Owls and Cats

[jennyr]

I have just returned from a week at the house in France, checking the renovations ( and I drove there and back - 2x12 hour days each way!). While I was there a friend came to visit, and when I was showing her round the barn we disturbed a huge brown owl that was roosting on the central beam. It flew off out the top open window. My friend, who is from Oregon, said that her family had lost two cats to owls, and they were very dangerous. I had never thought of that hazard, though of course my cats are always in at night when owls are hunting. Does anyone have any experience? Should I be worried in any way? I had hoped I had found a place with no serious predators or dangers for the kits.

 

[solaritybengals]

I think the smaller the cat is in proportion to the size of the owl, the more dangerous. I'm kind of glad I don't have personal experience though.

 

[snosrap5]

My FIL worked for an owl rescue. He loves them passionately. He says they are some of the fiercest predators on earth. I would say if your cats are outside at night then yes you should worry. They do not hunt during the day at all ever.

 

[maverick_kitten]

Do you know what breed of owl it is?

 

[rosiemac]

Jenny i've just spoke to Gil because they have owls on the farm where they work and he loves them.

He said as long as your keeping the cats in at night you should be ok, but he did say the ones to watch are the eagle owls which are huge, but he said they normally wouldn't be found in barns.

 

[jcat]

I don't have any experience with owls carrying off cats, but I know eagles do, so I don't think I'd let the cats out at night, since owls are active then. Do you know how big the owls are in that area of France? If they're tiny, it shouldn't be a problem, but the big ones probably wouldn't hesitate to swoop down on a cat.

 

[pushylady]

I hadn't heard of owls hunting cats before, I thought they stuck to rodents. My husband's work had an adopted cat (on a golf course) who was killed last year by their resident hawk. Very upsetting.

When I read the title to this thread, I wondered where was the pea-green boat?

 

[gailc]

Several yrs ago we had an injured great horned owl on our property and I took some pictures of it. Have a few months of rehab it was re-released back on our property and once you know what they sound like-well we know they are in the vicinity. Never had any problems with the cats. We also have red-tailed hawks which are doing a good job on the rabbits. Haven't bothered the cats either.

 

[catloverin_ks]

I have also heard this about owls, killing cats/kittens. I always worry about that, even during the day. I never thought about them not hunting during the day though.

 

[jennyr]

As I said, my cats are always in at night, but I thought I would check any possible predators. This owl was very big, at least a metre and a half wing span, and a light brown colour. Its body was bigger than an adult cat. I will have to get a bird book!

 

[rosiemac]

If it was about 2' high it could have been one of those eagle owls. As long as your keeping them in at night though Jenny i wouldn't worry.

 

[rockcat]

After finding out that my Dad's cat was picked up by an eagle (after he gave Blacky back to his ex-wife) I wouldn't take any chances with birds of prey around. Keeping your cats in at night is of course safER, but since the owl you were talking about is so big... it makes me nervous.

(I posted about the eagle before, but I know not everyone read it. The eagle did drop Blacky in the woods at treetop level. Thank GOD! He had some scratches on his sides from the talons and was too scared to move when my Dad's ex-wife found him, but he survived and is fine now.)

Originally Posted by pushylady

When I read the title to this thread, I wondered where was the pea-green boat?

It made me think about that too. I Love that poem!

 

[jennyr]

All that sounds scary. I am glad Blacky was OK. Well, we don't need the pea-green boat but the plenty of money would come in handy!!

 

[furryferals]

I used to have a miniature yorkie and we could not let her out in the garden on her own as the church belltower across the road used to have nesting kestrels or sparrow hawks(don't know exactly).They would fly around hunting for food.

I used to have nightmares of her being carried away by them

Needless to say i was a little pleased when the church put mesh up to stop them nesting.