Cat info

[pacanis]

Cats kill up to 3.7B birds annually

I like cats. I used to have a cat (inside cat), but hopefully this story will hit home for people that let their cats wander, especially if unaltered. This is a big problem where I live. I have been hoping for years there was a more serious push for responsible cat ownership like there is for dogs. About time.

 

[Dawgluver]

I'm going to borrow this, Pac. I like cats too, but they should be indoors. My neighbors allow their cats to roam free, and it drives beagle and me nuts. I have found cat-killed bluebirds and such around.

 

[pacanis]

I'm going to borrow this, Pac. I like cats too, but they should be indoors. My neighbors allow their cats to roam free, and it drives beagle and me nuts. I have found cat-killed bluebirds and such around.

I can see having barn cats, if you are responsible enough to have them altered and vaccinated and have 50 acres of land they are never off. I do not get any other type of cat unless it's indoors. Such a shame, for the wildlife AND the cat.

 

[Dawgluver]

Yeah, mortality rate for outdoor cats is significantly worse than that of indoor cats, and over 3 B birds killed is HUGE!

 

[jabbur]

My cat comes and goes not by my choice. She is spayed and gets vaccinated. We have a 6 ft fence and doggie door for the dog and the cat recently figured out she can use it too. I get worried when she's out for long periods of time and we've had 1 dead bird brought into the house and one live bird she brought in. If it weren't for the elderly dog needing to go out the doggie door at will, she'd be an indoor cat.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Neither of my cats are outdoor cats, they are both vaccinated and spayed...they wouldn't know what to do with a bird...heck, they come and get me if they find a spider...

 

[pacanis]

If me cat had ever come and gotten me if there was a spider I would have admonished it and told it to get back in the game
Then checked the floor for spiders

 

[Dawgluver]

...they wouldn't know what to do with a bird...heck, they come and get me if they find a spider...

DH does the same thing. Perhaps they're related.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

If me cat had ever come and gotten me if there was a spider I would have admonished it and told it to get back in the game
Then checked the floor for spiders

I tried that at first, but all I got was puppy eyes from them...

 

[MrsLMB]

We have a neighbor who - I think - hoards cats. She says she is rehabilitating them then finding them homes .... bbbuuuutttttt .. there are always at least 5 of them running around outside. I went into her house 1 time .. and it was horrific .. never went back inside .. cats everywhere ! We are constantly having to shoo her cats out our gardens and they love chasing the squirrels and catching the birds.

Now .. if we let our dogs run loose you know there would be all kinds of trouble .. so what is it with those people who just turn their cats outside??

Yeah .. barn cats are ok but we are in the city !

Funny story to tell you all .. about 12 years ago we were managing some apartments. Stray cats all over the place. We got a catch and release cage. We wanted to start catching them and taking them to the humane society. So we put the cage out one night, added a nice fresh can of cat food inside the cage. In the morning we went out and just about laughed our butts off .. there was a cat inside the cage and outside the cage were 4 others just sitting there looking at the one inside eating LOL

We did eventually catch them all .. 17 total and they all went away.

 

[Addie]

When I got custody of my granddaughter, she came with her Siamese cat. It had been declawed and was definitely a house cat. She was terrified when we put her in the cat carrier and went outside with her. When my daughter died, Tasha was her lifesaver. I was having problems dealing with my own grief and was of no help to her. So she turned to Tasha. I would hear her at night crying and telling Tasha of all her hurt. Then shortly after that, Tasha died of cancer. She was 17 years old.

We then got two more Siamese cats. Sisters. (Cost me an arm and a leg and the blood of my first born along with a bat wing.) These also were declawed and were house cats. They were more than two years old before they ever saw what fresh air felt like. They too were terrified of the outside world. She still has both cats. They are getting up there in years and I don't think they will last much longer. All three cats had been spayed and got their yearly shots. I think those cats got better care than my granddaughter.

All three cats would sleep on her bed at night. And when she was gone for the night, they would come and climb up on my bed. I wanted those cats to know that they belonged to her and to form a strong bond like Tasha had with her. So I would not feed them unless she was gone for more than a day. I did not take care of the litter box. And for the most part, during the first year, I wouldn't even play with the two sisters. My granddaughter needed those cats for her mental health. And they certainly were helping her to heal. I am forever grateful to those cats.

 

[pacanis]

That's funny LMB.

