Andthing to deter my cat from murdering?

Ok, so my one true love (Pumpkin), has been hopeless at catching any kind of animal, including mice, for the last 3 years. I was happy with that. I thought it was because she was too loved to resort to violence and had plenty of food anyway. (she is just a tad chubby) but she's caught a couple of birds recently, also some mice and a poor bat. =( I know she's a cat, but is there Anything out there to stop her catching the birds? We live in the country in a safe place where she can go outside, and she never strays from the house/garden/shed area anyway so I don't want to keep her inside all the time.

Andthing to deter my cat from murdering?
The bell on the collar is about all you can do ... and it will frustrate your cat to no end. She is hunting to provide food for YOU ... want it or not, it is her duty instinctively. I feel for you, at least she is not sneaking live squirrels into the basement like my boy cat did for a few weeks :)
Reply:You can place a collar with a bell on it...much harder to stalk that way.



On an aside, did you have the bat tested for rabies? They are VERY common carriers of rabies and a cat that catches a bat has a high risk for contracting rabies in spite of being vaccinated. I would, at the very least, have her re-vaccinated. Unfortunately, contact with the bat's saliva would have most likely been in the mouth of the cat and as such has a short trip to the brain.



If you live in a country that does not have rabies, never mind the rabies thing. I am super tuned in to it because zoonotic diseases are a hobby of mine.
Reply:Cats are instinctive hunters and as evidenced here, they are extermly good at it. If you want Pumpkin to stop hunting then she should stay inside. You could try a bell on her collar to alert her prey, but I had a cat (tigger 19 yrs old RIP) that learned to stalk his prey with his paw on the bell to keep it silent. I ended up just letting him do as he pleased because there was no way to stop what he was instinctively compelled to do. Good luck.
Reply:You can't stop a cat's instinct to hunt. They'll hunt and kill small prey even if they have no real need for the food. Some people put small bells on their cat's collars to warn birds and other small prey that they're coming. I've heard that bells can hurt a cat's ears, though, so try to find one that doesn't have too high of a pitch.
Reply:Well, you could get her a collar with a bell so the animals can hear when she is coming. Also, make sure it is free-break or whatever, so if they get stuck somewhere they can get away.



Sometimes though, like with my cats, who both have bells on their collars, there is just no way to stop it. It's their instinct and they feel they have to do it, and how are you going to stop that, you know?
Reply:Put a bell on her collar so the other creatures can hear her coming. The hunting instinct is strong in cats and it is unlikely that you will ever be able to train it out of her. If she brings her prey home it is probably because he is doing her part to take care of you since she thinks you are her family.
Reply:Domestic cats kill because they can, not for need of food. It's just in their nature. There is not much you can do to stop it. One thing that may work is to put a collar on her with a bell. The bell might alert a bird when your cat tries to attack.
Reply:It is in her nature to hunt. If you try to go against her nature you will get no results. If you do not like this aspect of your cat's behavior, you should not have a cat.



When she brings you a dead animal, it is a gift to you from her. You should praise her and give her a special treat.
Reply:Your cat is not committing murder, it is acting on its nature. As much as we love our cats they are not little humans in fur. Cats are predators and it is their genes (no matter how much we feed them) to hunt. If you do not want her to hunt or kill little animals then keep her indoors.
Reply:Im sorry but there isn't. But there is away to stop for birds from going near the cat. Put a bell on it's tail (NOT HEAVY!). Not on the neck because I heard it hurts the cats ears. The birds will run away, and the cat will chase it's own tail to ease the urge to hunt.
Reply:She was born a hunter. Just because you treat her like a precious child does not make her instincts go away.



Cat's are what they are and no training will ever change that. Just ask Siegfried and Roy.
Reply:Sorry, it is their instinct and that can't be changed.
Reply:Nope, that is her nature.
Reply:I know this isn't what you'd like to hear, but there is no fair way to get your cat to stop catching prey, be it mice, bugs, birds, or bats. It is, as someone already said, her nature. These are natural instincts, not violent ones. There is nothing "wrong" with your kitty...it is perfectly healthy!



It would be cruel to make her an inside cat since she is already used to being outside, so that really isn't an option. It also has nothing to do with whether she is hungry or not. It is simply her natural hunting instinct revealing itself. I know it can be hard to see the dead birds, etc. left in the wake of your kitty, but remember that this is a normal, healthy, natural thing, and there is really nothing you can do about it without being absolutely cruel to you cat.



Best of luck, love.