I just called Raleigh Animal Control to get an animal trap. We’re going to trap a cat that’s been poaching in our back yard for the past two weeks.
I have strong feelings that domesticated pets should not be allowed to roam free at will. They’re well-fed at home but that doesn’t stop them hunting for sport. Domestic cats are one of the biggest causes of fatalities to song birds. I wouldn’t care if they needed to kill to eat, but they usually don’t.
We’ve had two dead birds in our yard since this cat arrived, and we only have three birds in our birdhouse (there were 5 babies to start with).
If this is a family pet, I feel a bit bad about trapping the cat and taking it to the pound. It’s a good way to lose a family pet quickly. But damn, why do they have to let it roam free in the first place?
I’m with you on this. That’s a really hard call. Can you imagine if people let their dogs run free like that? We have quite a few loose cats in my neighborhood as well, and I always hiss at them really loud. I’m surprised none of the non-feral outdoor cats near me got the baby robins, actually.
Comment by Stew — June 12, 2008 @ 1:20 pm
Yea that stinks:( Do you have a neighborhood listserv? You could send a warning and see if anyone comes forward. We have a lot of loose cats in our neighborhood too. Sometimes people show concern but for the most part the cats are pretty cool. We usually come home in the evenings to one specific one taunting Archie and Lily in the front yard with the window barrier between them. A and L get super peeved. hehe.
Comment by Cristin — June 12, 2008 @ 2:49 pm
I think letting any pet roam free is an out-dated mindset but I’m guessing there are tons of people that would disagree with me. However, once these folks pets’ venture into your yard, they are on your private property, so if they are a nuisance, they have to be dealt with (strictly in a reasonable and humane way, of course). I’m guessing the cat doesn’t have a collar to identify him either? Not fun. Sorry you have to deal with that.
Comment by Monica — June 12, 2008 @ 4:07 pm
We have a cat killing our birds too. We don’t think it’s our own cat, (for a few reasons) but you never know. Hey – I just realized, our cat roams free! Or, rather, Will’s cat. 🙂
Comment by Ele — June 12, 2008 @ 4:39 pm
You could put some Cat deterants in your yard or put a collar on the cat with a couple of bells on it(they are cheap), then the birds will hear kitty coming and zoom away.
If you did trap the cat, the pound or any local vet offices will scan the kitty for a microchip, If kitty has one they he/she can be returned to owner and that is when YOU pounce……right onto that owner and tell them how you feel about kitty hunting in your own back yard.
Comment by Trace — June 12, 2008 @ 11:27 pm
Get a dog 🙂
Or what about a motion detecting sprinkler head set so that it only went off on animals on the ground? Assuming the birds are off the ground on the feeders.
I don’t agree with free roaming cats. I caught one walking around on my truck last night. He of course had no dirt or sand on his paws when he jumped up. grrrrr
Comment by Sean — June 13, 2008 @ 5:25 am
I let me cats roam, and as far as I know, they only kill / eat birds from our yard! I hope you actually make an effort to look for their home base first bc vet bills are NOT CHEAP, and what if they take that PET to the pound and it’s put down?
Imagine the loss that family will feel all bc the rules of nature are being watched from your house? Hmmm. Well we can agree to disagree for sure on this topic…my cats are quite content to stay in their yard, from what I see.
Comment by Jennifer from Cincinnati — June 16, 2008 @ 10:51 am
It should be noted that free-roaming cats are against the law in our area. They don’t need to eat birds to fend off hunger if they have owners/providers.
And they’re devastating to song bird populations.
http://library.fws.gov/Bird_Publications/songbrd.html#Cat
Comment by admin — June 16, 2008 @ 12:20 pm