Cat bringing mice and birds into house

will1977

Hi,

We have a cat flap on our back door. Our cat has got into the habit of bringing mice and birds into the house late at night. In the morning I find the remains of a fight with blood and feathers everywhere. I have tried putting a collar with a bell on her but doesn't work. Don't really want to keep her in at night as would have to start putting out the litter tray again, which I;d prefer not to do. Does anyone have any solutions to this problem !? Thanks

Whispered

I would suggest bringing her in at night. I know you don't want to but you might have to. My cats prefer to toilet outdoors so even when they are in overnight, they wait to go out and don't use the litter box, unless it's an emergency.

Also birds are usually only caught at dawn or dusk, where could she be getting birds during the night? I would imagine she's catching them around dawn and bringing them in then. Could you get up early enough to stop her doing this?

Perhaps when she comes in, in the evening, you could play with her to keep her awake longer in the hopes she'll sleep in the morning instead of hunting. Try to discourage deep daytime sleeping as much as you can. During the day my cats have no access to the rest of the house so the couch and stairs, which are very quiet and where they usually sleep are not accessible. The kitchen has glass doors so if they are sleeping in the kitchen, there are constantly distractions outside which prevents them sleeping for too long. They tend to sleep all night then, and I usually have to move them from their beds

galah

we've started to 'screen' our cats access to the house during dusk - if they carry anything at all in their mouths, they won't get in. But that only works if you can actually restric the access.

Other than that - get a decent pair of padded oven-mittens, some plastic bags, and the yellow pages (to prevent the mouse from crawling under the tele stand...not what you think!). Happy hunting!

(our two cats bring the mice in, alive, and then watch us crawl around the living room trying to catch the mouse, while looking mildly amused. Bastards...:D).

For added fun, forget to close the cat access point, drink a load of pear cider, come home in the middle of the night on a school night (when all you want is go to sleep because you have to be up early again), look at the cats' oh-so-innocent faces, and then hunt mice for an hour or two.

Beats playing wii and does wonders for your relationship, I can tell ya.

HydeRoad

Ha, I had a lovely surprise one afternoon - the door was open, the cats were nowhere to be seen, and two tiny day old chicks were lying on the mat. The cats must have raided a nest, and these chicks were barely out of the eggs, hairless and blind. One was dead and mangled to pieces. The other was a hardy little fellow, with a few cuts and blood, but rolled up into a ball, and breathing heavily and steadily! Sweet cutie pussycats... GNASH!

LegacyUser

We have 3 cats, once had 4!! In the last 4 years I have have had to clean up 2 headless birds, a shew and also save one bird from behind the dish washer. Not very uch work for the pleasure of having a cat. I wouldn't be denying a cat that is used to being outside at night that priviledge.

Which are you worried about Your cat catching the bird or the mess in the kitchen?

First time I came down for my breakfast and found the place covered in feathers was around the bird flu time and I was a bit p*ssd off and feeling sorry for myself. So I definitely have sympathy for you tidying it up - I was looking for a quick solution for it too. Don't think there is one.

Sigma Force

Simple, lock the cat flap and keep the cat in. More likely the cat would be hit by a car at night anyway so your not only saving the wildlife your possibly saving your cats life too. Invest in a few good cat toys and a cat tree to keep kitty amused in the house.

LegacyUser

I don't agree with locking cats in at night. Depends very much on the type of cat that you have. If your cat strays from your garden, then maybe ...
But to say all cats should be kept in at night is a generalism.

None of our cats leave our garden .... I would rather they have the run of the garden at night.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

No brainer. Keep the cats in at night. It's perfectly do-able and will contribute towards preventing the killing of a couple of Million birds in Ireland each year as well as countless small mammals. Reponsible cat ownership should be like responsible dog ownership where we prevent our pets doing wrong or harm to anybody or anything else.
Giving cats the run of the garden at night is inviting them to kill wildlife. If they can leave the garden (and let's face it most can) they not only hunt in other people's gardens but foul them as well - hardly fair is it?

tallus

Get rid of the catflap.
I know of someone who had the misfortune of having their cat bringing a live rat into the house one time and it got into the piano.
Both of my cats stay out at night, thankfully they haven't deposited anything at the back door in a while.

