prey drive or just torture?

[Jem]

Snoopy and Peanuts have recently realised that they are cats and are pouncing on everything in sight, Which is fair enough.
But between them both yesterday they caught a bird so i took it off them n put it in the lane, well they found it and decided to let it try n run away then bring it back again this went on for about 20 mins as everytime i went to get them they took it to a different part of the garden and carried on!
Is this normal cat behaviour or are they just being mean?

[dandysmom]

Not being mean, just doing what nature designed them for. It's distressing to see them do this, but they aren't capable of empathy and don't/can't realize the bird/mouse is terrified and suffering. No amount of fussing and scolding will help; it's a built-in instinct ....

[bobbie3917]

its a cat thing, they are not doing it to be mean, its a shame for the bird but there is no way to stop it, im sorry

[Jem]

My other cats have never really done it in my sight line so to watch this was a bit concerning. I understand that cats have a very high prey drive but i'd never seen this before. Thanks for the advice though xx

[Jem]

Right well between me posting my last post and today they have had over 50 birds I'm picking up atleast 9 or 10 a day. It's mainly starlings with the occasional black bird thrown in. I have had cats for a long time and even our outside cat never killed like this!
Are cats scavengers? I only ask as I'm hoping that they are finding some of them and bringing them in just because they can. They are also not eating them they are pretty whole when they arrive on the doorstep, a few have a had holes in the stomachs but nothing major.
I'm not worried about it but it is puzzling to find so many birds on your doorstep :roll:

[Mags]

I must say that sounds an extraordinary amount of birds your cats appear to be catching.:?

Do Snoopy and Peanuts wear collars? If not, I would suggest you get them both a breakaway collar, not an elastic one. Most cat collars have bells on and the birds would be more aware of a cat being nearby.

The breakaway collars are far safer and are designed to snap open quickly if caught on anything like a branch or jagged fence etc.

[Jem]

I must say that sounds an extraordinary amount of birds your cats appear to be catching.:?

Do Snoopy and Peanuts wear collars? If not, I would suggest you get them both a breakaway collar, not an elastic one. Most cat collars have bells on and the birds would be more aware of a cat being nearby.

The breakaway collars are far safer and are designed to snap open quickly if caught on anything like a branch or jagged fence etc.

Yeah they both have collars with bells on and a name tag on tat also jingles. I've only found one blackbird today, so eitha my cats are extremly good bird catchers or the birds round here are just dumb :D

[angieh]

Must say I was amazed at the numbers you quoted. Do you live in an area where there are no other cats so the birds don't know what danger they're in? Seems a shame, but if your cats have bells on their collars, there doesn't seem a lot you could do except keep them indoors, which IMO seems a great pity.

[Jem]

Im in a small village but we have atleast other 5 other cats that i have seen. I would keep them both in but they love the outdoors so much i'd hate to do that 2 them.
On a better note I have only had 1 present all day which is good, so hopefully the birds are learning x

[dandysmom]

Either they're learning, or all the stupid ones have been caught!

[angieh]

I guess that's natural selection in action!

[babycakes]

I think maybe they are catching baby birds that have not long left the nest so are inexperienced fliers hence the large number of them. They are practising their hunting skills and this may settle overtime. They will continually catch small animals but maybe not as many.

[Steph]

I`d never wish to be without a cat -Cleo does not hunt-a far cry from some of those others who used to bring me birds,mice ,rabbits and even a squirrel.

It`s not easy-our garden now has birds nesting in the hedges. I think that if we ever get another cat after Cleo it will be an old one needing love in it`s latter years-just a nice home and looking at birds with memories but not up to catching them

[Mags]

I`d never wish to be without a cat -Cleo does not hunt-a far cry from some of those others who used to bring me birds,mice ,rabbits and even a squirrel.

It`s not easy-our garden now has birds nesting in the hedges. I think that if we ever get another cat after Cleo it will be an old one needing love in it`s latter years-just a nice home and looking at birds with memories but not up to catching them

What a lovely way of thinking Steph!..:D