the sickest thing i have ever had to do

[chausiefan]

I hate squirrels around my house they make life for my birds HELL they raid the nests, kill the babyies and menace adults

in my backyard! Well my newest kitten/cat has discovered them and will RUN straight to the top of a tree in order to try and get one! She has not caught one yet but boy does she put the fear of god into them when they see she can climb just as fast as they can!

 

[touro1979]

I dont mind them outside but their a real pain once they get in your walls. My cats LOVE looking at squirels out the window, they meow really loud and swish their tales really fast. Its really funny.

 

[yorda]

Originally Posted by momof3rugratz

I am not sure I can handler killing the animal even if suffering. I would probably be chicken and take it to the vet to do the deed

Many communities have wildlife rehabilitators that can nurse injured animals back to health or humanely euthanise an animal that cannot be saved. I honestly would not feel comfortable doing it any other way. Several groups I've known worked with local humane societies to make their services more accessable to the public.

 

[momof3rugratz]

Originally Posted by Yorda

Many communities have wildlife rehabilitators that can nurse injured animals back to health or humanely euthanise an animal that cannot be saved. I honestly would not feel comfortable doing it any other way. Several groups I've known worked with local humane societies to make their services more accessable to the public.

I think I will check in to it. I know the shelter said they would but am not sure.

 

[sillykitty3]

My dog got worms after he caught a rabbit in our back yard and pretty much ate it. We were pretty sure the worms came from the rabbit.

Jennie

 

[mizzykitty]

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have had the nerve to kill the rabbit myself. Eep, it must have been a terrible experience.

If you are concerned your cat might do it again, you could get a noisy bell to put on his collar. That way the prey will be warned off by the sound of him approaching.

 

[mizzykitty]

Also, I just remembered this. I saw on a documentary about cats that the "killing blow", or killing an animal quickly usually by snapping its neck, is a learned skill. Wild cats learn it from their parents and practice it till they master it. In the wild, I don't think you'd see a cat eat an animal alive, unless it was small enough to eat in one or two bites.

People watch domestic cats seeming to "play" with their catches and think it's cruel. But in reality, the cat has hunted this prey probably due to chase instinct. And when it finally caught it, that's when it was kind of like, what do I do now? The cat has a vague idea that this is to be eaten, but a pampered pet isn't going to really know how to go about that. So you get a lot of mauled, half dead or half chewed animals. :/ Don't blame your kitty; he's not done it on purpose, he just didn't know how to kill it properly.