General Chat

I am getting a bit fed up with peoples Cats coming into my Garden and killing the Birds, today a Blackbird that was nesting was killed, and it really upsets me. Dont get me wrong I love animals including Cats, but for the sake of a little Bell on its Collar, probably thousands of Birds would be saved.Please think about it when you get a new Kitten, I know its harder for a full grown Cat to get used to but a Kitten soon accepts it. Thanks so much.

Laurel & Hardy both have bells on their collars. Fortunately, the only things they have successfully hunted down and killed are dead leaves (outside), and bottle tops (inside). Liz

my mum has loads of birds in her garden and sadly the neighbourhood cats have got to know. Her male companion sits quietly in the window with his 'super soaker' water pistol. lol The cats soon get the message! Claire

I am not sure a bell will work, My friend has used a bell on her cat ever since it was a kitten but it sill brings her a half eaten birds and mice home. They just learn to hunting with a bell. or her cat is one in a million Roy

Clicquot has a bell and have had her present one dead bird to gasman!! :O( I do hate it that she is able to kill especially as though loss of one paw would slow her down but sadly it doesn't!! xx

thanks for replies its so upsetting especially when you know they have a nest with eggs in which unless the other Bird can keep looking after them they will just die .I have actually bought a few Bells and if I get close enough I am going to put them on , I know some Cats are very clever and can work out how to tiptoe so the Bells dont ring, but not all will manage it so some will survive.

that might be true but if we can stop some cruelty why not ???

I know it's distressing for us humans to deal with but cruelty is a perspective and we live in a very sheltered environment. Try telling lions and tigers that they're cruel when they make a kill and they'll laugh at you. :-)

Another reason to attempt to stop cats killing birds is the obvious 'avian flu' - cats have died having caught this so to me I'll try everything to stop that happening!! xx

I have 3 cats , none of which wear a collar. I had a cat hang himself once from climbing a tree and if he hadn't of had a collar he would still be here today.

Animals in the wild kill to live............domestic cats kill because it is nature..........its domestic killing that should be banned... pet cats should be kept indoors.......during nesting seasons....

Deborah have you not seen the 'SNAP' collars? It stops them getting caught and just snaps apart if pulled too tightly!! xx

I bought my first cat, Mynx, a collar. She took it off, I know it was her who took it off because I found it when I pulled the settee out about a week later to hoover underneath it.. By this time I'd bought her a second one and she took that off too so I gave up after that.

My cats all wear collars with bells on and sadly I still wake up to the odd dead mouse on my landing and bird in the kitchen. Julie xxx

My cats are indoor cats, we love the birds and are members of RSPB.They are quite happy to watch them out of the windows.......

Hi Pink I've got one for the dog but the cats seem to manage to loose them, so gave up replacing them. lol -x-

My cats have always had collars and bells. They still cought birds and mice. Would have cought more without them . I dont like it when they kill birds, but thats what cats do, like it or not. Other birds kill the young bird's too. I have an 18 mth old house cat , she was very timid when I got her so last year I let her out when I was in garden. I feel guilty at her being in the house and had intended to let her out this summer when ever we were around but...not if there is a risk of bird flu ,might wait and see if the flu come to anything first. Marion

I usually author the bird-watch thread and probably agree with you. Is there an argument that it is cruel to cats though. They chase birds by nature, and as we all know, nature can be very cruel. Very sad. My ultra sonic cat warning.is pretty effective, but they don,t seem to work for a lot of other people. Happy days

No way am I going to keep my three cats indoors !!!!!! They don't wear collars with bells on because I live next door to a huge field and if my cats didn't catch the rats from the field my garden would be over run with rats and all the problems they can cause. I have two young children. They come first. It is sad when they catch birds, and I don't like it. However, that's just they way that they are and you can't argue with nature xx

Sorry folks (going to be hated after this) but that's one of the reasons i don't like cats. They roam free wherever they wish. I know hunting birds is instinct, although someone should tell them they get free meals lol It's the poo in my garden borders i don't like,urgh, not nice at all. Our neighbours ( who i like incidently) have 4 cats between them, try as we might to keep cats out they still manage to use our newly dug earth as a toilet. Husband keeps water pistol on window sill but i think they like it !! Mau :O()