General Discussion

Gormy Cuss

(30,884 posts)

33. It's extremely unlikely that birds are taking out adult cats.

Fri Aug 23, 2013, 12:13 PM

Aug 2013

A kitten, yes. A small adult cat, possibly. Average size adult cats weigh too much for hawks or falcons to carry off. Even the biggest of owls would have a hard time doing so. That's not to say that some haven't tried, just that they aren't successful at it.
Cats are injured by larger predator birds and smaller birds who are protecting their nests.

Coyotes on the other hand are quite expert at stalking and killing cats.

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It is not okay for cats to kill all the neighborhood birds. [View all] XemaSab Aug 2013 OP

Thank you for posting this. It needs to be said, loudly and often. Glorfindel Aug 2013 #1

Forget the birds... ileus Aug 2013 #2

My neigborhood is.. one_voice Aug 2013 #20

They're not as cute when all those bunnies eat your garden Warpy Aug 2013 #137

yes, but coyotes are often indigenous species, feral housecats are not CreekDog Aug 2013 #24

No, and neither is the primate Homo sapiens sapiens - except in sub-Saharan Africa panzerfaust Aug 2013 #78

ah, humans have disrupted the environment, therefore we do nothing about feral or outdoor cats CreekDog Aug 2013 #79

Songbirds are at great risk. Bunnies aren't, except in your neighborhood, pnwmom Aug 2013 #167

I do wildlife rehab and I cannot tell you how many bunnies and squirrels I get in Mojorabbit Aug 2013 #192

Hate if ya' want, but I let my dogs chase 'em. Myrina Aug 2013 #3

The itty bitty kitty committee just added you NuclearDem Aug 2013 #6

lol. nt clarice Aug 2013 #27

What Clarice said nt freedom fighter jh Aug 2013 #77

My cat (now deceased) once chased the neighbor's dog off our lawn. City Lights Aug 2013 #36

From a young age, I learned the "proper" way to keep cats as "pets" Volaris Aug 2013 #48

My vet will not declaw cats leftynyc Aug 2013 #50

I wonder what kitty thinks about that when it happens lol.. Volaris Aug 2013 #57

There are many ways to prevent cats from scratching up furniture. lapislzi Aug 2013 #88

I've always had cats leftynyc Aug 2013 #101

Just get a scratching "post" or whatever and teach your cat to use it. cui bono Aug 2013 #164

Our cats are indoor only and we trained our cats with catnip on those cardboard loungers, MerryBlooms Aug 2013 #171

Many cats that have their claws removed turn into biters. City Lights Aug 2013 #67

I am against removing their claws. City Lights Aug 2013 #66

When i was a kid we had a cat that was declawed, front and back. Jenoch Aug 2013 #86

It hurts like hell. City Lights Aug 2013 #94

My parents had a cat that was strictly an indoor cat. Jenoch Aug 2013 #100

Declawing is very bad Marrah_G Aug 2013 #97

Not to mention, cruel. bunnies Aug 2013 #132

+1 nomorenomore08 Aug 2013 #158

No! It is cruel to declaw a cat. They chop off part of their toes! cui bono Aug 2013 #163

I would have done the same thing. Myrina Aug 2013 #70

Odds are they trained it to poop on your lawn. /nt Ash_F Aug 2013 #93

So ask yourself what is wrong with you Hissyspit Aug 2013 #180

I can't stand cat haters. Arugula Latte Aug 2013 #182

My little terrorists have the mighty red dot to kill. NuclearDem Aug 2013 #4

which is the greater threat: cats or deforestation, over development & pesticides? KittyWampus Aug 2013 #5

I afraid we're well pass the point.... daleanime Aug 2013 #10

Add to that mockmonkey Aug 2013 #21

I always knew Bill Gates hated birds N/T Revanchist Aug 2013 #75

Windows 8...my bird n/t mockmonkey Aug 2013 #114

so there's a bigger problem, so we'll ignore this one? CreekDog Aug 2013 #25

Very few songbirds near where I live OnlinePoker Aug 2013 #152

Which is the bigger problem: largescale mass murder in Syria, or someone stabbing you to death? Donald Ian Rankin Aug 2013 #45

