why are they killing birds like this?

My cats ocasionally hunt and catch birds.
Nothing surprising that 4 cats will eventually hunt or kill a bird, right?

well today is the third time since the beginning of the year that I've noticed something different going on.
Its pretty disturbing for me and I rather not go into details but I'll just say one of my cats is killing birds in a very aggresive way.

I don't know which cat is doing it. I just find feathers, etc.. spreaded all over the yard.
And no, its not normal... at least not the normal killing behaviour my cats have. Its aggresive... different.
I'm guessing it happens early in the morning because if it happened any later during the day someone at home would be awake.

I know they aren't hungry 'cause they can eat whenever they want to. There's always food in a bowl for them.
And I haven't notice any of them become fussy around the food at home.
None of them show any changes in their behavior.

My only explanation is that they are hunting and killing together. Could it be possible?
And if it were possible, can cats that only tolerate each other decide to hunt and kill as a group?

Can a cat change its hunting behaviour?

The only way to stop them from hunting is to keep them inside. What you are describing is totally normal for a well-fed cat to do. Well-fed cats can hunt effectively, starving cats cannot. They do not have the stamina. The other cats are probably finding the kill afterward and tearing into it. Don't think putting bells on that cats collar will work either, birds don't know bells, and when cats stalk prey they are almost totally motionless. Keep them indoors, and the birds will live longer, let them outside and you have to deal with the trophies they will bring home. It is their instinct.

Originally Posted by kateyes

one of my cats is killing birds in a very aggresive way.

I don't know which cat is doing it. I just find feathers, etc.. spreaded all over the yard.
Can a cat change its hunting behaviour?

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Hunting is aggressive. I never heard otherwise. A cat changes its hunting behavior - it wants to perfect it.
I agree with hissy. If you want to stop it, keep your cats indoors.

Have you actually seen one of your cats do this?? Like bringing the bird to the house/garden?? Don't asume that your cats are doing this there could be another predator in the area too. I hate to admit but one of my cats hunts and occasionally will get a bird but not in the manner your describe. In fact the two large windows in my kitchen and living room kill more birds than my cats!! No one eats those...(I now have stickers on the windows whic helps deter birds).Your cats aren't kept in at night??

We get big piles of feathers left in our garden from foxes and birds of prey.

edited: sorry I posted before finishing my reply.

The other cats are probably finding the kill afterward and tearing into it

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that could be the reason. I didn't think about it before.

A cat changes its hunting behavior - it wants to perfect it

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you're right.

Have you actually seen one of your cats do this?? Like bringing the bird to the house/garden?? Your cats aren't kept in at night??

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No, I've never seen them doing it. I've seen them hunt before, I've also seen a dead bird on my backyard or sometimes in my house but I've never seen a bird shredded into pieces before.
My cats sleep inside my home but we leave a window a little bit open so they can go out at night if they want to.

I don't think its another predator unless its another cat. My backyard has a fence, which would rule out any other animal that couldn't jump or climb.

I'm just trying to understand the behaviour, not really stop it unless its completely necesary.
The way they kill changed so much. Seeing feathers spreaded around is normal but what I'm seeing is similar to having a bird explode in my garden. Not nice at all. There's little pieces everywhere.
Maybe they're eating it now. Or maybe the other cats are finding it and tearing it afterwards too (like hissy said).

The cat I had when I was growing up used to hunt birds and rip them apart like you are describing. I don't think it is abnormal at all. They catch the bird and then "play" with it and tear it apart. Feathers get everywhere. Even now my two cats tear apart their toys, epsecially the fur ones. So I don't think you have anything to worry about except that the birds are getting killed. For the birds sake I would keep your cat indoors.

Catching (and killing) birds is about the most basic instinct a cat can have - we were driving one day yrs ago, saw a cat had been hit by a car and was crawling towards the curb. We instantly stopped (amazingly had just noted a vet 2 blks back!) and blocked the lane so my husband could go get a box to carry the cat in. While I waited, the cat (who eventually did not make it - spinal trauma) was totally fixated on a bird in a tree on the far side of the sidewalk, oblivious to her own condition (tho' may not have had pain due to paralysis). They have no control over the instinct, so we have to control it for them - by keeping them inside. There are statistics that estimate the number of urban or semi-rural cats killed by domestic cats in recent years (so many of us having cats), and they're horrifying. Whole species and subspecies of birds have been decimated, and little bells do not work.

I have seen one cat give another a 'hunting lesson' before now. Maybe this is what's going on, you have one who is not very experienced that is being taught by another?

Sadly, I often find feathers and 'bits' strewn around my garden. The smart birds learn fast and get away, the dim ones don't make it.

My only explanation is that they are hunting and killing together. Could it be possible?
And if it were possible, can cats that only tolerate each other decide to hunt and kill as a group?

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I've personally seen this behavior. Patches and Princess barely tolerate each other normally. However, I have seen them hunt a rat together. One cat chases the rat towards some bush where the other cat is hiding. The second cat leaps out an ambushes the rat. Then she chases the rat while the first cat races ahead and hides behind another bush. Patches and Princess will leap frog each other like this until Patches decides it's time to make the final kill (Princess doesn't seem to know how to do this).

I've also seen them do this once with a mouse, and on several occasions they were BOTH be meowing at the door with their prey.

The interesting thing is that while they will hunt together, they won't play together and there's usually hissing at dinner time.