Thick neighbours

Avenged7Fold · 12 Jul 2016 at 10:10

I dont doubt that figure since my latest cat kills 2 or 3 mice/birds daily (while last two barely killed any per month!) but how do they get those figures?

If based on numbers of cats registered at vets, then the number is probably conservative but some cats seem to rack up kill streaks while others don't kill anything.

RaohNS · 12 Jul 2016 at 10:24

SC0TTRS said:
How did they come up with that figure? lol

Research. Its like idiots who say if you feed your cat it will make them not want to hunt, when the reality is that it makes them more efficient.

Even a conservative estimate puts it at 24million UK birds. Now consider declines in particular species. I've lost one of my birds to a cat in an aviary and possibly another one or two due to shock caused by the fleabags terrorising them. Very annoying that a £10 cat kills a £50 bird. Would be even worse if the cat spooks the hen off a nest thus potentially costing me hundreds of pounds. Hasn't happen yet but it will.

Phate · 12 Jul 2016 at 10:27

SC0TTRS said:
How did they come up with that figure? lol

No idea. Cobsidering my last cat couldn't catch a cold! Let alone anything wild!

RaohNS · 12 Jul 2016 at 10:29

Avenged7Fold said:
I dont doubt that figure since my latest cat kills 2 or 3 mice/birds daily (while last two barely killed any per month!) but how do they get those figures?

If based on numbers of cats registered at vets, then the number is probably conservative but some cats seem to rack up kill streaks while others don't kill anything.

Cats are an apex predator. Put it this way, there is probably 3-4 cats near me and all regularly come and investigate and I know all hunt the birds, particularly in my neighbours. I haven't personally seen them catch any birds butbit has doubtless happened. Its just in their nature. I don't hate them for their nature but I am firmly in favour of a legal requirement for all cats to wear a bell collar.

RaohNS · 12 Jul 2016 at 10:32

Phate said:
No idea. Cobsidering my last cat couldn't catch a cold! Let alone anything wild!

Even if your domestic mog made 1 bird kill a year that's 8million dead birds. Unless it was a housecat then you don't really see exactly what your cat will get up to. He may not have been able to catch a cold but most hunts are unsuccessful.

JanM · 12 Jul 2016 at 10:49

Why did'nt they just move the nest elsewhere instead of binning it.
I would have have a right go at em...!!!!

Phate · 12 Jul 2016 at 10:49

RaohNS said:
Even if your domestic mog made 1 bird kill a year that's 8million dead birds. Unless it was a housecat then you don't really see exactly what your cat will get up to. He may not have been able to catch a cold but most hunts are unsuccessful.

Not you don't get it, he didn't hunt. He once lost a fight to a dead spider.

Avenged7Fold · 12 Jul 2016 at 11:16

RaohNS said:
Cats are an apex predator. Put it this way, there is probably 3-4 cats near me and all regularly come and investigate and I know all hunt the birds, particularly in my neighbours. I haven't personally seen them catch any birds butbit has doubtless happened. Its just in their nature. I don't hate them for their nature but I am firmly in favour of a legal requirement for all cats to wear a bell collar.

Like i said, i dont disbelieve it, i just think putting a number on a statistic like that is ambitious at best.

My cat has 2 large cat bells on his collar and it does nothing for the birds. Some cats seem to be professional assassins while others fat lazy hairballs that couldn't catch a dead fly.

I keep a fake 'Ships Cat' in my fishing shed to keep the mice away from my expensive bait. Kills nothing, requires no feeding and works!

RaohNS · 12 Jul 2016 at 11:37

Avenged7Fold said:
Like i said, i dont disbelieve it, i just think putting a number on a statistic like that is ambitious at best.

My cat has 2 large cat bells on his collar and it does nothing for the birds. Some cats seem to be professional assassins while others fat lazy hairballs that couldn't catch a dead fly.

I keep a fake 'Ships Cat' in my fishing shed to keep the mice away from my expensive bait. Kills nothing, requires no feeding and works!

The cat bells might make very little difference but even if it resulted in one more unsuccessful hunt attempt will make a difference.

With the figure they must have something. I vaguely seem to recall a programme on it come to think and I have in my head cats make one successful hunt every day/two days/three days... Hmmm. Trawling the old memory banks.

Like the idea of a ships cat... Does it deter other cats?

RaohNS · 12 Jul 2016 at 11:37

Phate said:
Not you don't get it, he didn't hunt. He once lost a fight to a dead spider.

Lol fair enough we've all been there

Avenged7Fold · 12 Jul 2016 at 11:53

RaohNS said:
Like the idea of a ships cat... Does it deter other cats?

At first. Animals cant really tell the difference but a curious cat will eventually go up to it and give it a sniff. My cat wouldn't go near the ships cat for a few days when i got it!

It is more for small rodents or as a quirky house accessory than something functional but real cats were used on ships for millennia and they found that a fake ships cat deterred rodents to a lesser effect.

neil_g · 12 Jul 2016 at 12:05

ron3003 said:
Yet.
Why do you think builders install a bird guard at gutter level?

we had sparrows or starlings nesting in our roof, caused a right mess of the cars etc. now they've all flown the nest we had an influx of bird mites come through a hairline crack in our bedroom. lovely.

had pest guys out and despite the nest clearly being empty they won't block up the hole for 2 weeks while we monitor. in which time another family will probably move in.

