How to Stop a Bird-Murdering Cat

The Atlantic ^ | Dec. 9, 2015 | Conor Gearin

[Albion Wilde]

Here’s an alarming but little-known figure—stray cats and pet cats allowed outdoors kill 3.6 million birds every day on average in the United States, for a total of at least 1.3 billion birds per year. That’s most likely a sizable chunk out of the U.S. land-bird population, which the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center estimates is around 10-20 billion....[snip]

But some cat lovers are also bird lovers. Two of them, a birdwatcher named Nancy Brennan and a bird biologist named Susan Willson, have developed what they believe is a solution...

[Oshkalaboomboom]

Ignore it if you like but it’s indisputable that cats are major pests that kill even if they are well fed house cats. You can say that the numbers are fudged but even if you take off a few zeroes you end up with invasive killing machines.

[waterhill]

Well, cats are cleaner than birds!

[Buttons12]

I own a property plagued with house sparrows. It’s one of very few species that are legal to kill in the USA. I would be pleased if the neighbor’s cats had wings, the better to exterminate those flying vermin.

[faithhopecharity]

mine have bells too.. ha!
but they know how to take their bells off.. just in case they ever have to really go get their own dinners

they leave their bells on just to humor me, and ONLY so long as I keep bringing them their Costco Rotisserie Chickens!

smile smile

[faithhopecharity]

well, we don’t get our cats any bones, chicken or otherwise.

for the very reason you mentioned

but yes, i do rather suspect cats USUALLY manage to avoid letting the bones choke or injure them, usually anyways

[faithhopecharity]

i avoided giving the cats Costco Rotisserie Chickens because of the salt and seasonings, yes indeed.
but they LOVE it!

so I figure, let them have their favorite treat...
and almost everything else they eat is healthy for them...
mostly, anyways.

they get a very rich (as in EXPENSIVE) diet, the costco cluckers are the cheapest thing on their plates!

[faithhopecharity]

im not sure the costco cluckers are really all THAT bad...
costco buys SO many of them, they are almost (not quite) guaranteed to be pretty fresh

also, now Costco is starting to grow their own...

I could be wrong but they seem pretty fresh to me, as ONCE IN AWHILE my cats deign to let me have a bite...and it always tastes fresh and good....
smile smile smile

[Buttons12]

http://www.sialis.org/hosp.htm#theproblem

House sparrows kill bluebirds. The nestlings and, if the opportunity arises, the adult bluebirds too.

[little jeremiah]

I stopped my bird catching cats by tying these on them, after buying numerous bell collars. Bell collars worked okay but not fool proof and cats didn’t like them. I had a couple of cats that practically lived on birds until we got them collars, but this tape/ribbon worked better for much cheaper and after 5 minutes the cats forgot it was on them.

This is contractor’s tape - non-sticky - bright colors. I tied somewhat loosely around the neck with sticking out ends - birds see the bright colors and avoid the cats, and the cats ignore the collars, no biting, scratching at them, etc. And if the tape breaks (it cannot choke them), I just tied more on as it is dirt cheap.

I just checked and it’s called flagging ribbon.

https://www.amazon.com/Flagging-Tape-Non-Adhesive-Plastic-Ribbon-x/dp/B0041P7N14

[waterhill]

I admit to never having costco chicken, but I have known some food managers at wally world and grocery chains who exposed some inside info to me...... I always wondered how they could sell a cooked bird so cheap compared to a raw one.....ick

[Buttons12]

What did you use for bait in the squirrel trap?

[Pelham]

“Those roissiere chickens are past due meat pumped full of nitrates to hide the foulness. Just sayin”

Urban myth.

Costco’s rotisserie chickens are ordered specifically for that purpose.

[Buttons12]

“Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

[RetiredTexasVet]

Shadow loves cats ..... deeeelicious!

[Slings and Arrows]

I’ll play as long as the holier-than-thous do.

[campaignPete R-CT]

40 million feral cats in US.

Need to be hunted

[faithhopecharity]

well, they are factory clucks so could have hormomes and salt of course must be part of the seasoning

so i dont pretend to know but they may not be super duper health food

i must say that every one I’ve ever bought has been very fresh, however, and tasty.

Costco hotdogs were formerly supplied by Hebrew National and those are among the very best dogs in America, quality wise...imho. A couple years ago, however, Costco decided it could save on some money by making their own ... they purchased the rights to the HN formula from what I understand .. and the new dogs do taste every bit as good.

MY OPINION (worth what you paid for it) is that IF you gonna eat rotisserie clucks or hotdogs, Costco’s are probably about the best major store to get them, I think they are probably about the best qualify for such items, of course, available at any major store..imho.

A local friend says he likes Sams Club rotisserie Clucks a bit better. I am not sure why
see:
https://www.eater.com/2018/12/11/18136019/costco-rotisserie-chicken-farming-agriculture-nebraska

[M Kehoe]

Hi.

Bell on a collar works pretty good.

5.56mm

[Hot Tabasco]

Willson, who studies tropical birds at St. Lawrence University stumbled upon the Birdbesafe website while looking for a way to rein in the hunting habits of her cat Gorilla. Soon after she brought him home, Gorilla began presenting Willson with dead birds, generally about two each week—a behavioral remnant, she believes, of his time as a stray.

Two points of observation here:

1. Her cat Gorilla's presentation of dead birds wasn't a result of being feral, it was due to it being a cat. THAT'S WHAT CATS DO!

2. Keep your damn cat in the house Ms. Willson, that's where they belong! Dog's aren't allowed to roam free so why should cats be allowed to do so?

3. You got a problem with feral cat populations, TNR is the solution. Trap, Neuter and Release.....the problem will eventually go away........

She might also want to consider the increasing invasion of both house sparrows and starlings and their taking over of nesting boxes for birds such as chickadees and blue birds...............

[Hot Tabasco]

Need outside cats to catch the mice before they come inside.

No you don't, that's a lame excuse for wanting to let your cat roam outside as it pleases............

You got a mice problem,then secure the areas where you think they're coming in to your house.....traps work too.