Would you keep your cat indoors during the bird nesting season.

[Smithster]

I have a nesting box on the outer wall of my shed and there is a pair of blue tits nesting in it at the moment. My cat loves to sit out on my decking and stare at the birds as they come and go but he can't get near to it and couldn't get inside it even if he could. It's quite amusing watching him sit there transfixed on the comings and goings.

 

So no, I would not dream of keeping him couped up inside during nesting season.

[sandie]

It's not a "gift", it's destruction of British wild life.

 

People who think it's cute that their pet cats bring them dead wildlife make me want to puke.

 

It is a fact of nature and you will never change it, If it makes you puke then dont watch.

[horribleblob]

I imagine people hard landscaping their gardens has a more detrimental effect on wildlife than cats do.

 

Good point. Birds and other wildlife want dense hedges, ivy-clad walls and unkempt verges, not decking and a couple of tubs full of pampas grass [i blame Charlie Dimmock ] Mind you, I understand that rats find the underside of decking rather attractive ...all that food dropping through the slats and such a safe, undisturbed haven in which to bring up a family.

[iansheff]

MIne used to sit on the bedroom window sill looking out at the housemartins swooping under the eaves to their nest. It was comical watching him on his hind legs pawing at the window trying to get them.

[green_god]

In tough times, surely to send your cat out makes finacial sense.

 

You don't buy the cat food, saving you money, the cat gets to try out its hunting instincts so all partys are happy (apart from the unfortunate bird)

[IanG]

It should be Illegal to own a cat without making it wear a bell, some cat owners make me sick coooing over their evil cute little **** of a pet, granted lots of cats are not a problem but some are varmants for killing birds.

 

when I see one with a little robin etc my natural instinct is to want to kill the cat and if one ever touched my parrot I would kill it in a heartbeat then the owner.

 

saying that we have one proper tame cat come into ours who is scared of the parrot, he/she is reyt cool but all the other killer cats bully it

 

If you dont put a bell on dont come moaning when someone takes revenge on your cat for killing defencless animals, I dont blame the cats more the owners who are just lazy ******** and selfish .. a bit like cats actually

[Solomon1]

If you dont put a bell on dont come moaning when someone takes revenge on your cat for killing defencless animals, I dont blame the cats more the owners who are just lazy ******** and selfish .. a bit like cats actually

 

to be fair ian, i don't think a lot of cat owners realise the scale of the problem.

 

but i agree with you, they should take responsibility for it

[the_rudeboy]

It should be Illegal to own a cat without making it wear a bell, some cat owners make me sick coooing over their evil cute little **** of a pet, granted lots of cats are not a problem but some are varmants for killing birds.

 

when I see one with a little robin etc my natural instinct is to want to kill the cat and if one ever touched my parrot I would kill it in a heartbeat then the owner.

 

saying that we have one proper tame cat come into ours who is scared of the parrot, he/she is reyt cool but all the other killer cats bully it

 

If you dont put a bell on dont come moaning when someone takes revenge on your cat for killing defencless animals, I dont blame the cats more the owners who are just lazy ******** and selfish .. a bit like cats actually

I cant understand why owners dont put collars with identity tags on their cats. I want to know if something happens to ours. One has come in this morning minus her collar, she wont be going out again until I get a replacement later.

 

I don't think in general cat owners think its cute when their cat kills birds or mice. I always try to rescue anything my moggies bring home and on several occasions I've manged to save and free their prey.

Edited May 10, 2009 by the_rudeboy

[jeremyjh1]

It should be Illegal to own a cat without making it wear a bell, some cat owners make me sick coooing over their evil cute little **** of a pet, granted lots of cats are not a problem but some are varmants for killing birds.

 

when I see one with a little robin etc my natural instinct is to want to kill the cat and if one ever touched my parrot I would kill it in a heartbeat then the owner.

 

saying that we have one proper tame cat come into ours who is scared of the parrot, he/she is reyt cool but all the other killer cats bully it

 

If you dont put a bell on dont come moaning when someone takes revenge on your cat for killing defencless animals, I dont blame the cats more the owners who are just lazy ******** and selfish .. a bit like cats actually

 

The venom with which you defend 'defenceless' animals is really quite disturbing.

 

Kill the cat and then the owner! I hope, for your own freedom, that is all hot air, otherwise you would be no better than those you seek to condemn.

 

As for cats killing birds - what do you think happens in nature, where there are no 'decent' people like you to kill them?

 

It's part of a cats inbred instinct, dating back to the time when they had no owners and had to kill for food or defence. They also kill mices, rats and various other rodents - pest control.

 

Domesticated cats do not need to kill for food, but it's part of their psyche.

 

And to assume, as I assume you do, that all cat owners allow their pets out to systematically kill birds with glee and joy is to use a very large brush to tar many who, as pet owners, value the sanctity of life highly and would be as upset to see a dead bird or dead mouse in the mouth of their pet as would you.

 

But, I would guess they would draw the line at killing another 'defenceless' animal or, God forbid, another human being.

[SallyLaLaLa]

When exactly is the nesting season? I have cats but would keep them in if I knew when it was. I really love birds, one of the things I like in Sheffield is that there are loads of birds, I've seen Blue Tits, Wrens, Lapwings and Kestrels up here, you don't get that where I'm from.