Guns In America otohara Aug 2013 #105

Choose one; walking, or chewing gum Scootaloo Aug 2013 #51

Which is the easiest to address (ie low-hanging fruit)? NickB79 Aug 2013 #58

A worm or bug would say it is okay with him cthulu2016 Aug 2013 #7

SWEET! we haven't had this thread in a while snooper2 Aug 2013 #8

My black and white cat LWolf Aug 2013 #9

There are programs that capture feral cats and provide them to folks who need barn cats. Lizzie Poppet Aug 2013 #23

I know about the programs for feral cats. LWolf Aug 2013 #31

It's extremely unlikely that birds are taking out adult cats. Gormy Cuss Aug 2013 #33

It's not unlikely. I've seen it. LWolf Aug 2013 #39

Again, extremely unlikely. Gormy Cuss Aug 2013 #54

Coyotes still stalk the perimeter LWolf Aug 2013 #63

A raptor doesn't have to carry away a cat NickB79 Aug 2013 #60

But not all cats kill birds. I don't think mine ever did. Mice, yeah, but not birds. raccoon Aug 2013 #11

Put a Bell on them. bahrbearian Aug 2013 #12

Amen!!!!!! You can do it as a neighbor - a breakaway collar with bell. Peregrine Took Aug 2013 #35

Thats fine if there are no predators around... Ohio Joe Aug 2013 #193

Reminds me of the silly people who try to turn their dogs into vegans Dreamer Tatum Aug 2013 #13

... progressoid Aug 2013 #44

All 3 of our cats are indoor cats. wild bird Aug 2013 #14

13 indoor cats mockmonkey Aug 2013 #22

I don't like cats, but last year I had a rat problem RebelOne Aug 2013 #49

My cat protects us from big cockroaches and poison centipedes. Bonobo Aug 2013 #15

You know laundry_queen Aug 2013 #153

put a bell on that cat. n/t EC Aug 2013 #16

Mine Has 4 Bells & A Walking Jacket otohara Aug 2013 #123

Unreccing for crap science... joeybee12 Aug 2013 #17

Exactly. hamsterjill Aug 2013 #34

'biggest threat to birds' grahampuba Aug 2013 #42

Yes, debunked I say!!!! hamsterjill Aug 2013 #47

Alley Cat Allies is not a reliable source XemaSab Aug 2013 #172

It is as reliable a source as I need. hamsterjill Aug 2013 #191

Kill ALL the neighborhood birds? joeybee12 Aug 2013 #116

Ditto! nt City Lights Aug 2013 #37

So if car accidents kill 33,500 people a year XemaSab Aug 2013 #38

ALL the birds in the neighborhood...ALL the birds... joeybee12 Aug 2013 #113

I didn't write the OP XemaSab Aug 2013 #122

It is not crap science dbackjon Aug 2013 #40

People can't even nail down the number of birds on the planet any closer than 200-400 billion snooper2 Aug 2013 #62

BILLIONS? joeybee12 Aug 2013 #112

Yes, BILLIONS dbackjon Aug 2013 #117

No it's not crap science, except to the wilfully uninformed Ocelot Aug 2013 #73

You "see" joeybee12 Aug 2013 #110

You...sound....real....scientific... right...yeah... Ocelot Aug 2013 #150

Can we discuss both? WTF? n-t Logical Aug 2013 #156

The OP didn't say they were the biggest problem. joshcryer Aug 2013 #166

Yep. Le Taz Hot Aug 2013 #18

People are the problem, not the cats. i know you know this but your title Egalitarian Thug Aug 2013 #19

if she thinks it's the cat's fault, why is she posting to convince cat owners? CreekDog Aug 2013 #26

yeah, you know .. like those deer crossing signs Douglas Carpenter Aug 2013 #29

Are you suggesting we need to put up "No Bird Eating" signs for the cats? Ian David Aug 2013 #32

absolutely - The cats need to take responsibility for their actions Douglas Carpenter Aug 2013 #46

