Worse than rats, Woke up this morning to find feathers strewn all over my garden. On investigation I discover an emaciated wood pigeon just sitting there blinking. It had obviously put up a good fight but has clearly had it. Next doors cat is still hovering. I don’t know what it intends to do. I’m supposed to be getting my booster jab at 11.30. I’ve rung the RSPCA and they’ve told me not to touch it on account of Avian Flu. I’ve already picked up all the pot plants that have been knocked over and have been told to wash my hands thoroughly. My wife has said that she saw the cat with feathers around its mouth sitting by its prey. We’ve chased it off a few times but it keeps coming back to gloat. Can anyone justify keeping a cat?

Cats are evil creatures ... the spawn of the devil ... they're secretly plotting to take over the world ...

Down with cats

Just the thing for controlling pigeons

Plagued with cats round my way. One local resident has nine! They all seem to kill for fun. I don't particularly like pigeons but I too have had my fair share of dead and injured ones in the garden. At least the local birds of prey only leave you with the feathers to clean up!

Buy a water pistol (one of those super soakers with good range) cats hate them and soon learn to give your garden a wide birth ... then you will have flocks of lovely cuddly pigeons sitting in your garden and fertilising your roof, patio, garden furniture and you while you sit outside

Not sure WOOD pigeons need controlling.

Had a hawk sat in my garden tearing the head off a pidgeon once.

That was pretty cool

Buxtonclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 11:30 am

Not sure WOOD pigeons need controlling.

Exactly. It’s a wood pigeon. Not a feral pigeon.

Could easily have been a Sparrowhawk that got the pigeon first, they just leave if they get disturbed.

Much more likely to be a Sparrow Hawk if the bird was healthy. Cats tend to be able to catch less able birds ie ‘fat finch’ sufferers or birds of latter years.

I hate cats.
They kill the bird life.

If you try to have a nice garden they fill it with poo.

I knew this old lady who lived in a shoe who had loads of issues with animals eating each other. Cant remember how she solved the problem im afraid but if it comes back to me I'll let you know

jackmiggins wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 11:41 am

Much more likely to be a Sparrow Hawk if the bird was healthy. Cats tend to be able to catch less able birds ie ‘fat finch’ sufferers or birds of latter years.

The cat was sitting by it with feathers strewn around its mouth.

I have a Sparrowhawk visiting my garden regularly. Now and again it means the demise of a sparrow/blackbird/starling.
They kill to eat and, survive.
Afraid cats kill for killings sake.
I'd never hurt a cat but, would never have one either.

The only animal I’d consider having as a pet. Much safer than a dog.

Long gone nightclubs

Shall we cull all ‘lesser species’? Cattle, for destruction of the World by farting, Badgers for killing cattle (perhaps we can extend this to anti vaccination morons?). What’s your views on Tigers?

Dermot - you originally said the cat was ‘hovering’. Later said it was sat over the bird with feathers in its mouth???

I've got two.

Absolute killing machines, they've totally eradicated the local rat population and every other bit of pesky wildlife that comes mithering around in my garden.
Mice, shrews, rabbits, bats, all manner of birds. They've never nailed a seagull yet but it's coming.

I rarely even need to feed them either.

claret2018 wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 11:56 am

The only animal I’d consider having as a pet. Much safer than a dog.

Both have their issues, cats using furniture as scratching posts, scratching up carpets. Annoying your neighbours.

Dogs chewing that normal stops once they have adult teeth, but again annoying neighbours barking.

Die in a locked room with a dog it will sit by you until it dies.
Die in a locked room with a cat it will eat you.

We’re also plagued by the neighbours cat pooing in our garden. My wife told me to get a spade and throw it over the fence. Not sure what good that will do as we’ve still got cat poo in our garden and no spade now!

minnieclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 12:07 pm

Die in a locked room with a dog it will sit by you until it dies.
Die in a locked room with a cat it will eat you.

This is why i have more respect for cats

jackmiggins wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 12:01 pm

Dermot - you originally said the cat was ‘hovering’. Later said it was sat over the bird with feathers in its mouth???

