rattled his food pot at dinner time, and he hopped right over the fence immediately and came in for his grub, and then a game of 'whack the feather wand under the blanket' with my nephew

Sonya(Buttersmum) · « **Reply #29 on:** August 29, 2016, 00:36:21 AM »

Quote from: Judecat (Paula) on August 27, 2016, 15:12:43 PM

I use scented nappy sacks to pick up remains as it is supposed to be vegetable matter only in the garden waste bin, then it goes in the household waste bin. The sacks smell a bit sickly but do disguise the other smells.

I daresay Butter will learn to avoid the back fence a bit. Some people are vile.

I think you mean Buddy Paula

Butter is my puddy cat

Lyn (Slugsta) · « **Reply #28 on:** August 28, 2016, 21:21:04 PM »

I use the nappy sacks for kitty waste (now that I have switched litter) so I must remember to use these for animal remains!

Judecat (Paula) · « **Reply #27 on:** August 27, 2016, 15:12:43 PM »

I use scented nappy sacks to pick up remains as it is supposed to be vegetable matter only in the garden waste bin, then it goes in the household waste bin. The sacks smell a bit sickly but do disguise the other smells.

I daresay Butter will learn to avoid the back fence a bit. Some people are vile.

Lyn (Slugsta) · « **Reply #26 on:** August 26, 2016, 17:04:08 PM »

Alf's hunting is spasmodic - more when the fledglings are around. Just a while ago he was chasing a little mowsie around a planter pot on the patio

It depends how much remains we have, usually they go into the bin (we don't have garden waste).

HelenD · « **Reply #25 on:** August 26, 2016, 07:21:20 AM »

Ooh wow that's so pretty, I love dragonflies - so colourful!

Erm technical question - what does everyone do with the gift 'remains'? We were putting any leftover bits into biodegradable bags and into garden waste bin, but not sure if that right?

And how often do your cats hunt? A couple of times a week, once a month, a few times a year?

Lyn (Slugsta) · « **Reply #24 on:** August 25, 2016, 23:12:23 PM »

He is magnificent!

Sonya(Buttersmum) · « **Reply #23 on:** August 25, 2016, 22:28:25 PM »

Butter's definately a hunter, he's brought back birds, field mice and yesterday i was in the garden when he came back and he kept pouncing on something, when i looked it was a very big beautiful dragonfly, i managed to get it off him and released it

.....Pretty sure it looked like this one

HelenD · « **Reply #22 on:** August 25, 2016, 18:45:39 PM »

Hmmm...pretty sure one of our rear neighbours just threw a stone or something at Buddy :/ He was perching on the back fence and there was a door opening sound then and almighty bang on the fence and Buddy leap back like lightning..

I know some people don't like cats, but throwing hard objects that forcefully is not on! Unfortunately I didn't manage to speak to them last week when I went round the neighbours as they were out, and the only other interaction we have had with them was negative - DH went round to complain about their dog barking at all hours (ie 1am) last year

HelenD · « **Reply #21 on:** August 25, 2016, 18:09:58 PM »

Oh bless, hopefully she will settle soon!

It is scary knowing when is the right time in terms of them coming back. With Buddy we were fairly sure we were considered home, but there's always that niggle in the back of your head wondering about what might happen. I still am a nervous wreck when he's out for too long!

Well Houdini-features already got the collar off once, no idea how, as I was out the room - came back and it was on the windowsill and he was on the sofa! It's back on, but he's not looking best pleased

I might take it off for this afternoons trip outside, and then keep trying it back on him while he's inside, until he gets more used to it......ha ha.....I'm losing this one aren't i?!

Lyn (Slugsta) · « **Reply #20 on:** August 25, 2016, 17:41:12 PM »

Sky won't be going out until she is much more confident with us. I need to know that she will come to us if/when she is spooked. At the moment I know she would still run away

She is showing no interest in 'Howtside' so that makes things easier!

HelenD · « **Reply #19 on:** August 25, 2016, 17:10:43 PM »

Well, the collar is on! I bribed him with treats while I clipped it on - hurrah for distraction food!

There was a lot of reversing after that, and a bit of almost-Exorcist-like neck twist licking LOL! But a few more treats, and lots of praise later, he seems fairly ok and is now lying on the window ledge.