BlackCat2008

I have a 25yr old cat who in her day was a well none hunter in the niegbhourhood and everyone with mice problems would ask to take her over night to help them but it never worked outside the house (hence I'm still poor)until I was told by my vet that these are their way of showing you they love YOU by bringing you home presents. Not very nice ones as I found out one morning when I stepped on a radder runny dead rat getting out of bed one morning. I don't now How it even got their my cats are always in at night as I can't tell if they stay in the garden when I sleep and always hunt when I let them out in the morning. I discouraged it by having a water pistol at hand and would meet them at the door each time until the niegbours started to get presents and I had to get them pistols aswell. Don't forget to praise them when they leave the presents outside tho.

And don't forget mice, rats and birds pass on fleas, ticks and lice.I,m not sure of disease's check with your vet?

edelgkgeraghty

I have two cats and I bring them in at night. Simply to protect their own lives! We live near a main road and with the traffic and also people passing by I would fear that something may happen to them. At this stage they are in such a routine that all i have to do is clap my hands when i want them to come in, and off they go trotting in the door in front of me.... only to get ready for their night time rest.

I had the misfortune of been in receipt of the 'presents'! No birds thankfully, but mice indeed and all alive.... oh and a few frogs! Was putting on my boot one morning and there peeping up at me with its beady eyes was a large frog! I opened the door and it hopped all the way home.

I firmly believe that they think they are doing good by bringing in these little presents to you. I once picked up one of the cats to give her a big hug and was greated by a grey ball in her mouth.... this ball turned out to have four legs and a tail!

I have to say, they keep me on my toes!

LegacyUser

BlackCat2008 wrote: »

I have a 25yr old cat

Oh my, can we have pics of this old dear? Would love to see her.

BlackCat2008

edelgkgeraghty wrote: »

I have two cats and I bring them in at night. Simply to protect their own lives! We live near a main road and with the traffic and also people passing by I would fear that something may happen to them. At this stage they are in such a routine that all i have to do is clap my hands when i want them to come in, and off they go trotting in the door in front of me.... only to get ready for their night time rest.

I had the misfortune of been in receipt of the 'presents'! No birds thankfully, but mice indeed and all alive.... oh and a few frogs! Was putting on my boot one morning and there peeping up at me with its beady eyes was a large frog! I opened the door and it hopped all the way home.

I firmly believe that they think they are doing good by bringing in these little presents to you. I once picked up one of the cats to give her a big hug and was greated by a grey ball in her mouth.... this ball turned out to have four legs and a tail!

I have to say, they keep me on my toes!

Like myself I,m glad u see the humor in it.

I once got a knock on the door by half a dozen neighbors asking me to help a cat that had been hit on the main road behind my home(I known as the local spca in the neighborhood or cat woman to the kids I'm not that old yet) I rushed round to help it and could see it was losing blood fast but I couldn't see were it was coming from as the cat was hugh and fluffy. I put my jacket over it to carry it to the car and get it to a vet(Bellfield has an emergencey clinic pricey) it wasn't till we tuck away the jacket we realized it's tail was missing and there was a Hugh gapping hole instead. We guessed he ran out on the road to late and tried to get back in again in the process having his tail removed.When I found the owner she was convinced he never went fer from home. The cat had a long recover from bowel op.s to broken pelvis now recovered he is still seen out at night.No talking to some people.A week later a cat I was making great progress with to tame him and next on the list for neutering was killed on the same road.i didn't think he was near it either. Mine are aways kept in at night he was only learning to get comfy in the house. Please learn a lesson from this people! cats will go were they want when they want.

ValerieR

I also keep my cats indoors at night. They hardly use the litter tray as they spend most of their daylight hours out, only in the case of an emergency.
One of the cats (she was an adult when I got her) I have had for a while was rather active at night to start with but soon settled in the routine. I just need to open the door in the early evening and everyone comes in, have dinner and peacefully settle in their respective corner until the morning.
I have been lucky to be the recipient of very few pressies from them. They are so greedy I guess the prey gets eaten before they manage to hit home ! :-)
ValerieR

BlackCat2008

bubby wrote: »

Oh my, can we have pics of this old dear? Would love to see her.

No problem as soon as I figure out how to, it may take a day or two. I've only ever heard of other cats to live around 22 and just the other day I was told of a 23yr old. Missie is deaf a yesr now but can still bring the younger one's down a peg or two if they get out of hand.

cotton

I'm another one that solved the problem by keeping mine in. I've 8 indoor cats plus numerous fosters, some of which have been completely feral.

Cats sleep between 18-20 hours per day so when you're putting your cat out at night to do cat stuff, chances are it's asleep under a bush for most of that time.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

tallus wrote: »

Get rid of the catflap.
I know of someone who had the misfortune of having their cat bringing a live rat into the house one time and it got into the piano.
Both of my cats stay out at night, thankfully they haven't deposited anything at the back door in a while.