Well then we need to provide public education for cats to make sure they can all read cui bono Aug 2013 #165

too many cats are already ensnared by a culture of dependency Douglas Carpenter Aug 2013 #173

two cats can become 14 million cats in just eight years, lol! reformist2 Aug 2013 #28

lmao! bunnies Aug 2013 #53

Keep Frankie away from your garden with Rue (Ruta graveolens) PADemD Aug 2013 #30

I agree. MarianJack Aug 2013 #41

Stray cats don't make it long in my neighborhood. The Link Aug 2013 #43

Outdoor cats in my neighborhood have a tendency to vanish Ocelot Aug 2013 #80

If someone stole my cat and brought it to the shelter... bunnies Aug 2013 #52

What the author did was perfectly acceptable (and wasn't stealing) NickB79 Aug 2013 #65

My cat is an indoor cat. bunnies Aug 2013 #68

She stated she notified the owners multiple times previously NickB79 Aug 2013 #82

Yeah. She left generic notices on everyone doors. bunnies Aug 2013 #129

Bullshit. Hissyspit Aug 2013 #74

How thoughtful NickB79 Aug 2013 #89

There's plenty of information throughout this thread Hissyspit Aug 2013 #95

Nah, I have better things to do NickB79 Aug 2013 #103

Even if you were a horrible pet owner that didn't control your pet? bluestate10 Aug 2013 #108

So anyone that lets their cat outside is a horrible pet owner? bunnies Aug 2013 #130

Someone did that to one of my cats? Le Taz Hot Aug 2013 #128

Thank you! bunnies Aug 2013 #131

+1. nt DevonRex Aug 2013 #138

Being taken to the shelter is one of the better outcomes XemaSab Aug 2013 #174

In that they were spayed/neutered as kittens Le Taz Hot Aug 2013 #187

We have a birdbath to help feed the cats. Spitfire of ATJ Aug 2013 #55

Be sure to read the article to the end! Coyotl Aug 2013 #56

I should have known this thread would be of interest to you XemaSab Aug 2013 #175

Nice to see all the cat haters on here. darkangel218 Aug 2013 #59

Riiiiigggghhhhttttt. NickB79 Aug 2013 #69

lololol!! darkangel218 Aug 2013 #125

I think so too laundry_queen Aug 2013 #154

.... awww, and there are just so FEW cat LOVERS on the internets, right? Myrina Aug 2013 #72

You have already stated upthread that you hate fucking hate cats HangOnKids Aug 2013 #135

Yeah. Why *is* it so much more acceptable to "hate" cats? nomorenomore08 Aug 2013 #160

I love my dogs XemaSab Aug 2013 #176

"Cats=invasive species" is a misconception. alp227 Aug 2013 #61

That's a poor argument NickB79 Aug 2013 #64

Actually, it seems cats are being selected against hunting. caseymoz Aug 2013 #71

isn't a cat killing birds its natural instinct? GalaxyHunter Aug 2013 #76

True, but a bird in every cat's dish = EXTINCTION. Can't have that. nt alp227 Aug 2013 #81

I don't believe that for a second. GalaxyHunter Aug 2013 #85

Birds have gone extinct due to cat predation XemaSab Aug 2013 #178

In their native habitat as wild animals, yes NickB79 Aug 2013 #98

mother nature will straighten it all out. GalaxyHunter Aug 2013 #104

Not so long as humans actively intervene NickB79 Aug 2013 #107

mother nature doesn't take shit from anyone. She will do what she pleases. GalaxyHunter Aug 2013 #111

