Big moral Dilemma: Cats killing pet birds and brother wanting to kill cats, serious advice needed, read below.

Question

My brother has these gorgeous pigeons ($150- 300 worth) not to mention the love we give them makes them precious.

He flies the pigeons, it's a hobby many maynot be aware of.
Yesterday after a flying session the most beautiful/smart bird came & nested in her box, in the small time period from her nesting & us closing the metal door, she was caught by a small domestic cat right in front of my eyes. When I saved her (by scaring off the cat) it was too late & she died in my arms, it was the hardest thing to watch for my whole family.

My brother was not home during this ordeal, & now he's furious. He has already poured/sprayed water, thrown beans at the cats that come around, now he wants to shoot them with his BBgun.

I'm a cat lover, if he does that, it's wrong on so many levels. I just don't know what to do. I'm angry at the cat too, but killing is no solution (I keep thinking about my cat that went missing 6 months ago & how many nights I cried over her).

Thank you.

Due to my fear of my brother I don't currently have a cat, these are other people's cat that roam our garden. I don't feed them or play with them in anyway (as I used to (2 years - 8 months ago). Also I've never seen these cats before (they are not coming here by habbit).

I spray these cats with water too, because I know if my brother sees them he'd hurt them.
I love all animals, I just wish they'd stop killing each other.

The cat I lost was a real hunter, she'd rather hunt/kill and eat a lil' bird or rat rather than eat her creme filled kitty biscuts.

**
cat nurd:

Dumb brothers are a dime a dozen.
get rid of him. Problem solved.

**

That's the moral dilemma part, I kid.

I know how frustrated he is, and it's impossible to calm him down at this point, btw these birds were very protected, wire mesh, strong large plastic (travelling) pet boxes with metal locks a layer of solid metal wall (he created) etc. . the cat was very small that's probably how it got in, because a regular sized cat would get stuck getting into the area.


I really appreciated all the answers, except for the 911 comment.

Anyway I will look into the cat-repellent thing, that seems like the most humane way to go about this.

More answers are welcomed.

PS: I'm so sorry to hear about the ferret/cockatail incident :-(

Answer 1

I agree with you that hurting one animal to protect another is not the answer to your problem.

Perhaps you can find another place to exercise your birds. I don't know much about the activity but there may be groups who share your interests and gather near you.

You can try finding the cat's owners. If you can't convince them that its not in their pet's best interest to roam the streets - where they can be hurt by cars - you may be able to check with them when you are planning to fly your birds. That way you can avoid doing so while the cats are about.

Check your local pet store. They're sure to have repellents available. You can spray or sprinkle powders that cats and other critters find repulsive. That may help keep the little buggers away from your birds.

Good luck.

Answer 2

All these killing, where will it stop?

If your brother shoot some body's cat, would the owner of the cat get mad and shoot him? Wouldn't that cause some serious problem for your family and then you Dad would pull out his gun and shoot the neighbor?

As far as his hobby is concern, your brother should know better to keep a close eye on his birds at all time. There are wild cats everywhere. Taking care of pets are like taking care of children. You just cannot leave them alone for 1 minute or some disaster could happen.

As far as cats are concerned, it is their instinct to try to catch other smaller strange animals. they do not understand the world like we human do and have no respect of other people's property. May be you could keep a dog to safe guard the birds and keep the cats away. Precaution is a better way than violence.

I totally understand that your brother is pissed and grieving over the death of his bird. However, killing some body's cat would not bring back his bird. It is not the answer. You really need to calm him down first and then talk some reason into him.

Answer 3

From your question it appears that the cat was not yours? If this is the case then have you tried talking to the cat's owner, if you know who it belongs to? You may be able to come to a compromise if so.
Otherwise the only thing to do is 'cat proof' your pigeon's home. Unfortunately it is in the nature of the cat to catch birds, even if they only play with them (which unfortunately still results in the same ending). I know because I have lots of cats and chicks. Killing the cat won't help as there will always be another one to take its place. Take a look at your pigeons' home from a cat's point of view and work out what will make it 'impossible' for a cat to reach it. That is, something which a cat cannot reach by climbing up to or jumping down on to from something else.

I am sorry for the loss of your pet but at least you know that she had a good life whilst she was alive and that she died in the arms of someone she knew cared for her. Good luck with your dilemma.

Answer 4

The cat only did what came natural and it's not to blame.
Hindsight is 20/20. He should have kept his bird inside, you should've closed the door faster aso aso..........all these what if's and I should'ves are idle chit chat now. It's too late for the bird. If you know the owner of the cat you can try to retrieve some of your financial loss, but don't hold your breath. Just use more caution next time if you know that one of his birds is still due to come home.
When I first brought my youngest female ferret home, she got into my cockatiels Eddies cage and played with him. Eddie died from the injuries and mostly the shock. My son had accidently left the cage door open. I loved that bird and cried for a week, but I couldn't blame the ferret. It was just doing what came natural.
And to blame my son and stay mad at him wouldn't have brought the bird back.
Losing a bird to predators is a risk you take when you fly homing pidgeons. Losing it right in front of you is especially cruel though.

Answer 5

so are u saying that it's someone elses cat that's after the bird? do u know which neighbor so u can tell them? ask them to keep the cat indoors or at least put bells on the cat's collar so the bird is forewarned that hes coming. it's actually illegal in most states for cats to wander free - just like dogs have to be leashed so do cats. u can contact the humane society & have them picked up or at least find out the laws. i know it doesnt bring him back but since your brothers birds are worth money he could sue for their value in small claims court. check your local garden center fro cat repellents that u spray. anytime u c it squirt it or yell and clap your hands at it, even if its not doing anything. install a sprinkler activated by motion. can u put some kind of mesh wire over the birds area? good luck!

Answer 6

The only thing you can really do is keep the two apart. While he has the birds loose, you would have to put the cat inside, at least in the garage if you don't like having a pet inside. Kitties are natural predators, that cannot be reprogrammed. :-(

Answer 7

Galaxygurl had probably the best idea, get a motion activated sprinkler, I see them used on "My Cat From Hell" with some success. Should convince the local cats that your yard is not a place they want to hang out.

Good luck!

Answer 8

A cat also killed one of my birds, and the only solution I could find was to keep my babies inside. Even though its a fun hobby-if you really love your birds you will just keep them inside. But don't hurt the cats because someone loves them just as much as you love your birds.

Answer 9

i would have your brother fly his birds elsewhere, and watch over them more carefully as they return. also, talk to your neighbors and have them put their cats inside or in a cage when you are flying the birds.
i wouldn't blame the cats--it's in their nature to kill birds, so they don't know any better.
but you definitely should talk this over with the owners. it is their responsibility to make sure their pets do not harm other pets. good luck.

Answer 10

Dumb brothers are a dime a dozen.
get rid of him. Problem solved.