Help!!!

Hi,

I am new on the forum!

I have 2 kittens - well they are around 10 months old now called Ronnie and Regie.

Well Ronnie is driving me mad and freaking the hell out of me.

Few weeks ago he discovered catching birds, mice etc. At one point 2 weeks ago he must of found a birds nest as in 2 days had 6 dead birds without any feathers. Horrible

Anyway in the last 5 days he has discovered frogs (and I am scared of frogs!) its got ridiculous now - last night he came in with 4 frogs 1 of which was alive and he hid it afetr chasing him under a pile of clean washing.

My partner refuses now point blank to get rid of any more (i'd say at least 13 in last few days) and it was hard for me to grab it and chuck it out.

Other than locking him out what can I do?

Do they grow out of it? Is it a phase as he has only just discovered it?

Please help!

Sorry for such a long thread!!!

The other option is :

Lock them inside - I mean keep them indoors!!!

........and no they do notstop once started . It's their natural prey drive and even though they are not hungry / don't need it for food they are doing their thing - it's called nature.

SO the novelty will not wear off?

I thought maybe it was so often as he had only just discovered it and that soon even though he would still do it not quite so much?

I cant handle 4 frogs a night!!!!

Maybe it will slow down - but it be part of their lives...

Right ok then, I need to start loving frogs!

I can handle the birds and the mice - it was just the frogs I struggle with!

Reggie on the other hand has only once bought anything back which was a baby mouse which was still alive and he was playing with it - and we managed to let it go. He has not bothered since its just Ronnie!

Although Reggie is a more indoors car whereas Ronnie treats home like a hotel only comes back for dinner and the occasional nap on our bed!

Cats normally approach their prey silently. Try putting a bell on the cat's collar. It is not 100% but will reduce the kills since prey is warned.

Originally Posted by crandc

Cats normally approach their prey silently. Try putting a bell on the cat's collar. It is not 100% but will reduce the kills since prey is warned.

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Some cats learn to hold the bell in their mouth while stalking.

Well it won't hurt to try

I would try the possibility of just not letting him out at all. He may be alright if you provide things for him to do inside.

But when they bring them home to you, they are giving the animals to you as a gift. Since to them, you cannot hunt for your own food, they do it for you and bring you food. See it as a sign that they love you so much they are trying to give back for all that you give to them!

Plus, frogs aren't so bad are they? Do they just gross you out? Frogs are my next pet Iwill be looking into getting. Or Firebelly Toads.

Is it dangerous for cats to kill wild birds? Can they catch something from the bird (not just bird flu)?

It has recently been proven that bells do NOT warn birds at all - the bells are apparently just another noise to them, and it's a waste of time, but I can't believe you don't care at all about the birds and keep your cats indoors. Thousands and thousands of song birds and others are being killed every day by loose cats and they're not 'renewing' themselves because we're already taking all their habitats. It's irresponsible to let your cat out to keep killing other animals. And yes, they can definitely get sick - bird flu is a problem as birds have been found in N. America who've been infected by 'visitors' from away, plus West Nile virus is carried by birds (who then die) when they're bitten by mosquitos. He's young now, and will adapt a lot quicker to being indoors if you just put up with some whining for a while and get him neutered as soon as possible (and no, neutering will not stop him from being a killer).

Originally Posted by Larke

no, neutering will not stop him from being a killer.

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But it could lessen his desire to be outdoors. So if it isn't done, pelase do that. Not only for this reason but for his health too.

