Advice for finding a hunting cat needed.

[rosse]

Originally Posted by WiccanKittyLove

lol my husband says get a leopard, but don't listen to him, he has always wanted one, but really look for a cat that really does look and act like a mini lion or other wild cat, you will know a good hunter when you see it. Its in their eyes, not the cold evil look, the calm calculating look, the puzzle solver.

Yeah, just found one called a bengal cat, they look like hunter/killers. I found a youtube where the cat grabbed a bird and didn't want to let it go. They also look like they are playful and friendly.

I'm also thinking about a serval, which is a crazy looking mini wild cat. I live on 3 acres so neighbours/leash laws arn't an issue. Where I live no one will say anything, it's mostly older people. I just wonder about someone mistaking it for a real wildcat or trying to steal it, so I would want to keep it inside.

 

[hissy]

In my opinion, you don't only not know anything about cats, but you don't deserve to have one either. Mockingbirds are fearless and cats won't even matter to them. They may fly away for a bit, but they will return. If you (as your post indicates) intend to starve a cat to get it to hunt- your cat will not have the stamina needed to hunt and will instead (hopefully) run off and find someone with a kinder heart to take care of it.
With all the uproar around about how many outside cats kill wild birds which is hooey) you are actually wanting a cat to kill these birds is ridiculous.

I have barn cats and have seen both mockingbirds and jaybirds chase my cats away from nests and favorite resting places. My cats are hunters but they are also looking for mice and rodents not birds. Find another way to rid your tree of mockingbirds- hang up windchimes or pieces of foil or something else but leave a cat out of the equation.

 

[wiccankittylove]

Originally Posted by sarahp

You'll find that shelters generally don't adopt out "hunting cats".

There's a difference between farm cats, and house cats - house cats are generally more domesticated, and less likely to want to kill everything.

this is also not really true almost all of our farm cats came from our local shelter, its not the shelter is the location of the shelter and the cats they pick up, a rural shelter will more than likely have farm cats, if not check your local news papers or farm listings

 

[cosabella]

What a silly person. There's no intent at all to know and understand a cat. All OP wants is a killer.

In due time, that cat will be abandoned or returned to the shelter. i have absolutely no interest in helping OP.

People really do suck.

 

[farleyv]

This is a half baked idea. Cut down the trees or since it's near Halloween, get a cat costume for yourself and sit in the yard.

Honestly, one cat in the yard isn't going to do anything for a huge flock of birds. Get a cat for companionship. Your post sounds very naive and although I sympathize with your bird prob, a cat in the yard won't solve it.

 

[jcat]

Scratch the idea of a cat being able to reduce the mocking bird population, as whoever suggested it obviously doesn't have the foggiest idea of birds (or cats). Birds are singularly unimpressed by cats, and all but the youngest or weakest manage to keep out of their reach.

 

[rosse]

Originally Posted by hissy

In my opinion, you don't only not know anything about cats, but you don't deserve to have one either. Mockingbirds are fearless and cats won't even matter to them. They may fly away for a bit, but they will return. If you (as your post indicates) intend to starve a cat to get it to hunt- your cat will not have the stamina needed to hunt and will instead (hopefully) run off and find someone with a kinder heart to take care of it.
With all the uproar around about how many outside cats kill wild birds which is hooey) you are actually wanting a cat to kill these birds is ridiculous.

I have barn cats and have seen both mockingbirds and jaybirds chase my cats away from nests and favorite resting places. My cats are hunters but they are also looking for mice and rodents not birds. Find another way to rid your tree of mockingbirds- hang up windchimes or pieces of foil or something else but leave a cat out of the equation.

I def. don't want a cat who's afraid of a mocking bird!!!

 

[rosse]

Originally Posted by WiccanKittyLove

this is also not really true almost all of our farm cats came from our local shelter, its not the shelter is the location of the shelter and the cats they pick up, a rural shelter will more than likely have farm cats, if not check your local news papers or farm listings

That's what I was thinking. I will be between cities today so I'm hoping the GPS can take me by a shelter or two while I'm in the more rural area.

 

[rosse]

Originally Posted by farleyv

This is a half baked idea. Cut down the trees or since it's near Halloween, get a cat costume for yourself and sit in the yard.

Honestly, one cat in the yard isn't going to do anything for a huge flock of birds. Get a cat for companionship. Your post sounds very naive and although I sympathize with your bird prob, a cat in the yard won't solve it.

Rescuing a cat from a shelter in hopes she MAY hunt is half baked but cutting down 75 year old oaks isn't?!?

Unfortunately for me, it's also illegal for me to take down living oaks, and if I could the cost would be enormous.

 

[ruthyb]

Originally Posted by RossE

These birds chased a hawk from it's nest in the pine. I havn't seen it since.

Then if the birds are that bad surely it would be danerous for a cat??If the birds can chase a hawk they could kill a cat.

 

[rosse]

Originally Posted by Ruthyb

Then if the birds are that bad surely it would be danerous for a cat??If the birds can chase a hawk they could kill a cat.