I think the bell is a little odd for him (and me!) but I will give him a little more time with it and see how we go. I'm wondering if it's even possible to just put it on him when he's going out? Has anyone else ever tried that?

How long until you let Sky out Lyn?

Lyn (Slugsta) · « **Reply #18 on:** August 25, 2016, 15:40:09 PM »

Alf wears a collar (with a magnetty-tik for the cat flap) but does not tolerate a bell, so that's no help to the boidies. We haven't got a collar on Sky yet, she won't be let out until she has one - otherwise she won't be able to get in! - so I don't yet know how predatory she is.

HelenD · « **Reply #17 on:** August 25, 2016, 12:10:46 PM »

RIP Mr Blue Tit, I'm sorry I didn't put the collar on Buddy sooner

Well, I really need to put the collar on today - I hadn't so far as what with all the garden changes, and a quick trip to the vets to get his flea/wormer stuff over the last few days, I thought adding a collar to the mix might stress him out too much! Sadly he came back with a bird again this morning.

He'd come to the back door with it, but luckily it wasn't open enough for him to come in. I tried the praise and offering treats idea, to no avail though sadly as he took it back up the garden into the hedge, and looked like he was eating again

I just hope he tolerates the collar!

Lyn (Slugsta) · « **Reply #16 on:** August 23, 2016, 16:25:21 PM »

We have had some good sized rats - but no stoats, that really does top the lot!

Sue P (Paddysmum) · « **Reply #15 on:** August 23, 2016, 13:05:43 PM »

Hopefully, he wont do it too often, or with too much relish. It tends to lessen off too in the winter months.

HelenD · « **Reply #14 on:** August 23, 2016, 13:03:04 PM »

Good grief! I'm slightly more scared now LOL! Small birds and mice I was expecting, but magpies pigeons rabbits and stoats?!?!

I hope he sticks small. And actually, noshing outside is also seeming a lot less troublesome!

Judecat (Paula) · « **Reply #13 on:** August 23, 2016, 10:17:45 AM »

We have had a magpie in the dining room, pigeons, blackbirds, wotsits, wrens

, mice, shrews, voles, slow worms frogs and toads. I am sure if there were rabbits around we would get those too! I still wonder how Trouble got it through the cat flap.

A stoat really is the piece de resistance though Sue, I remember it well

Enterprising things, cats

Lyn (Slugsta) · « **Reply #12 on:** August 23, 2016, 09:34:00 AM »

I didn't actually see the magpie, hubby dealt with it

Sue P (Paddysmum) · « **Reply #11 on:** August 23, 2016, 06:48:47 AM »

Yes, they can be quite ambitious in their choice of prey - Tinks many a time brought a rabbit back for us (always alive) but the stoat that lived in the bedroom for three days was the most surprising.

Good luck with the collar, Helen. It may be that you try him a few times and then he'll leave it be, so don't be put off if he gets the collar off initially.

HelenD · « **Reply #10 on:** August 22, 2016, 21:30:56 PM »

Good grief a magpie?!?!

How on earth?! What did you do with it?!

Well I've got him a collar, actually ended up with a Pets Corner one, with quick release catch. Now I just need to try putting it on him - wish me luck! Also got some cat grass seeds ready to plant up in some pots for him to nosh on when the garden work is all done - hoping having his own areas will persuade him it's a good thing!

I'll bear those tips in mind Sue if we get any other deliveries. Funnily enough, he hardly strayed away from the garden today so no worries on that front - phew!

Lyn (Slugsta) · « **Reply #9 on:** August 22, 2016, 21:07:46 PM »

My Alf is quite predatory (he came back with a magpie the other week), especially when the fledglings are around. He wears a collar (with a magnet which opens the catflap) but won't tolerate a bell. I don't like the ancol brand, on the whole, as I find they don't snap shut properly - but some sort of quick release is essential.

Sue P (Paddysmum) · « **Reply #8 on:** August 22, 2016, 09:02:53 AM »

Food, mainly.

trying to take their "prize" does tend to make them scarper, so the way we've learned to deal with it is make an exclamation of surprise (seldom feigned!) and then ask if we can have a closer look, which we do.

All the while we tell them how clever they are, and what a wonderful hunter/huntress, and how kind of them to show us what they did.

