Cat died violently in back garden , what killed it ?

barrymanilow

Hi ,

Before I start the cat is not mine but is a wild cat , one of many that moves through the back gardens . I live in an suburban housing estate .

So found this cat dead after work in the back garden . Some patches of its fur were gone showing skin underneath and it had a big cut around the collar area which is what I presume it died from . The Garden was full of its fur , white fur . So I did a Sherlock Holmes and deduced that it was killed in the garden as the tufts of torn fur were all around the area where it was lying dead . Whatever it fought with or was killed by either also had white fur like this cat or didn't have any fur or lost no fur in the scrap as the only fur I could see was that matching the dead cats .

I have never seen a dog in the back garden and none would have had access . I see the odd cat coming and going though . So what could have done this ? Could two Tomcats have a fight that leaves one dead and almost defurred while the winner leaves no trace (of its fur ) . Other theories I have is that the cat cornered a rat or a shrew that got lucky by digging its teeth into the cats neck and just hung on tight while the cat defurred itself trying to shake it off . Bit strange how the cat was so badly mangled but no signs of the other struggling animal .

Thanks if you have any ideas

peasant

Fox would be my guess

él statutorio

peasant wrote: »

Fox would be my guess

Wouldn't a fox eat it though rather than just leaving it there?

Aenaes

A fox could have been disturbed and ran off after killing it or perhaps it was a young fox that just wanted to fight/hunt for practice?

A young fox got into a chicken coop here and killed three chickens without consuming any. He or she then cuddled into a corner and stayed there until morning. I had to lift it by the neck out of the coop to set it free.

barrymanilow

peasant wrote: »

Fox would be my guess

Interesting , never saw one out the back but have spotted them in the general area

discus

Curiosity?

ganmo

My money would be on another cat.
Don't see what a fox would gain from killing the cat.

Knine

Definitely not a rat. Cat could have been badly injured elsewhere by a dog & then crawled into your garden & a local cat then take advantage of its injuries & attack it.

However I have seen a dog jump into a back garden to kill a cat.

taytobreath

ganmo wrote: »

My money would be on another cat.
Don't see what a fox would gain from killing the cat.

yea i think foxes generally leave cats alone because they are a hard kill. My money is on another Tom, a bigger and more aggresive fellow

jimf

if your anyway near a waterway I would suspect a mink

Kristopherus

Aenaes wrote: »

A fox could have been disturbed and ran off after killing it or perhaps it was a young fox that just wanted to fight/hunt for practice?

A young fox got into a chicken coop here and killed three chickens without consuming any. He or she then cuddled into a corner and stayed there until morning. I had to lift it by the neck out of the coop to set it free.

Are foxes vermin or are they protected? Why did you free it?

Kovu

Kristopherus wrote: »

Are foxes vermin or are they protected? Why did you free it?

Vermin to many & certainly not protected. But it's up to the individual whether they want it to live or not. Wouldn't like to attempt killing one with my bare hands :pac:

As for the cat, my money is on another tom cat or a mink. I'd edge towards another full male if the dead cat was male himself.

DBB

Folks,
Can I just remind everyone that discussion of vermin/pest control is strictly forbidden in this forum.. it's not what we're about.
In addition, can I also ask that there is no more discussion about the effects of cats on wildlife... it's been done to death and has caused pretty much every thread it arises in to be closed, with warnings issued etc.
So, let's park both subjects now, and let the discussion continue without either.
Thanks,
DBB

Aenaes

Kristopherus wrote: »

Are foxes vermin or are they protected? Why did you free it?

I didn't want to kill or imprison it.

pwurple

Another cat would be my guess. We have some strays wandering through our garden, plus foxes, some kind of large mink/weasel-like creature and a small dog appears from time to time.

The foxes are very nervous, a bird flaps its wing and it's gone. the dog is lazy, the cats constantly fight between themselves. Loudly and taking the odd chunk of fur out of each other . I think if you had two stray cats, one bigger than the other, smallie would be a goner if they met often enough.