How Do I Stop My Feral Cat From Hunting?

[BombayKittyLover]

I have a healthy feral cat living in my yard. She hunts every so often and leaves a mouse or something relevant to that on my porch. I feed her nightly but she still hunts. I have thought about making her an indoor cat so she doesn't hunt, but she doesn't get along with my indoor cats, isn't comfortable in my house, and keeps other feral cats away from my house. How do I stop her from hunting?

Any Ideas?

-BombayKittyLover​

 

[Linda Dwyer]

good luck with that, cats are nature's perfect hunting machine, the only difference between a ten pound tabby and a 200 pound lion is their size. Cats are the only animal other than man that hunts for sport. You are NOT going to stop her from hunting, its her instinct to hunt and you can't stop it

 

[maggiedemi]

I think the only way you could stop her from hunting is to bring her inside. Feral cats can be perfectly happy inside. I'm sure you can find tons of tips and help on here to introduce the cats to each other slowly. Is she spayed?

 

[Kieka]

I have indoor/outdoor cats and they love to hunt. Mine have plenty of toys and food so it has nothing to do with not needing them hunt but simply wanting to hunt. I don't think there is a way to stop them from hunting expect bringing them indoors 24/7.

You can put on a collar with a bell which may scare away some prey. But some cats learn how to move without making noise with the bell or will take off the collar or the bell will annoy them. Someone posted a collar thing a while back that makes it so they can't hunt. I think it was a giant bob thing which is completely impractical and ridiculous if you ask me.

 

[IndyJones]

The bird bib?

 

[Kieka]

The bird bib?

Probably. The Most Effective Way To Stop Cats From Killing Birds!

I just know of my three cats it would drive two absolutely crazy. Rocket would make herself sick and/or refuse to move. Link would probably hurt himself getting it off. Nightfury probably wouldn't care one bit and would figure out a way to work around it. It may work for some but I personally think it is more trouble then it is worth. Enough of us have trouble just keeping a collar on; a bib? Not happening over here.

 

[ReallySleepy]

Why on earth would you stop her from hunting? She sounds like a healthy and happy and useful cat to me.

 

[IndyJones]

I think OP is referring to hunting birds and other desirable animals. Nothing more distressing than finding a disemboweled bluebird on the lawn

 

[surya]

Why on earth would you stop her from hunting? She sounds like a healthy and happy and useful cat to me.

They get diseases and parasites from vermin and birds.

 

[Linda Dwyer]

yes they do but the only sure way to keep them from hunting is to keep them inside. But even then if they eat a flea they can get tapeworms

 

[IndyJones]

Although if you have an old home cats double as an exterminator.

 

[Linda Dwyer]

My siamese is not a hunter, a mouse can run right in front of her and she would just look at, the bengal on the other hand will kill anything that moves. He even brought her a live mouse one time, dropped it right in front of her and she just looked at it, he got disgusted with her and just killed it himself. Smart boy, he kills them and puts them in his litterbox. He doesn't eat them, just kills them because he wants to. My house is older and sometimes one will come in but it doesn't go back out.

 

[vyger]

My siamese is not a hunter, a mouse can run right in front of her and she would just look at, the bengal on the other hand will kill anything that moves. He even brought her a live mouse one time, dropped it right in front of her and she just looked at it, he got disgusted with her and just killed it himself. Smart boy, he kills them and puts them in his litterbox. He doesn't eat them, just kills them because he wants to. My house is older and sometimes one will come in but it doesn't go back out.

I had a squirrel that came to visit once and stayed for dinner. Found its tail and 4 feet and nothing else.