Cat is bringing in mice and bird nests?

Question

my cat is since she had her kittens 3 months ago, she keeps bringing in mice(alive) ,birds and now she just brought in a birdsnest with a few eggs still in it.
I heard its ment to be a gift for the owner but how can i make her snap out of it as i have a 2 year old and its not hygenic.
Please get back to me quickly.
Thanks

Answer 1

Cats don't bring prey home to impress you. They play with stunned mice, birds, lizards, etc. in order to hone their hunting skills. It begins early in life, mother cats bring stunned prey back to the kittens for hunting lessons. It's instinct, and she's not going to "snap out of it". Bells on her collar might help, but determined kitties learn how to avoid moving in a way that makes the bells ring. The only sure way to stop it is to keep her inside.

Answer 2

Several others have already mentioned that this is her hunting to feed the kittens, and also to teach them hunting behaviors. Cats' independent natures make them challenging to train, and this being instinct makes it even harder to stop as a behavior. However, a simple solution is to put a collar with a bell on her. Many birdwatching cat lovers use this, as the sound of her bell will warn little creatures that she's coming (although it wouldn't have helped the nest any!). It is correct too, that if she can be a spayed indoors- only cat, she will live a longer healthier life (and not endanger the birds and mice). Some indoor cats live well into their 20's! I have a 20 year old female amusing us now, and we suspect that she was an 4-5 year old fighting alley cat who'd had kittens at least once before we took her in. It's never too late to change their ways!

Answer 3

Hi Kerstin,

You cannot make your cat 'snap out of it' as this is natural feline hunting behaviour. If this has only begun since she had kittens, she was obviously trying to show the kittens how to hunt and has continued the behaviour regardless of whether you still have the kittens living with you.

Never scold your cat for doing this - she will not understand.

You have four options:
1. Keep her indoors from now on
2. Install some specially-made cat fencing so that she is kept safe in your garden - and therefore has less opportunity to kill - such as: http://purrfectfence.co.uk
3. Try to get her to wear a collar with a bell on, to warn her prey that she is coming. However, many cats become distressed when wearing such a collar.
4. If you are at home all day and can be around to let your cat in, keep her cat flap locked - then when she meows to be let in you can hopefully accept her gift before she comes into the house. Alternatively, keep the area near the cat flap closed off to your child so that your cat leaves the prey in the room and your child cannot get to it (i.e. if the cat flap is in the kitchen or hallway, etc).

I hope your cat is going to get spayed soon, if she isn't already.

Answer 4

Any time your cat roams outside she can start bringing in "prey" either as a gift or to play with. The only solution I can think of is to close the cat flap and call the kitty when you want her to come in. That way you can see what she's carrying in her jaws. The other solution would be to keep kitty inside all of the time. The second suggestion worked best for me. A third suggestion would be to see if you could get someone else to care for your cat until your child is older.

A friend of mine had a siamese and a poodle so the dog flap was free all the time. One night kitty brought a half-dead bleeding rabbit into the bedroom and deposited it on their comforter. How'd you like to wake up to that?

Answer 5

Your cat is playing out a very deeply-ingrained, instinctive behavior, that is not easily extinguished. In the wild, a mother cat must teach her kittens to hunt; first, for their own survival; and second, for hers; as each cat has a hunting territory, and, if the kittens depend on her too long, her own food supply is threatened.

Knowing this doesn't solve the problem...until you are able to give the kittens away, she will act this out. If you plan on keeping any of he kittens, try and keep them from nursing, once you know they are weaned. Some mother cats persist in this behavior for a year or more. If you plan on getting her spayed, do it before she can go into heat again-this starts up again, with each litter. And unless she is a purebred cat, who's kittens are in great demand-have her spayed-it will cut down on the unwanted kitten population.

Answer 6

She is a cat and its in her nature to hunt its instinct and no matter what you do you cant stop her. She is showing her kittens what to do unfortunatly you will have to get used to picking up the mice im sure she will stop once the kittens are grown up or gone. My cat brings in all sorts for me as a gift

Answer 7

Can only suggest you get a litter tray and keep the cat indoors. This basic instinct cannot be broken, my only other suggestion is to box off the cat flap from the rear (cage) so all the "pressies" can be discarded...

Answer 8

Cats are natural born hunters..you cannot stop them from hunting nor punish them for doing so. The only solution is to keep your cat indoors. Cats are responsible for the deaths of millions of migratory songbirds each year (just in the US alone). Indoor cats also benefit as they live longer, healthier lives..no chance of getting hit by a car, getting poisoned by a person, antifreeze, rat poison, snail bait, etc., getting in cat fights resulting in infection, getting attacked by dogs or wild animals, getting diseases such as feline leukemia, or feline distemper, picking up worms, fleas, and ticks. Also, you said she had kittens 3 months ago...if she is not spayed she should not be outside in the first place.

Answer 9

She is probably just following her basic instincts and is either teaching her little ones how to hunt or she is just a hunter...which cats are by nature. I do not know how you would "snap her out of it" as she is programmed for it, but maybe try to be at the door when she wants in and remove all unwanted vermin at that time.
Good luck!

Answer 10

Its the hunting instinct, i suggest if you want to stop her, get her a collar that has a small bell attached, it can warn the birds about her approach, doesn't always work but it's worth a try.