 

[buckytom]

i took my bird feeder in the backyard down for exactly this reason. i was just feeding the neighborhood cats the birds that came to eat at the feeder.

since the feeder was near my neighbor's garage, i was amazed to see that the cats learned how to climb up on it's roof and do a flying leap to catch the birds at the feeder.

we feed an outdoor cat that was trapped, fixed, and released, but he's so well fed that he doesn't bother with birds anymore. he just brings us "gifts" of dead mice to our back door.

 

[pacanis]

Put your feeder back up, Tom. That would make a cool vid

 

[buckytom]

lol, yeah, i never thought to record it. our properties are terraced, so my backyard is about 3 feet higher than my neiggbor's. the cats would climb up the far side of their garage, then sneak over the roof an lay there waiting for birds ro show up. they don't have that far to jump down, though, with the bird feeder on a post on the way. still, their athleticism was amazing.

 

[Whiskadoodle]

I have hanging bird feeders that are visible from 3 sides of the house/ windows. And perches/ tables/ indoors for the cats to watch the birds. Hours of fun. We have occasional neighborhood cats that come to visit. I haven't seen them after the birds. My oldest cat goes out when she wants, but then I have to be there to let her back in, whenever that is, unpredictable. She's very demanding. I would let the youngest out, but she is still too energetic and doesn't come when called indoors yet. Last summer she would watch her sister go out, but she doesn't try to follow. I expect she will get to go out next summer. Both my girls are declawed and I will never be a grampa. A previous cat used to tease the neighbor dog by strutting along the top of a tall wooden fence. She also got too high in a tree and I figured she would have to get herself down, even without front claws. Amazing how that works. The only presents ever brought home is an occasional mouse, so I know they are capable of capturing wild life. O and yes, the youngest hops around on the carpet sometimes and pounces on a spider until it won't get up anymore. Then she bats at it as if to say, get up and play some more.

 

[Alix]

Any stats on how many birds are killed by airplanes, other birds or slamming into windows? I am all in favor of keeping cats indoors. I don't think we are going to run out of birdies.

 

[pacanis]

Someone mentioned rabies earlier?
Here's a report I just received from my state's vet.

"Summary –On January 27 a family heard their cat fighting with something on the front porch. They found a raccoon attacking their cat. The daughter fought the raccoon away from her cat with a chair from the porch. The raccoon continued to charge the girl until the rest of her family came out with bats to chase the raccoon off the property. The family called 911. The police arrived and tracked the raccoon to a shed on a nearby property. The raccoon continued to charge at the police while they were attempting to shoot it. The raccoon was finally shot by the police and submitted to the Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory where it tested positive for rabies.

Exposure –One unvaccinated cat was exposed to this raccoon and was euthanized. No people were exposed to this raccoon."

I guess it was a good thing the family was home. If their cat had run off during the fight and returned after the raccoon was gone, in time the cat would have exposed not only the family, but anything else it came into contact with while outside to rabies. Sad for the family pet, too, having to be put down because it wasn't vaccinated.

 

[Addie]

Someone mentioned rabies earlier?
Here's a report I just received from my state's vet.

"Summary –On January 27 a family heard their cat fighting with something on the front porch. They found a raccoon attacking their cat. The daughter fought the raccoon away from her cat with a chair from the porch. The raccoon continued to charge the girl until the rest of her family came out with bats to chase the raccoon off the property. The family called 911. The police arrived and tracked the raccoon to a shed on a nearby property. The raccoon continued to charge at the police while they were attempting to shoot it. The raccoon was finally shot by the police and submitted to the Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory where it tested positive for rabies.

Exposure –One unvaccinated cat was exposed to this raccoon and was euthanized. No people were exposed to this raccoon."

I guess it was a good thing the family was home. If their cat had run off during the fight and returned after the raccoon was gone, in time the cat would have exposed not only the family, but anything else it came into contact with while outside to rabies. Sad for the family pet, too, having to be put down because it wasn't vaccinated.

Most folks tend to think that only canine animals are carriers of rabies. In this area it is racoons and skunks. When they do the census each year for the city, you have to list if you have any dogs in your home. That information is checked against whether they have dog tags or not. You can't get dog tags without proof of your animal having had all his rabies shots and having been checked each year by a vet. And you have to renew your dog tags every so many years. Teddy is due to be checked again this year.

Rabid animals tend to attack without provocation. You should look upon any wild animal with caution.

 

[pacanis]

Last year a groundhog/woodchuck (or whatever you call them in your area) attacked a man not too far from me. It came out from underneath a parked car and bit his leg. He managed to kill it and sure enough, rabies. And a rabid cat attacked a man on a bicycle. I think I even remember seeing a cow on the state's rabies list. Remember, this is reported cases. I'm sure a lot go unreported/tested.