Cats and small things

There are a lot of gecko lizards around this time of year in Texas, and they get into the house. I don't really mind it, because they are clean and eat other types of bugs, and they are kinda cute. They have babies to, and they end up in the path of my cats, especially my Siamese Taza, the supreme gecko huntress. I went into the kitchen a while ago and she had cornered one, a baby only an inch long. It doesn't matter if she sees it for one second or several minutes, she is on it for an hour and won't move until she is sure it is gone. I can't help wanting to scold her and save the tiny thing, but I always step back. She is so laser-beamed on them, and she is very proud about the whole thing, that I can't get in the way. I just let nature take it's course and feel sorry for the poor little lizard. But, nature has it's own ways, and if you have cats, well, you have to allow them to be cats - you know?

In my case, no. I can't let my cats kill my geckos, the geckos are pets.

Since the wild geckos are not a pest that will eat through wires like mice, I'd most likely do my best to put them back outside. There's actually an easy way to catch geckos, move slowly with an opaque large cup till the cup is positioned in front of the gecko. Then spook the gecko into the cup and quickly cover with your hand.

Parasites wild reptiles can carry; roundworms, pinworms, giardia, coccidia, and various nematodes, just for starters. Not something you'd really want your cat munching on if preventable.

Don't worry mikex, there will come a time that the geckos in your area will ultimately learn to avoid your place or at least learn to outwit Taza!
But I agree with you, it's natural for any cat to hunt. And I also like geckos. So with me, as much as possible I try to get to the lizard before my kitties and I feel bad when there are gecko casualties.

She plays with them for a time before, gulp, finishing the poor critter off. I may intervene after playtime and put it outside. I like both creatures.

My cats hunt roaches... Now that I've taken to sprinkling boric acid in all the crevices, there aren't that many left, though. I don't feel sorry for the roaches--I don't like to see things die, but roaches are pests, and anyway, they're insects--insects don't have minds or feelings, per se. Much less sad than seeing a mouse die at my cats' claws, even though a mouse is a pest, too.

But then, I'm a carnivore myself... I had pork sausages just today. So not letting my cats kill and eat things would really be kind of a double standard, you know?

Originally Posted by mikex

She plays with them for a time before, gulp, finishing the poor critter off. I may intervene after playtime and put it outside. I like both creatures.

Click to expand...

Allowing her to play with it will more than likely maim it

My rule is, if they kill it before I know about it, it's out of my hands. If I catch them with it, I take it away. If it's maimed, it is quickly dispatched. Otherwise, it is released outside, hopefully having learned its lesson.