This generally results in them dropping the poor victim, and giving us a head bump - they're so chuffed that their "gift" has been acknowledged, which is when we pick it up, still continuing to admire it and making a fuss of the culprit, leading them into the kitchen with the promise of "chikkun" or "dreemeez...!" While they're noshing, we quietly dispose of the body.

We tried the gurlies with collars but they were even worse than Tinks, who was a veritable collar Houdini in his day, bless his heart. They just wont tolerate collars at all, and after I'd spent about just on £35 on replacement collars (no exaggeration!) I gave it up as a poor job. You may have better luck than us in that regard though.

We do have some persistent t its in our garden who frequently scold the cats, but they seem to be clever enough to ensure they fly away before the cats get too wired up.

HelenD · « **Reply #7 on:** August 22, 2016, 08:39:26 AM »

Well, we had a stinkier than normal litter box this morning

but that was it lol!

Yes you are right, I think we will just have to leave him to it unless he drops it. I think DH going to try and get it from him just made him more possessive? I wouldn't mind so much with mice, but I do like our birds :/ I deliberately only bought him mouse related toys to try and dissuade him from birds, but I guess that failed lol!

Hopefully the birds will learn he's about now though, and be a bit more careful?! I didn't know they could eat mice whole though?!

We have already taken our bird feeder down, but I think the neighbours all have them, and the back of our gardens is a big Hawthorne hedge which is full of birds :/

I'm getting him a bell collar today, from what I've seen ancol ones are good as they are the safety release ones? He will probably hate it and get it off in a second, but I would rather try than not at this point!

What distractions do you try Sue?

Sue P (Paddysmum) · « **Reply #6 on:** August 22, 2016, 08:32:30 AM »

I agree with Dawn, if the little critter's dead or close to, then I'd leave it. Just make sure if he eats his kills that he's wormed regularly.

For the more lively catches, we keep a small rodent carrier to hand, and if it's possible to capture the "prize", pop it in there and pop it somewhere dark and quiet for half an hour or so to give it a chance to recuperate, then release somewhere safe.

Sadly, Barley managed to catch a sparrow yesterday, which was beyond saving, so I know how upsetting it can be. I would never punish a cat for such natural behavior, only try to discourage with distraction methods, and keeping any bird feeders etc well away from ground cover where cats can hide.

Dawn F · « **Reply #5 on:** August 22, 2016, 08:18:44 AM »

he is meant to eat things like that so don't worry about that - he will probably be more interested in the bbq if he is anything like mine - I have to say I've never removed anything from mine mind butcher I only intervene if I think the creature involved can be saved - I remember Oscar once with a twinkle in his eye throwing a dead mouse above his head and swallowing it almost whole!

HelenD · « **Reply #4 on:** August 21, 2016, 16:13:59 PM »

Also, should we look for any "leftovers" and discard of them, or is there no need? It's quite a thick hedge but if reminders will only encourage him I'd rather sort them out....... :/

HelenD · « **Reply #3 on:** August 21, 2016, 16:12:06 PM »

Not nice at all

He's been such a softie and a sweetie so far, it's hard to reconcile that with his basic nature of a cat when he's noshing on a poor sparrow

He's 'finished' with it now and is firmly locked in for the rest of the day......

He doesn't have a collar, but I might try one now - we had read conflicting opinions as to wether they actually help or not, so we planned to wait and see before we tried it!

Grim question, but is he likely to throw up, or poop abnormally after eating that?

I so hope that was a one off - we have a big family party next weekend, and I really don't want him freaking everyone out by having his own alfresco meal......! Maybe we will have to bribe him with some BBQ chicken.....

alisonandarchie · « **Reply #2 on:** August 21, 2016, 16:04:53 PM »

I know how upsetting it is Helen

It is the only down side of having a cat.

Does Buddy have a bell on as it may help a bit

HelenD · « **Reply #1 on:** August 21, 2016, 15:51:45 PM »

Ok, so Buddy has just got his first bird - that we know of! He's currently in the hedge at the back of the garden eating it

Should we do anything? DH tried to get him when we saw him on the lawn with it, but he ran off into the hedge and started chewing.....

I know it's normal cat behaviour, and if he's a hunter then he's a hunter, but I've never had to deal with this before (last cat had no interest at all) so no idea what we should or shouldn't do to try and get him to leave it alone? Or discourage him?

Author Topic: Hunting :( (Read 11934 times)