To make a story short...I came home today to find out that one of my ring neck doves was missing,and as I got closer to the cage I saw that all of her feathers were on the floor and there, next to the cage were two cats litteraly eating her, now those cats do not belong to anybody some of my neighbors feed them but they all say that they do not belong to them, so I can't complain to anybody, sooo, what I was thinking is to get a trap and catch them one by one(there are about 18 cats) and take them to animal control, my husband said that it would be a cruel thing to do because they'll be put to sleep,because they are wild cats and they wont be adoptable,and yes it seems like a cruel think but, what am I going to do?..wait until they eat the rest of my birds?
2007-09-14 16:43:12 · 13 answers · asked by mirtha r 1 in Pets ➔ Birds
They got her by th side of the cage wich means she had a slow and painful death, they were not able to get the whole bird out in one piecebecause of the spacing between the bars, so that means that they took their time doing it, and so that, makes me even more mad.
2007-09-14 17:10:13 · update #1
I love cats, and over the years I have shared my home with dozens of them (not all at the same time!), so I am not saying this as someone who does not like cats - capture them and take them to a shelter!
The problem of feral cats is a serious one - they reproduce rapidly, they destroy wildlife, they make a mess everywhere, and they can transmit disease.
Some of the more recently abandoned cats that have not yet "gone feral" may be adoptable, if worked with, but the true "feral cat" that was born feral and has never known human contact is not a good candidate for adoption. Many organizations capture feral cats, spay and neuter them, and then release them again. I am very much against this program, as it does nothing to eliminate the predation of wildlife. The idea is the feral colony will die out once it can no longer reproduce, but it does not happen for many years, if at all...often the spayed/neutered colony just becomes the core of a new colony, as other cats are abandoned or let run free by their owners, and they join the feral population. The only way to eliminate the feral cat population is to enact leash laws for cats, the same as dogs, and to capture and put up for adoption or destroy all the feral cats.
I know that this point of view does not make me very popular among the "cat lovers" who allow their feline pets to roam free, but it is my belief that when you own a pet, you care for it properly, providing for its safety and welfare. A free-roaming cat is not safe...nor is wildlife or other people's pets safe from them.
I hope you are able to capture and eliminate these threats to your birds, and to wildlife in general.
2007-09-15 01:54:50 · answer #1 · answered by margecutter 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know where you live but where I am the animal control want us to either trap or report wild cats. 18 wild cats!!!! In a very short time there could be 3x that many again and again. They will multiply over and over. You need to do something. And the first thing I would do is ask your neighbors to stop feeding them or adopt them. YES you should do something quickly. Maybe it seems cruel but how cruel was it that your dove was attacked? How cruel is it that these cats are out scavenging and are probably hungry. Wild cats are the fault of irresponsible people and a nuisance. Call you animal control service and ask how they want it handled. I am so sorry for your ring neck.They are the sweetest doves. How many do you have? They could be moved indoors if you don't have too many, until this cat ordeal is handled
2007-09-15 00:05:46 · answer #2 · answered by onedrin 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well im not entirely sure what to do about the ferel cats, but if it helps, i own two pet cats and i have an avairy with 4 birds. To stop my cats from trying to eat my birds i got some tin put around the bottom of the cage which stands about 1 metre high. The cats cannot claw through and if they want to get to the birds they have to jump and hang on to the side of the cage, which means they havent got any claws to grab the birds with because they have to hang on.. my birds are still alive and i havent had any problems, the cats have given in to trying to eat them now aswell so i suppose you could try and do that with your avairy but im not sure if it would help your situation or not..
2007-09-15 00:21:11 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hi!
Well there is no easy decision here. You are caught between your birds and wild cats. I would not blame you for wanting to take them to animal control for the sake of your birds. But it also doesn't seem fair that the cats have to be put down from there nature. They don't have food given to them like your pets do all the time it seems. And I don't know what to say about bringing the cats to animal control but it doesn't seem fair... is there any way you could see if a shelter could take them in and care for them? If you really set your mind to it the possibilities of ways are endless and I'm sure some place will take them off your hands besides animal control. The final decision is yours. And God will accept your final answer. Well since they were outside, is there any chance you can move them inside in till this problem is fixed? And I cant believe that they did they! Poor bird... Well I would strongly recommend taking them inside. I know what a terrible nuisance cats can be!
2007-09-14 23:57:46 · answer #4 · answered by So not a Princess 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
OMG, that is horrible. I'm so sorry for your loss. :-( Is there any way you can move your birds indoors? What type of enclosure do you have them housed in. I would highly suggest moving them indoors temporarily until you can make more suitable enclosures (cat proof) and perhaps put up a tall fence around their cages.
Perhaps you could call your local SPCA or animal control and ask them for advice. Ask them if there's anyway to get them out of your area without having them put down. You never know, there may be a rescue org somewhere out there that can help.
I wish you the best of luck.
Best of luck.
2007-09-14 23:54:33 · answer #5 · answered by sayhitojenn 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Coincidentally, I raise ring neck doves myself and I have lost a lot of my population over the summer due to the same misfortunate circumstances-- cats!
If these cats are feral and don't belong to any one the best thing to do is to exterminate them. They can't be tamed anyway and even taking them to a shelter wont provide them with much chance for adoption. There is just an overpopulation of cats and that is how they become feral. Plus, feral cats carry diseases that can spread to our domestic feline pets. Just exterminate them.
2007-09-15 09:09:08 · answer #6 · answered by Ink Corporate 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Honestly, it sound bad. But the only way to control these cats is to remove them. Sadly overpopulation doesn't make it easy. I had to do the same thing. However our shelter spayed/neutered them, clipped the ear (so someone knows they were altered) and relocated these cats. Its a thought at least. Find a low cost spay and neuter clinic, and sometimes they will fix them for free, and you can release them elsewhere. Please just take them to the shelter if they are unaltered, as they do breed like hampsters!!!!!
2007-09-14 23:57:12 · answer #7 · answered by dragonmaiden1984 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Cats suck, they reproduce faster than roaches, i swear. I say catch them and take them in. If not, these 18 are gonna turn to 25, then 40, and so on.
2007-09-14 23:51:46 · answer #8 · answered by truck audio master 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I AGREE WITH YOU CATCH THEM AND TAKE THEM TO ANIMAL CONTROL.YOUR BIRDS COST MONEY AND THE CATS ARE JUST GOING TO KEEP REPRODUCING MORE FERAL CATS SO YOU ARE EVEN PROTECTING THE WILD BIRDS TOO.
2007-09-14 23:54:57 · answer #9 · answered by flossie mae 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
That is how the food chain works. Your husband is right but if you have the cages closed how can the cats get in?
2007-09-14 23:50:58 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