Help, my cat is a serial killer!
 

My cat Zacky is an indoor/outdoor cat, and he's forever bringing home prey
that he catches. Every week or so, I'll come home and find a bloody
lifeless bird in my living room (and the room full of feathers!) Or a
lizard. Or a mouse. Or these really weird worms that are not snails or
slugs, but look like snails without their shell. He also brings in these
really huge grasshoppers and then torture them to death, leaving large
insect carcasses throughout the house. It's like living with a feline
serial murderer! Occasionally, I'll catch him as he's bringing in his
captive still alive and as yet unharmed. So I'll give him a stern NO, take
it from his mouth, and carry it outside to release it. This kind of ****es
him off, but I'm not sure what else to do.
I really want to discourage such behavior. Any ideas?

-Garret
garret at garretswayne dot com

Help, my cat is a serial killer!
 

"Garret Swayne" wrote in message
ink.net...
My cat Zacky is an indoor/outdoor cat, and he's forever bringing home prey
that he catches. Every week or so, I'll come home and find a bloody
lifeless bird in my living room (and the room full of feathers!) Or a
lizard. Or a mouse. Or these really weird worms that are not snails or
slugs, but look like snails without their shell. He also brings in these
really huge grasshoppers and then torture them to death, leaving large
insect carcasses throughout the house. It's like living with a feline
serial murderer! Occasionally, I'll catch him as he's bringing in his
captive still alive and as yet unharmed. So I'll give him a stern NO,
take it from his mouth, and carry it outside to release it. This kind of
****es him off, but I'm not sure what else to do.
I really want to discourage such behavior. Any ideas?

-Garret
garret at garretswayne dot com


Do you realize that this is a normal behavior for a cat. Bringing you a
prize is a honor and a sign of affection. Also many animals do this when
they have not been properly show by the parent how to kill.

If this is really bothering you keep the cat inside Cats and other animals
are predators you can't take the hunting instinct out of an animal it will
always be there

Help, my cat is a serial killer!
 

"Garret Swayne" wrote in message
ink.net...
My cat Zacky is an indoor/outdoor cat, and he's forever bringing home
prey that he catches. Every week or so, I'll come home and find a bloody
lifeless bird in my living room (and the room full of feathers!) Or a
lizard. Or a mouse. Or these really weird worms that are not snails or
slugs, but look like snails without their shell. He also brings in these
really huge grasshoppers and then torture them to death, leaving large
insect carcasses throughout the house. It's like living with a feline
serial murderer! Occasionally, I'll catch him as he's bringing in his
captive still alive and as yet unharmed. So I'll give him a stern NO,
take it from his mouth, and carry it outside to release it. This kind of
****es him off, but I'm not sure what else to do.
I really want to discourage such behavior. Any ideas?

-Garret
garret at garretswayne dot com


You could put a liberator collar on him though that won't help with slugs
and things.
http://www.liberators.com.au/

Cats are hunters so is natural for them to bring their prey home.
Alison

Help, my cat is a serial killer!
 

Bells reduce the catch - mine's a 7 bell cat

I really want to discourage such behavior. Any ideas?

Help, my cat is a serial killer!
 

"Garret Swayne" wrote in message
ink.net...
My cat Zacky is an indoor/outdoor cat, and he's forever bringing home prey
that he catches. Every week or so, I'll come home and find a bloody
lifeless bird in my living room (and the room full of feathers!) Or a
lizard. Or a mouse. Or these really weird worms that are not snails or
slugs, but look like snails without their shell. He also brings in these
really huge grasshoppers and then torture them to death, leaving large
insect carcasses throughout the house. It's like living with a feline
serial murderer! Occasionally, I'll catch him as he's bringing in his
captive still alive and as yet unharmed. So I'll give him a stern NO,
take it from his mouth, and carry it outside to release it. This kind of
****es him off, but I'm not sure what else to do.
I really want to discourage such behavior. Any ideas?

-Garret
garret at garretswayne dot com

Well, at least he doesn't leave their heads in your refrigerator.....

You might try getting him some cat toys....Like things dangling from strings
that jump around when he pulls on them, for example.....

Help, my cat is a serial killer!
 

