Why I'm Not Speaking To My Cat
In many ways this is my favourite stage of the year. Everything’s bursting with life. The trees are in full leaf, so it’s almost impossible to imagine how stark they were for what seemed like forever. The cherry blossom may be over, but hawthorn everywhere is frothy with creamy flowers. The bedding plants are waiting for me to get round to putting them in. Meanwhile, the starlings, blackbirds and blue tits that frequent our garden have had their young, who have now pretty much all fledged. And therein lies the problem…
We have a cat. She is gorgeous, affectionate, playful - and a hunter. This time of year, when the fledglings are still discovering the world, and therefore at their most vulnerable, is when she does her worst. Last week she took two birds that we know of – both wrens, from the glimpse we saw of them as she ran off. I’ve tried everything I can think of. When I let her out, I make plenty of noise opening the door and step outside to clap my hands and warn off any birds that might be hopping round. I even take a little walk round to be sure, and check my plants while I’m at it. I even keep the hosepipe handy to turn on her when she does try anything.
All to no avail. This morning, I warned a few birds off the bottom, secluded end of the garden, but as soon as my back was turned while I pulled out a few weeds, I heard a scrabble at the fence. The next thing I saw was our cat running across the lawn with a bird in her mouth. I rushed to the hosepipe and turned the water on, but she ran away before it could have much effect. Luckily she came back a minute later and put the bird down on the ground. This time she was forced to abandon it or get a soaking.
I thought the bird was already dead, but when I went over to it the poor creature – a lovely baby blue tit – was struggling to move and even cheeping faintly but obviously wasn’t going to last. Some other blue tits, presumably its parents, were watching from the cherry tree. All I could do was put it out of its misery, which thankfully didn’t take much but didn’t exactly make my day. The only consolation was that it probably wasn’t the brightest of bird-brains, and so wouldn’t have survived long anyway.
What am I supposed to do? (And don’t say ‘Don’t have a cat.’!) Since this morning, I’ve kept her indoors. Should I keep her in until the fledglings are better at looking after themselves? She knows she’s in my bad books, and keeps rubbing round my legs and looking up at me wistfully. Even as I’m typing this, she’s lying on a chair just a couple of feet away. Then again, she always does when I’m on the computer.
I know other Clouders have cats. Any suggestions?
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Have a look here too: http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/gardening/unwantedvisitors/cats/
Cats have a natural instinct to kill small creatures. It can be overcome by catching them in or shortly after the event and boxing their ears, then loving them thereafter.
Try it.
Wrathnar - Ewwwww. Who cleared up afterwards?
AlanP - Awwww. Might be worth a try though. Having said that, I'd have thought a few soakings with the hose would have given her the message by now. She just seems to decide on getting away with the evidence faster. When she was younger she used to bring live birds into the house, probably thinking it was the ultimate gift. When we rescued and rehabiltated them and told her off she stopped doing it. She seemed more offended about it than anything and I got the impression she actually expected to be praised. Then I suspect she decided that as we didn't appreciate her efforts and decided to keep them for herself.
Tony - I'm probably as good as your wife at confusing cats. I feel bad about the mice, too, though. They're so tiny, and I never realised how many came through our garden till we got our cat. What happened to the one your aunt got presented with?
Weens - I used to have a Border terrier and he couldn't even hurt a fly. He snapped at them but always missed.
Bren - I'm trying to keep her in more than usual. The blue tits seem to have gone now - the one yesterday was just unlucky in its timing. A pair of blackbirds keep pushing their luck, though. And you've reminded me - I've been missing Springwatch!!
Outside, snatched from the feline jaws of death,
A tiny mouse, bug-eyed, wet with saliva and feigning death…
Still paralyzed, I take him inside and place him in a glass,
To show my daughter, still sleeping in her bed upstairs…
She looks up as I set the glass down.
In a flash, the mouse leaps out and runs!
The cat, also sleeping, sees him,
Too old and lazy he goes back to sleep.
The last thing we see is his tail,
Disappearing under the clothes closet.
Some weeks later…
In the kitchen searching for the baking chocolate,
Under the old antique cupboard, in a box…
Only to discover…mouse droppings everywhere!
The chocolate wrapper chewed through and gnawed by tiny teeth.
That’s not all! An apron, rolling pin cover; shredded… extension cord; gnawed through,
Birdseed and shredded cupcake papers urine soaked…scattered everywhere
There he is! The tiny destructive force, now lord of his manor,
Set up with all the luxuries of a mouse life.
He panics as we grab the box and head for the door.
He squeaks, leaps out and runs across the lawn for cover.
With only half a tail now, he runs zigzagging out of kilter,
Disappearing under the hot-pink dahlias.
Back in the kitchen we sort through the smelly mess,
Salvaging only what is necessary.
Never again will I play savior to a mouse.
Only one mystery remains…where is the other half of his tail?
The idea I suppose is that cats not liking much water would avoid the area where it's raining! from the sprinkler?
I have a dog. Lovely cuddly, friendly etc. I've seen him lay out on the back patio, birds twittering around him, and he don't even twitch, maybe open his eyes, then close them.
Other days I've seen him chase and bark at them. Poor birds. What are they to think.
So they just keep clear.
I used to feed the birds in the garden but I attracted the darn squirrels from the park as well. So that idea's gone down the drain.
I have lots of friends with cats. One cat loves bubble baths and leaps in with my friend cos she loves the bubbles.
hope you find a solution.
:o)
Nibs
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