Our feral recue cat is a hunter. I don't mind the worms or flies he gets but he has killed 3 hummingbird moths in the last 3 days and we rescued two tonight before he injured them. He doesn't eat them, just kills them. Anything we can do?
Other than bringing it inside to become an indoor cat only or trapping it to have the animal control people come get it.....no. They are predators it's what they were born to do and as long as they are outside that is what they will always be. Shoot our indoor cat still hunts down any little critter that comes in when one of us goes in/out of the house.
its what cats do. some cats are better hunters than others. send him to me... I could use a better hunter than the two I have. they are lazy. and flies... they transmit tapeworm...
Our vet said some cats are hunters, and others aren't. We have three "ferals" that flop all over the porch, demand petting, and like to "help" in the garden. So far Buddy has caught one bunny, and Timi and Cali teamed up to get a rat in the barn. I don't think we have hunters. There is really nothing you can do--your cat isn't hunting for food, but for entertainment. Just let nature take its course and the hummingbird moth population will survive, and your cat, as it ages, will hunt less and sleep more.
Yeah, unfortunately a cat's prey drive is typically much stronger than your average dog. I've had cats hunt mice and baby rabbits and birds, and then drop the at my feet proudly, in their estimation giving me THE GREATEST GIFT!! Ugh. It's not only a problem with cats though. All of Paige's dogs are hunter types. When Charlie was alive, he destroyed more than one bunny nest. Just the other day Paige and I were rescuing a fledgling bird from the yard, because both Howard and Dot, her two current Dogs, would try and eat it. Howard the mutt in particular was just vibrating to get to it! River accidentally let Howard outside and we didn't realize it, and next thing we knew Howard streaked between the two of us and grabbed that baby bird!!!!! We both shrieked and yelled and Howard was so startled he dropped the baby, thankfully. And then we caught it and set it in the neighbor's yard where it would be safe. Whew! But Paige has nests and fledglings all the time, and she's constantly monitoring them to see when the birds are going to fledge so that she can be careful about letting the dogs out during that time. Dot, River's doggy, goes after them too, but he's just sorta clumsy so he doesn't often connect.
I know that you are all correct...I was just hoping someone had found something that would help. I wasn't going to put out my hummingbird feeders because of him but....they still come in the yard for the flowers. Hope he is as good at catching mice!
2ofus, don't worry about your hummingbirds. Our cats lay on the porch, look at the hummingbirds coming in to our two feeders, and think that it's a video we put on for their entertainment! Hummingbirds are quicker than cats and will come to feeders or flowers, and avoid getting caught by a cat. Mice, on the other hand, are slower, dumber, and easier to catch.
My first female cat I had years ago I couldn't handle her..she'd rip at my arms etc...then birds started appearing in the home, so I re-homed her and brought me an half Siamese and he was lovely...he was a good hunter but never took to eating anything as he always wanted his food. Cats are better when they're like that.
