Cat Information

Why is my cat catching birds and is this bad for her health?

I have 3 cats, one male and 2 female. The Tortie has started on a habit of bringing more and more birds to the home. I scold her and tell her i am very unhappy with this and yet she still brings them home and not just to play with them. I am tired of this because the birds are generally babies and not even full grown. What can i do and is this bad for her health? Last night i heard her wheeze/hacking.

Public Comments

1. She is a cat, of course she catches birds. She has a prey drive. You can only stop her by keeping her inside.
2. Get a collar with a bell on it so it will alert the intended victim. Also, try keeping her in the house for a week or two. I did this with my cat and he seems to have gotten the message.
3. Your cat is following it's natural instincts. Don't interfere. Cats are natural hunters. EMT
4. No it's not bad for her health. It's amazing how many people are terrified about their pet's safety when they start doing what they do. Cats are hunters. Cats hunt mice, rabbits, birds, insects, etc... Cats are obligate carnivores, they need meat to survive and cannot digest grains and veggies that we put in their food. The pet food industry has done an amazing job at pulling the wool over people's eyes. A cat eating a bird is normal and healthy. Also, a cat being outside is normal for all of those who say cats should never be allowed outside. Those same people would raise a fit over anyone saying they never let their dog outside. Don't scold her for being a cat. Just don't let her inside when she's got a dead bird.
5. She is catching birds because it is in her nature to do so and no amount of scolding her and telling her how unhappy you are will make her stop! She is catching more at the moment because there are more baby birds around and they are easier to catch - its all very obvious really isn't it? It is not bad for her health - she is simply doing what nature intended her to do before we started to intervene. If you really want to try to stop it then you could put a bell on her collar which might frighten the birds but personally I think it is unfair for a cat to have to walk around with a permanent ringing noise in their ears. The wheezing/hacking could be down to hair balls as cats are shedding a lot at the moment.
6. Is this a joke? Cats are with humans to catch rats, mice and other vermin. A bird is fair game. She obviously doesn't understand your English telling off so put a bell round her neck to scare the birds away as she is stalking.
7. YES#!!! this is fine its just part of there age and or them having fun!!! if you want to prevent this either 1, put a bell on its collar so when it goes to leap the bird will hear the bell and fly away 2, dont let it outside 3, or show that catching birds is bad dont worry eventually they do eventually stop(boerdom) have you had him neutred>?
8. don't worry, it is not bad for your cats health, cats wheeze and hack from time to time, it's all normal. The only person being physically affected by this are the birds them selves. Your cat is catching birds because cats naturally catch birds. It's their instict to catch birds. Although, if you want her to stop catching birds any way, you should get a special collar for your cat. I would just tie a bell on his collar instead of blowing money off on an expensive collar that has a built in tracking device. The bell will alert the birds that your cat is coming, and the bird will fly away. Hope this information helps!!!
9. because cats are cats. then don't let your cat go out unsupervised
10. You need to keep your cats indoors if you don't want them catching birds. Cats are natural hunters, but they are NOT native natural hunters to the U.S. Their ancestors are from Africa and Asia..there have NEVER been native small wildcats in this country and because of this they have actually become a HUGE threat the the ecosystem. Scientists are so concerned that they have started a "Cats indoor" campaign to try and educate owners about being responsible pet owners by NOT allowing their cats outdoors to harm and kill native wildlife. Cats kill MILLIONS of sonbirds each year (just in the US alone). You cannot punish your cat or yell at it to get it to stop..it does no good..as long as your cat has access to wildlife it will keep killing no matter how well fed it is. See more info below: http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/cats/index.html Another alternative is to let your cat outside but only wearing one of these "bibs" which have been scientifically proven to keep cats from catching birds: http://www.catgoods.com/index.html
11. a cat is the same as a lion, there natural way of finding food is to catch it. but if its bringing it back to you its a 'present' probably. hes just showing appreciation. make sure you show her no attention over it and throw it away immediately. also buy her a collar with bells on it to alert the birds etc. its not bad for her health, its actually good exercise :P
12. maybe yes maybe now
13. It's natural for a cat to hunt for small animals. My cats do it and they are fine. Except once one of my cats ate half a rat and got sick but he's all better and healthy again after we took him to the vets. He was dehydrated and I'm not even sure it was because of the mouse he ate.
14. It's safe. That's what cats do. I get the feeling that scolding won't help at all. It'll just confuse her. That may explain the increased rate of birds. She may be trying to find one you like. You should feel honored that she brings you the birds first. That's the equivalent of your cat buying you a present.
15. Cats are prone to catch birds and mice. It is their natural predator instinct. Don't worry, your cat's fine!
16. it's natural for cats to catch birds first of all they only catch weak birds they bring them home cuz they want you to approve them it's not bad for her health cuz if the bird is really sick the cat will leave it alone