I said that my wife saw it sitting by the bird with feathers around its mouth. It was chased off but keeps coming back, i.e. hovering. We’ve just had to have our booster jabs and will be returning home shortly. I can’t do anything for the bird. The RSPCA said to ring back when we return.

I buried ours 2 weeks ago today, wasn't actually mine or for that matter my girlfriends. It had to adopted her years ago.
Can't say I'm at all bothered, I never liked it.

jackmiggins wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 11:58 am

Shall we cull all ‘lesser species’? Cattle, for destruction of the World by farting, Badgers for killing cattle (perhaps we can extend this to anti vaccination morons?). What’s your views on Tigers?

jackmiggins wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 12:01 pm

Dermot - you originally said the cat was ‘hovering’. Later said it was sat over the bird with feathers in its mouth???

wonder if it was a Sparrowhawk undercover dressed in a "Cat Suit" to disguise its self ... cos you don't see many cats "hovering" unless tied to a drone

fatboy47 wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 12:05 pm

I've got two.

Absolute killing machines, they've totally eradicated the local rat population and every other bit of pesky wildlife that comes mithering around in my garden.
Mice, shrews, rabbits, bats, all manner of birds. They've never nailed a seagull yet but it's coming.

I rarely even need to feed them either.

I know it shouldn't have done, but that made me giggle.

minnieclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 12:07 pm

Die in a locked room with a dog it will sit by you until it dies.
Die in a locked room with a cat it will eat you.

I worked with a bloke that used to work in forensics and examining crime scenes, he told me he once went to a house where the owner had died a few weeks earlier and the dog was still eating the anus of the dead bloke when they arrived.

Burnley1989 wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 12:25 pm

I worked with a bloke that used to work in forensics and examining crime scenes, he told me he once went to a house where the owner had died a few weeks earlier and the dog was still eating the anus of the dead bloke when they arrived.

Had it started from "the bottom" up

dermotdermot wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 12:14 pm

I said that my wife saw it sitting by the bird with feathers around its mouth. It was chased off but keeps coming back, i.e. hovering. We’ve just had to have our booster jabs and will be returning home shortly. I can’t do anything for the bird. The RSPCA said to ring back when we return.

I had one that flew into my front window and couldn’t fly, I rang around various numbers I’d found online to see if I could get it help, nobody was interested so I had to take it to the vets to be put to sleep. Didn’t want to leave it to local cats to destroy

jackmiggins wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 11:58 am

Cattle, for destruction of the World by farting,

It is not cattle farting that presents a problem to the environment but belching and burping allowing the release of Methane gas.

Unless, of course, you are standing immediately behind the cow when it decides to fart.

Lowbankclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 11:43 am

I hate cats.
...

If you try to have a nice garden they fill it with poo.

They're not that fussy; when we had a less than nice garden they seemed equally as happy to crap all over that too

Jel wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 12:21 pm

I buried ours 2 weeks ago today...Can't say I'm at all bothered, I never liked it.

Was it dead, or were you just sick of it hanging around?

Having returned from having our booster jabs, the pigeon is nowhere to be seen. The cat has obviously returned and taken its prey away. Hopefully deposited it in my neighbours kitchen. The next time I see it, I'll reach for the leaf blower or, better still, the Karcher pressure washer with the attachment that cleans paving stones

When I was a kid living on the farm we had friesian bull (nicknamed Terry) which every living thing other than the cows and one of the cats was **** scared of, the damned thing attacked anything and everything! I didn't see the original incident, but when said bull had had a go at that cat it'd leapt onto and sunk all four sets of claws into the bull's nose and then wouldn't let go; thereafter the cat wandered wherever it wanted and the bull would completely ignore it unless it came within six feet of it, at which point the bull would run away; strangely, that cat was the only one that could be considered tame/friendly.