So is the problem just the cat bringing the dead birds back to the house and not their killing them in the first place?

meathstevie

Srameen, I completely understand where you're coming from with your view on "domestic cats" and their impact on wildlife. When it comes to destruction of wildlife the only thing worse than cats in my opinion is mink. I have an old neutered tom myself and the only way you can keep them from destroying wildlife is regular and plenty of feeding and hope for the best. On the other hand they're about the best way of keeping rodents out of the house.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

meathstevie wrote: »

On the other hand they're about the best way of keeping rodents out of the house.

Just as a quick aside. I have never had a rodent in the house (pygmy shrew once though in the garage). We live in a rural location and the house has been here 30 years. Never had a cat either. What keeps the rodents at bay here?

BlackCat2008

Other peoples cats and even some dogs. I live near a main river and shops with two take aways thats were mine come from. My little hunters have always kept them at bay and the neighbors never complained until they seen them get the birds. My cats have become house cats the last year and everyone keeps asking were they are. I can't let them out anymore because of some new and unpredictable neighbors. It's not nice to see them catch birds but it's nature. I never encourage birds into my garden either. It's those who wont neuter their cats that cause over population leading to a decrease in birds.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

BlackCat2008 wrote: »

It's not nice to see them catch birds but it's nature.

Totally untrue. Cats killing birds is not Nature. Cat populations are far from natural. Cats do not kill birds for food or to ensure their own survival.

tallus

Cats do eat the birds they kill. I have seen mine do it.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

tallus wrote: »

Cats do eat the birds they kill. I have seen mine do it.

Because of hunger? In order to survive? To feed their young?...
Nothing to be proud of is it?

galah

tallus wrote: »

Cats do eat the birds they kill. I have seen mine do it.

Mine don't. They just bring them in. And then look at them.
(And we wouldn't have rodents in the house if the cats wouldn't bring them in...;-)) Anyways...hunting is in their nature, and no amount of food and distraction will stop the cats bringing back their prey...

In a way, I'm glad when they bring back mice and birds that are still alive - at least they have a chance of us finding them and releasing them back into the wild...

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

galah wrote: »

In a way, I'm glad when they bring back mice and birds that are still alive - at least they have a chance of us finding them and releasing them back into the wild...

I find that a very twisted logic. How many birds/mammals do they kill and not bring back to the house?

BlackCat2008

No one likes to see them kill birds. I love birds and was reared with them. But cats curiosity and hunting skills will unfortunately cause them to catch them. Look at it from the other side without cats every house and car in the land would be cover in bird poop, and people who gave out about cats would be calling for them to be brought back. Yes it is out of balance at present and people must be educated in neutering their cats. But even I find it falls on deaf ears some times.

HydeRoad

Heard a tremendous racket outside this afternoon, screeching and squawking. Went to the door, and here's the cat running towards the house with a squealing bird in it's mouth, being dive bombed by other birds!

Grabbed puss, but he would not let go of his prize! Eventually he released the stunned bird, who hobbled across the room. I brought the bird back out to the patio to see how he was, shut the cats in, and left the bird in the sun till I decided what to do. The bird sat for fifteen minutes, and then suddenly I looked and it was gone! I searched the shrubbery and all around, but the bird was gone. I figured it's wing to be broken, but it must have flown, because it was nowhere around.

In such a case, is it wasting vet's time to bring birds in, if their wings are broken, or whatever? Will the vet charge?

beautythebp

In general yes cats do kill the birds they catch. The fact that they bring them home is because it is the safest place they know in order to eat or "play" with their catch. I had a cat that would bring in birds, rats, mice, and various other things and put them in one of my shoes. and would sit next to it until i arrived and have this proud look on her face like "see mom look what i did. I caught and killed those nasty things outside and brought them to you to get rid of. Arent you so proud of me?" of course it was gross, and i had to get rid of the yuck and wash my shoes after, but i was kinda happy that she thought so much of me that she wanted to share, and show off...........

beautythebp

tallus

Khaleesi Billions Starter wrote: »

Because of hunger? In order to survive? To feed their young?...
Nothing to be proud of is it?

What's your point ?
Did I actually say I was happy to see it or was proud of it ?
You lost me

tallus

Khaleesi Billions Starter wrote: »

So is the problem just the cat bringing the dead birds back to the house and not their killing them in the first place?

It's not my problem. Why are you asking me ?