That's the idea I am getting, apparently mocking birds are just too mean.
From what I can tell there are 3-4 birds at a given time.

I have kind of set my mind on wanting a cat though, watching all the videos on youtube of how funny they can get when you play with them. The two that I have seen that I like the most are Calico and Bengal's. The Bengal looks like it would hold it's own vs a bird, the Calico.... IDK, they appear to be a little smaller.

 

[AbbysMom]

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...2061437AAJt4vv

http://www.newscientist.com/article/...-from-foe.html

It seems like the birds will harm the cat.

 

[ldg]

You're in the wrong place. A cat or cats will not deter birds nesting in your trees, especially not birds as territorial as Mockingbirds.

I have done extensive research on cat predation. Cats have a stalk-and-pounce approach to hunting that is not generally suited to hunting birds. A small percentage of cats develop the skill, though it is a learned trait, not a genetic one. It is birds on the ground that are hunted - as someone else pointed out, making sick, injured, or young birds the target. Cats in your yard are not going to climb trees to hunt your Mockingbirds, and thus will not displace them from their nests.

You need to find birding/bird watching forums or find an ornithologist to ask how to deter them from nesting.

This interactive map of membership in the Bird Conservation Alliance may help you find a local ornithological society that may have ideas for you: http://www.birdconservationalliance....ut/memlist.cfm

 

[momofmany]

A cat will not drive away mockingbirds. I also lived on a farm for a while and I've learned a few things about cats and birds: 1) Cats rarely catch birds, 2) cats will not drive birds away, 3) the more aggressive the bird, the more likely that the bird will hunt the cat.

You are going down the wrong path here. It simply will not work.

 

[dave t]

Please tell me this is a joke thread...

 

[carolina]

IMHO this guy is a troll

 

[justjayde]

This is a bad and somewhat CRUEL plan for all animals involved.

A cat will not change the bird situation but the birds WILL pick on the cat - especially if they are nesting. If you have ever had a bird or multiple birds attack you - you would realize it hurts like hell and not subject an innocent cat to this just because the birds are annoying you!

If you want a cat just to have a cat, keep it away from the birds and treat it well and enjoy it's company but getting one just to try and kill off these birds is NOT cool.

ALL animals have something they dislike, that they find makes a habitat unlivable. Find out what mockingbirds DISLIKE and then put those objects/plants/foods/etc in your yard. You can not physically harm the birds legally but you CAN make YOUR yard a "not so welcome" place for them.

 

[-_aj_-]

Originally Posted by Carolina

IMHO this guy is a troll

I second that

i think hes come here to attempt to wind us up i mean who would spend money on a bengal to let it o outside to live to try and catch birds....or subject a rescue cat to mockingbirds

 

[strange_wings]

Originally Posted by Carolina

IMHO this guy is a troll

I don't think so. People have asked about mousers on here before, it's just that killing mice is more socially acceptable.

As for cats catching birds. It holds true for most birds. Cats don't hunt blue jays or mocking birds, unfortunately the birds are caught when they repeatedly dive at the cats. A cat that normally isn't good at catching birds can often get a mocking bird. (even I've caught one as a child because it kept diving at me)
Whether I like it or not, my backyard is mocking bird free.

The only birds ever back there now are a pair of doves (smart enough never to land on the ground), a pair of king birds when it was warmer (aggressive bird, but smart enough to leave cats alone), and a pair of cardinals who have been here for a few years.

Some cats will occasionally swipe a bird out of it's nest. It's not as common, though, because birds usually nest in smaller branches. They're more likely to catch young birds learning to fly that have landed on the ground. (Practically every year I have to shoo a cat away from some baby birds and encourage the bird to fly - this year it was some baby house wrens)



Still. You don't get a cat so it can kill things for you. You get a cat because you want to have a pet. Having a pet shouldn't be the afterthought "oh they look kind of cute, too".

If the OP eventually wants a cat, so be it. As long as they provide it with the best care possible, it's better than a cat dying in a shelter.

To the OP: You have a lot to learn about cats. Go to the library and pick up some books about behavior and care, talk to a vet (you'll need to provide vet care, be committed to spending a few hundred, at least, a year on it) about care and costs. Don't look stuff up online. You'll just see cute videos and pictures that will distract you.
After you've done proper research, then make up your mind. Getting any sort of pet is a commitment. If you get a cat that can hunt and helps your problem, good for you. But don't count on it. Only get a cat if you can live with it simply being your cat.
They make great companions - less demanding than a dog (no need to walk a cat). They'll often give you some personal space.

Who knows? Maybe if the OP spends time properly researching and if they do get a cat, maybe they'll become another unintentional cat lover and rescue a couple more.

 

[rosse]

Originally Posted by -_aj_-

I second that

i think hes come here to attempt to wind us up i mean who would spend money on a bengal to let it o outside to live to try and catch birds....or subject a rescue cat to mockingbirds

If you don't like the subject being discussed, or think it's a joke, you're more then welcome to ignore it.