Number one, is either of your cats neutered? Also, I would NEVER let your cats outside. There are so many dangers, besides diseases they could get from a fight with wild animals among other things. When I was about 13 I had a kitten named Rascal. My little sister and dad used to take him outside in the mornings to play and eventually he grew up and wanted outside. He sprayed everywhere because I didn't know about neutering at the moment, and my parents were getting on my case about the smell. I took him outside once and usually he didn't go far. But the more I let him out the farther he went. One day he took off and didn't come back for a couple days. I was terrified. Only he did keep coming back after that. BUT, one day only a month before he was almost 1 year old he got ran over and was flattened on the street in front of my neighbor's house....=( Not only are there cars and animals, but there are cruel people too who will think nothing of torturing a stray cat. Unfortunately I know this first hand, and it's horrible what people will do to a stray or any other cat for that matter. Please, DO NOT let your cat out. You won't realize how dangerous it is until he's gone. I would recommend a body leash to take him out for fresh air. The killing is obviously their nature. But if they're getting fed at home, why should the other creatures have to suffer and die by the paws of your cat? Killing your food to survive is reasonable, but not for entertainment. Please understand the importance of neutering and spaying your pet. Not only is it harmful to him, but the stray females out there will create litters. More homeless and helpless animals will be out there because of it. I beg you, don't let them suffer. Don't make the mistake that I did. Save your pet, keep him indoors.

Originally Posted by Gnat

Other than locking him out what can I do?

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Lock him out?!!! That would be death to the poor cat.

Either make him an indoor kitty without outdoor privileges, or find him a new home. Please don't even give up on an animal that you have sworn to look after, and toss it outside. You wouldn't give up on your child and lock it outside so easily.

I would personally keep him inside, or invest in a cat-fence enclosure. Although I do think things are different in the UK than they are here. Are there any little neighborhood boys that would help you dispose of the frogs? I'm sure THEY would not get grossed out!

I wish people would not jump on others as soon as when they mention that their cat is outdoors. Here in the UK an indoor outdoor cat is very common and in fact most shelters will not adopt out cats to people who do not have gardens.

Original Poster having an indoor/outdoor cat basically means that you will have to deal with little presents like this from your cats. A bell will somewhat work and neutering too (please neuter your kitties for their health they will live longer and won't roam far from your garden).

I hope this poster will be back, we never got the chance to ask her if her cats are neutered and maybe if they were not to convince her it was for the best or recomend a type of fence where her cats will not be able to leave the garden. I just wish people would realize that if something that is not commonly done in your country it does not make it bad. My vet actually recommends that cats have some outdoor access to a garden with a fence they cannot get over.

The RSPCA in the UK, as well as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds recommend that cats be kept indoors for an hour or so at dawn and dusk, when birds are most active, and they have done studies that show that this can cut bird deaths through cats in urban areas by up to half. But it is correct that in Britain places like the Battersea Cats' Home (our most famous shelter) will not do normal adoptions unless the cat has access to a garden. Of course, if the cat is old or sick (declawing is illegal here) then it is different.

Originally Posted by jennyranson

The RSPCA in the UK, as well as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds recommend that cats be kept indoors for an hour or so at dawn and dusk, when birds are most active, and they have done studies that show that this can cut bird deaths through cats in urban areas by up to half. But it is correct that in Britain places like the Battersea Cats' Home (our most famous shelter) will not do normal adoptions unless the cat has access to a garden. Of course, if the cat is old or sick (declawing is illegal here) then it is different.

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That sounds very nice. Are there any "cat" predators there? I wish we didn't have them here. We've got coyotes, mountain lions, and foxes. I guess you have foxes, but maybe not in town...

Thanks for the info Jenny. I will be moving to a house with a garden soon and I want Rocket and Mica to have access to it without leaving the area. I will take the advice of the RSPCA and keep them in at dawn and dusk for an hour. Also I will only let them out during the day.

Could anyone who has more advice PM me? Thanks

Frogs are common prey for cats at this time of year (as are baby birds). I agree with the keeping them in at certain times of day. Many cats do catch less as they get older, but others continue to bring home presents throughout their lives! Only time will tell which category yours fall into.

Indoor cats are becoming more common over here. When I first got my cats and decided to keep them indoors I didn't know anyone else who kept their cats indoors. Now I know a few and hear about others on sites like this. Shelters are having to move with the times and realise that some people choose to keep their cats indoors. My vets have always approved of my keeping them indoors and most breeders prefer indoor homes for their kitties.

when u say NEVER let a cat outside.. isnt that against its nature? i would let it go outside and it should grow out of it hopefully.. if not u can ring ur local vet and get advice. it is very common to have this sort of behaviour in young cats =]