I once witnessed a flock of birds dive bombing a cat in my neighborhood. bluestate10 Aug 2013 #118

that cat must have done something to piss those birds off! GalaxyHunter Aug 2013 #120

yeah, like the flu virus mitchtv Aug 2013 #115

so flu killing humans = cats killing birds in your eyes? GalaxyHunter Aug 2013 #119

your point "it's nature" why worry? mitchtv Aug 2013 #126

question is, do you? GalaxyHunter Aug 2013 #140

Yes, but cats are an introduced species. ZombieHorde Aug 2013 #127

mother nature will overcome. GalaxyHunter Aug 2013 #141

All life on Earth will eventually be snuffed out. ZombieHorde Aug 2013 #148

BOOM! Truth Bomb! GalaxyHunter Aug 2013 #149

Do you know how many species went extinct when humans came to the Americas? XemaSab Aug 2013 #181

What cats actually do wryter2000 Aug 2013 #83

I told her "Your obsession with cats has gone too far and I want you to go!" Vinnie From Indy Aug 2013 #84

Bwahaha! nt valerief Aug 2013 #91

I have an indoor/outdoor cat eilen Aug 2013 #87

Aha! Youre one of those horrible cat owners I read about upthread. bunnies Aug 2013 #134

Yeah, guilty. She yowls to go out. It's not like I throw her out. eilen Aug 2013 #145

lol. I know what you mean. bunnies Aug 2013 #146

all owned cats should be indoor MFM008 Aug 2013 #151

You are not the boss of me LOL eilen Aug 2013 #195

i love my cat therefore i would never let her outside. its better for her and the environment La Lioness Priyanka Aug 2013 #90

Why do you hate cats so much?!?! NickB79 Aug 2013 #106

i have heaven05 Aug 2013 #92

Nice read. Ash_F Aug 2013 #96

Can't blame them for millions of years of evolution. Rex Aug 2013 #99

My cat hunts lizards! Stainless Aug 2013 #102

Watch you cat. It may hunt lizards, but one day it may try to hunt the pit vipers that bluestate10 Aug 2013 #121

Umm, it's what they do. They hunt. It's in their DNA. Bake Aug 2013 #109

So, by your logic it is ok if larger predators hunt cats while they are outside? nt bluestate10 Aug 2013 #124

Animals are going to do what they do. It's nature, not logic. Bake Aug 2013 #136

I'm reasonably sure that my cat is cognizant of other creatures eilen Aug 2013 #147

Substitute "people" for cats and you might be on to something... dogknob Aug 2013 #133

This message was self-deleted by its author DevonRex Aug 2013 #139

Fuck Crista Worthy; I would prefer Frankie as a neighbor Tom Ripley Aug 2013 #142

+1000 JCMach1 Aug 2013 #144

Cats are a part of the 'human' ecosystem... take them away and the rodent population JCMach1 Aug 2013 #143

Mine are kept inside. LisaL Aug 2013 #155

BS. NaturalHigh Aug 2013 #157

Nonsense. Domestic cats do not have larger animals that hunt them. And ... Bernardo de La Paz Aug 2013 #168

Do you think cats should be taken care of by humans? XemaSab Aug 2013 #183

It is the responsibility ohheckyeah Aug 2013 #159

All pet cats belong indoors. Period. alarimer Aug 2013 #161

As a biologist it's amazing how ignorant you are. Hissyspit Aug 2013 #179

Are you a biologist? XemaSab Aug 2013 #186

So how about euthanizing the invasive species known as homo sapien when they venture into non-native Arugula Latte Aug 2013 #185

We have lots of wildlife where I live including birds and bunnies. I cringe whever I see cats and liberal_at_heart Aug 2013 #162

Oh well do like my asshole neighbor did and put out some water with antifreeze in it cherish44 Aug 2013 #169

Animal control in my county loans out traps madville Aug 2013 #170

Arm the birds. gulliver Aug 2013 #177

I'm so fucking sick of these anti-cat threads on DU. Arugula Latte Aug 2013 #184

How is asking people to keep their cats inside XemaSab Aug 2013 #188

That's a different thread topic. Arugula Latte Aug 2013 #189

How about the invasive and ubiquitous African Rock Pigeon The Second Stone Aug 2013 #190

A shame the article never even tries to address the claim of it's title Ohio Joe Aug 2013 #194