RaohNS said:
But don't cats kill 55million birds in the UK?

RaohNS said:
Cats are an apex predator. Put it this way, there is probably 3-4 cats near me and all regularly come and investigate and I know all hunt the birds, particularly in my neighbours. I haven't personally seen them catch any birds butbit has doubtless happened. Its just in their nature. I don't hate them for their nature but I am firmly in favour of a legal requirement for all cats to wear a bell collar.

the RSPB say there is "no evidence" that cats are behind bird decline.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomefo...ening/unwantedvisitors/cats/birddeclines.aspx

Avenged7Fold · 12 Jul 2016 at 12:11

I would put it down to traffic and to a lesser extent, pollution, as much as cats.

RaohNS · 12 Jul 2016 at 12:20

neil_g said:
we had sparrows or starlings nesting in our roof, caused a right mess of the cars etc. now they've all flown the nest we had an influx of bird mites come through a hairline crack in our bedroom. lovely.

had pest guys out and despite the nest clearly being empty they won't block up the hole for 2 weeks while we monitor. in which time another family will probably move in.

the RSPB say there is "no evidence" that cats are behind bird decline.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomefo...ening/unwantedvisitors/cats/birddeclines.aspx

Absence of proof and all.

Even if cats kill 1million birds a year (which is just lolworthy to think) if they kill certain types of birds whose numbers are already declining for whatever reason are only compounding the problem.

I don't blame cats per se but a responsible owner would/should try and minimise the risk their cats pose to birds. Other than headlights there is nothing much that is a risk to cats.

People who keep birds as pets know exactly what cats are capable of and for me as stated its annoying when a £10 cat kills a £50 bird. Beyond me spending money on deterrents the cheapest option is for the owner to put on a collar with a working bell. That way if I'm lying in bed the first I know of a cat is a jingle and not its claws taking the mesh followed by mass fluttering resulting £500+ worth of birds spending a night awake and cold on the floor.

RaohNS · 12 Jul 2016 at 12:22

Avenged7Fold said:
At first. Animals cant really tell the difference but a curious cat will eventually go up to it and give it a sniff. My cat wouldn't go near the ships cat for a few days when i got it!

It is more for small rodents or as a quirky house accessory than something functional but real cats were used on ships for millennia and they found that a fake ships cat deterred rodents to a lesser effect.

Hmmm beats lion scat as an option maybe.

Avenged7Fold · 12 Jul 2016 at 12:23

A family member raised a kitten with a duckling and a chick. He would sooner groom the birds than bite or swipe at them.

I think i will adopt a duckling with the next cat.

neil_g · 12 Jul 2016 at 12:26

RaohNS said:
Absence of proof and all.

Even if cats kill 1million birds a year (which is just lolworthy to think) if they kill certain types of birds whose numbers are already declining for whatever reason are only compounding the problem.

I don't blame cats per se but a responsible owner would/should try and minimise the risk their cats pose to birds. Other than headlights there is nothing much that is a risk to cats.

People who keep birds as pets know exactly what cats are capable of and for me as stated its annoying when a £10 cat kills a £50 bird. Beyond me spending money on deterrents the cheapest option is for the owner to put on a collar with a working bell. That way if I'm lying in bed the first I know of a cat is a jingle and not its claws taking the mesh followed by mass fluttering resulting £500+ worth of birds spending a night awake and cold on the floor.

so if there is no evidence that could mean its true? :confused:

anyway, bells dont always work. our family cats always had bells and they still caught things. also if you have a magnet on the collar for a catflap it renders the bell useless.

Dis86 · 12 Jul 2016 at 12:40

neil_g said:
so if there is no evidence that could mean its true?

anyway, bells dont always work. our family cats always had bells and they still caught things. also if you have a magnet on the collar for a catflap it renders the bell useless.

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

Mynight · 12 Jul 2016 at 12:41

My cat always squirmed on the floor until the bell was on her back. Sod all use then

.

Never seen her hunt though so she probably just hated the noise.

RaohNS · 12 Jul 2016 at 12:42

neil_g said:
so if there is no evidence that could mean its true?

anyway, bells dont always work. our family cats always had bells and they still caught things. also if you have a magnet on the collar for a catflap it renders the bell useless.

Well in that case you must be a tiny tiny portion of people who have never seen their cat kill a bird and also probably the only person who believe cats aren't capable or indeed do hunt birds.

The fact cats do kill millions of birds each year will have some impact on depleting numbers. I am mot saying they are responsible for the whole decline but they are certainly responsible for a large chunk of it.

Didn't realise that. Again responsible owner would ensure it works. It may not work all the time but if it reduces odds of success to a margin higher its helping in some way.

As far as anecdotes go a friend of mine lives up tarpoley way. Big tree in back garden his now ex wife had a cat/has a cat and it killed a whole family of blue **** in just a few days. God knows how many more it killed besides those too.