Is there any way to stop my cat from eating birds?

Question

She was a stray that had to eat birds to survive, but I have had her now for 2 years and she still brings me birds - sometimes as many as three a day! She brings them to me at the back door alive and I have been ignoring her because I don't want to encourage her. But when I don't accept her offerings she sits down and eats them herself! She eats plenty of cat food, so she is not hungry. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Cats are natural hunters, and yours once had to rely on that instinct to live. You will not change this behavior unless you keep the cat confined indoors at all times. Trying to do THAT will probably result in other behavioral problems. If you don't want her to eat the birds, then take them from her when she brings them to you. If they are alive and able to fly, turn them loose. If they are dead, dispose of them where the cat can't get at them. If they are injured, you must find a way to humanely kill them as quickly as possible

Answer 2

From my own personal experience there's not too much you can do! It's in the cats nature.

In fairness my cat's not that bad, she'd only bring back birds to show off in the spring and early summer but none after that.

First of all feeding it won't help (unless your devious plot is to feed it until it becomes obeice and then it can't climb the tree!) most tame cats only do it out of instinct and bring the bird back so you will be proud of them. According to them anyway, so be flattered, even if it disguists you!

Other things that people say will work is putting a bell on the cat. This won't help at ALL, unless the bell is the size of it's head ( a friend of mine actually does this because according to him the amount of mice his cat was bringing home was getting ridicilous, the cat is constantly sloching, but it did work )

Also keep an eye out for where the cat is getting it's birds from, if it's a small tree you could spray it with some of that cat spray stuff that you get down at a local pet shop, this was very effective at stopping my cat from scratching at a favourite carpet spot in my house. And if the nests are in nearby gutters perhaps getting them covered so nest can't be made is a good investment?

But to be truthful it's in a cat's nature, so there's not too much you can do to prevent the cat going on the prowl! Good luck :D

Answer 3

Cats belong inside. If you kept her inside like she should be, you would not have to worry about her eating birds. There are way too many diseases, other animals that could hurt her and people who are mean to be letting her roam freely in the streets. If you are going to keep her outside then, no, there is no way to stop her from instinctively chasing and catching birds and bringing them back to you as a present or a thank you for taking care of her.

Answer 4

Have you considered providing an enclosure, to allow your cat outdoors, but away from the birds? Or even keep the cat as a strictly indoors pet.

Bringing the birds to you, is the least of the concerns. Your cat can be picked up by local animal control, if someone decided to report a 'stray cat' killing the local birds.

Answer 5

She is doing what cats naturally do in the wild. She is bringing you a ''present'' so to speak. She is providing for her ''mom''.

The only way that you can guarantee that she won't catch birds is if you provide some kind of enclosure for her to live in (Of course, the enclosure would have to be bird-proof.) or if you keep her indoors, which would be great because there are so many risks to free-roaming kitties. Risks include: the possibility of being hit by a vehicle, abused/killed by a cruel person, ingesting a poisonous substance (such as anti-freeze leaking from a vehicle), being stolen by someone looking for free snake food, a research animal, dog bait, etc..., being attacked by another animal who may injure/kill kitty or pass a disease, and so on.

I strongly recommend that everyone keep their cats in an enclosure or inside the home. Contrary to what many people claim, a cat can be happy and content indoors. Even cats who are accustomed to being outside can adapt to remaining inside. Cats love to play, investigate, climb, etc... And they will be satisfied if these needs are met.

Answer 6

This is going to sound maybe cruel when I say it and I know that I will get a lot of thumbs down, but here goes. It is natural instinct for the cat not to mention a way of survival. Your only option is to keep her in the house. Cats can survive quite nicely without ever leaving the house. Also they are an invasive species and tend to mess up the balance of nature by killing birds.

Answer 7

Cats are natural hunters. You can't keep her from eating birds. You can try to put a bell on her collar to warn the birds off before she can catch them, but that doesn't always work. It's a natural instinct- you can't encourage or discourage her really.

Answer 8

Try a bell around the cats neck, something that will warn the birds to fly away!
Cats just love the hunt and kill and some do not even eat their kill just play with it and leave it.
Did you know that domestic cats and wild ones like cougars and lions and tigers are alike in everyway except their size? Someone once said that God created house cats so that we could have the pleasure of "caressing the tiger".
Cool eh?
with love,mamacar

Answer 9

You could keep your cat inside. Like, don't let her out so that she can't grab them. If that dosen't work then you could just get over it, let her get the birds cuz it's part of life. If it is bothering you so much then just give the cat away- jk! Ask pets-mart or petco or someone who has a cat or the vet what to do!
Good Luck!

Answer 10

Keep her in? that's the only real way to insure she won't bring you any. If that's not an option guess you'll have to get to the birds before they're lunch.

The strays in the neighborhood feel the need to bring me (dead) mice....as a thank you for feeding them. I'd much rather they didn't do that but I guess it's just their nature.