Help! Hard stray killing birds

[linfork]

Good Morning,
I live close to a county park and many cats make their way to our home. We trap, neuter and release the feral ones, and I volunteer at a local shelter that will take in the adoptable ones. I have four now that basically live in my yard - I only consider one female to still be "feral". The other three let me pet them but they are still skittish and are definitely not adoptable. They are very comfortable with us - we have insulated houses with warming disks and mylar blankets for them in the winter, etc. I put a collar with three small bells on it on one of the males that is a "hunter". He catches a lot of birds and squirrels. The bells are not working as I am still finding remains of birds in the yard. I tried to find a solution on line, to no avail. Does anyone have any advice as to what I can do about this? He caught a baby bird a few weeks ago and I heard it happen and screamed loud enough that he let the bird alone and we were able to rescue it and take it to the bird sanctuary. I appreciate your advice.
Lindy Foreman

 

[hissy]

Lindy, please don't collar outside cats. The collars get caught on fence posts, underneath cars, limbs of trees.Bell's don't work because birds do not know bells. A well-fed cat is a capable hunter. The best thing to do is bring this male inside and make him a pure house cat. It can be done but it takes patience and lots of understanding of his way.

 

[linfork]

The collar I had on him was one that would break if he got caught on anything. In fact, he had "lost" two of those collars before. I can't bring him inside because I have four cats (two of whom are new within the last year) and a dog. The four cats are not gettiing along - and one has multiple medical problems ($6,000 last year on him alone). I would love to bring all the cats inside, but I can't do it. Thank you.
Lindy

 

[mooficat]

Hi there, 1st of all, I would like to say that I really admire all the hard work you are doing for the strays and your semi-adopted ones ! Well done !!
I have 3 cats and have all caught birds and baby bunnies (yuk and very very sad) at various stages of their lives (the cats lives that is) Now the older ones are not so bothered but the baby Miss Moofi is terrible, she will catch anything, I hate this and have tried various things, bells, wind-chimes, toy birds but she loves the chase. Its a natural thing and I think cos yours are semi-ferel, the instinct is very strong. I think its a thing we cat lovers have to face, if you can rescue the birds 1st then great but I´m afraid natural instincts rule.

 

[catsknowme]

I would continue to tell him "no" when you see him hunting, and then (when you have time, which probably isn't often enough, if you're like the rest of us) offer to play with him with a favorite toy. The distraction often works; it's finding the time to do it that's rough!

 

[tnr1]

Originally Posted by Linfork

The collar I had on him was one that would break if he got caught on anything. In fact, he had "lost" two of those collars before. I can't bring him inside because I have four cats (two of whom are new within the last year) and a dog. The four cats are not gettiing along - and one has multiple medical problems ($6,000 last year on him alone). I would love to bring all the cats inside, but I can't do it. Thank you.
Lindy

Lindy...the only other option you have (and it really depends on how large of a "yard" you have) is to build your crew an outdoors enclosure. That way there isn't a way for them to get to the birds. I know that Alley Cat Allies has a couple of links to some Outdoor enclosures..but you can also simply put "Outdoor enclosure" "cat" in a google browser to see various enclosures that people have built.

Good Luck

Katie

 

[jcribbs]

I say tell him "good kill"............ Cats are predators and they kill. I am very proud of Yellow when he makes a good kill. He is crippled and the best hunter I have.

I agree with the advice about the collars. Take it off the cats. Better a dead bird than a strangled cat....... At least a dead bird is a natural instinctive thing.

Jenn