"Alison" wrote in message
...
"Garret Swayne" wrote in message
ink.net...
My cat Zacky is an indoor/outdoor cat, and he's forever bringing home
prey that he catches. Every week or so, I'll come home and find a bloody
lifeless bird in my living room (and the room full of feathers!) Or a
lizard. Or a mouse. Or these really weird worms that are not snails or
slugs, but look like snails without their shell. He also brings in these
really huge grasshoppers and then torture them to death, leaving large
insect carcasses throughout the house. It's like living with a feline
serial murderer! Occasionally, I'll catch him as he's bringing in his
captive still alive and as yet unharmed. So I'll give him a stern NO,
take it from his mouth, and carry it outside to release it. This kind of
****es him off, but I'm not sure what else to do.
I really want to discourage such behavior. Any ideas?

-Garret
garret at garretswayne dot com


You could put a liberator collar on him though that won't help with slugs
and things.
http://www.liberators.com.au/

Cats are hunters so is natural for them to bring their prey home.
Alison


Yes. At least mine puts the bodies on the floor somewhere. (usually the
bathroom floor) I had a friend whose cat used to leave the bird's feet on
his pillow........:^)

Help, my cat is a serial killer!
 

On Sat, 16 Jun 2007 14:29:09 -0700, "William Graham"
wrote:

Yes. At least mine puts the bodies on the floor somewhere. (usually the
bathroom floor) I had a friend whose cat used to leave the bird's feet on
his pillow........:^)

One of the defining moments of my teen years was when our cat brought
my mother a bird. It was 30 years ago and I still remember her
over-reaction even though she had had cats in her life since girlhood.

Help, my cat is a serial killer!
 

"The Horny Goat" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 16 Jun 2007 14:29:09 -0700, "William Graham"
wrote:

Yes. At least mine puts the bodies on the floor somewhere. (usually the
bathroom floor) I had a friend whose cat used to leave the bird's feet on
his pillow........:^)

One of the defining moments of my teen years was when our cat brought
my mother a bird. It was 30 years ago and I still remember her
over-reaction even though she had had cats in her life since girlhood.

Yeah...I'm always afraid I will insult them if I don't show
pleasure....After all, they are giving you a gift to pay you back for all
the food you give them....When you go to the supermarket, I figure they
think you are out hunting....And then, when they get something for you, if
you just throw it away, they think they're worthless. (I always give them
credit for thinking like we do, even though I know it's probably not true.)
So, I make believe I am happy, and am saving it for later......

Help, my cat is a serial killer!
 

"Garret Swayne" wrote in message
ink.net...
My cat Zacky is an indoor/outdoor cat, and he's forever bringing home prey
that he catches. Every week or so, I'll come home and find a bloody
lifeless bird in my living room (and the room full of feathers!) Or a
lizard. Or a mouse. Or these really weird worms that are not snails or
slugs, but look like snails without their shell. He also brings in these
really huge grasshoppers and then torture them to death, leaving large
insect carcasses throughout the house. It's like living with a feline
serial murderer! Occasionally, I'll catch him as he's bringing in his
captive still alive and as yet unharmed. So I'll give him a stern NO,
take it from his mouth, and carry it outside to release it. This kind of
****es him off, but I'm not sure what else to do.
I really want to discourage such behavior. Any ideas?

-Garret
garret at garretswayne dot com


Not to be insensitive, but that's what cats do. Cats are some of the most
efficient, instinctual, predators, and five thousand years of domestication
hasn't tamed that gene.

Help, my cat is a serial killer!
 

"Garret Swayne" wrote in message
ink.net...
My cat Zacky is an indoor/outdoor cat, and he's forever bringing home prey that he
catches. Every week or so, I'll come home and find a bloody lifeless bird in my
living room (and the room full of feathers!) Or a lizard. Or a mouse. Or these
really weird worms that are not snails or slugs, but look like snails without their
shell. He also brings in these really huge grasshoppers and then torture them to
death, leaving large insect carcasses throughout the house. It's like living with
a feline serial murderer! Occasionally, I'll catch him as he's bringing in his
captive still alive and as yet unharmed. So I'll give him a stern NO, take it from
his mouth, and carry it outside to release it. This kind of ****es him off, but
I'm not sure what else to do.
I really want to discourage such behavior. Any ideas?

-Garret
garret at garretswayne dot com

I use a bell on my Freddy, which helps. Also I don't let him out in the dark or early
morning when he's most likely to hunt.

Adam