AfloatinClaret wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 1:00 pm

When I was a kid living on the farm we had friesian bull (nicknamed Terry) which every living thing other than the cows and one of the cats was **** scared of, the damned thing attacked anything and everything! I didn't see the original incident, but when said bull had had a go at that cat it'd leapt onto and sunk all four sets of claws into the bull's nose and then wouldn't let go; thereafter the cat wandered wherever it wanted and the bull would completely ignore it unless it came within six feet of it, at which point the bull would run away; strangely, that cat was the only one that could be considered tame/friendly.

A good cat will kick seven shades of sh1t out of a rampant bull. All day long.

I had been plagued with cat poo for several years on both the patio and front garden. I decided to try an ultra sonic cat deterrent, it can be run by a 9v battery or direct from the mains- 12v. I have two running from the mains supply. Not been bothered with cats since. You’d need to check though if it would affect a dog, if you own one. Just remember deaf cats will not be affected. You’ll need the detector -around £25 and the mains cable supply adaptor (it has 10m of lead) at £16. Look up
conceptresearch.co.uk

dermotdermot wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 11:37 am

Exactly. It’s a wood pigeon. Not a feral pigeon.

All this fuss over a toy bird

Cats are brilliant

jackmiggins wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 11:58 am

Shall we cull all ‘lesser species’? Cattle, for destruction of the World by farting, Badgers for killing cattle (perhaps we can extend this to anti vaccination morons?). What’s your views on Tigers?

Lion bars are ideal on a long bike ride.

Burnley1989 wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 12:25 pm

I worked with a bloke that used to work in forensics and examining crime scenes, he told me he once went to a house where the owner had died a few weeks earlier and the dog was still eating the anus of the dead bloke when they arrived.

I heard they called in Sherlock Holmes, he soon sorted the mystery out. As he said to his sidekick, "Alimentary, my dear Watson."

Mind you, he was flummoxed by the foliage from a fruit-producing shrub sticking out of the bloke's arse at first but not for long....
"A lemon tree, my dear Watson."



I'll get me deerstalker...

It's one of about a billion birds that die in Britain every year. You'll get over it, even if the bird won't.

My sister found out with her cats that it's not a good idea to chase them off if they're attacking a bird, because it leaves you with responsibility for a half dead bird. Better to let the cat's nature take its course.

Cats are no worse or better than any other meat eater, apart from humans. Humans are the only ones who pay any attention to the welfare of our prey.

We have more Sparrows, Chaffinches, Goldfinches and Blue Tits etc etc than ever visiting our gardens ... also there are now at least 20 local Cats on our road ... up at least 50% in the past 6 years ... and its almost as if the local bird population has bred more because of the influx of Cats over the past 6 years to compensate for any losses ...

Its also quite funny watching the Birds taunting the cats as they sit in the shade thinking they're invisible to the chirping tweety pies ...

One stupid cat decided to sit in the tree with the bird nuts about 12" away ... and not a bird went anywhere near ... within 2 minutes of a well aimed water pistol from the bathroom window 4 blue tits were happily feeding on the nuts.

Cats may be evil bird hunting, mouse chomping, vole eviscerating creatures of the night but they can also be quite stupid.

AfloatinClaret wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 12:45 pm

Was it dead, or were you just sick of it hanging around?

Is was dead I hope, it had a final visit to the Vet the day before. He wanted over £50 to cremate it so I got the spade out.

Burnley1989 wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 12:28 pm

I had one that flew into my front window and couldn’t fly, I rang around various numbers I’d found online to see if I could get it help, nobody was interested so I had to take it to the vets to be put to sleep. Didn’t want to leave it to local cats to destroy

A cat flew into your front window?

Chobulous wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 2:52 pm

All this fuss over a toy bird

That is not a dead pigeon, it's just sleeping.

Marney&Mee wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 6:16 pm

A cat flew into your front window?

Indeed, made a right mess.

I was sat having my Wetabix after a heavy weekend on a monday morning, literally **** myself

Volvoclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 14, 2021 6:18 pm

That is not a dead pigeon, it's just sleeping.

It’s not sleeping it’s been nailed to its perch.