"Doyley" wrote in message
news
Amy Lou wrote:


Our cat often brings a rabbit, mouse or bird to the door but never a
chook. She often wanders around with the chooks but we have never had
chicks.

Amy Lou,

Rabbit... OK; mouse... OK (as long as they aren't the native ones - can
you tell?); but how can you so nonchalantly mention your cat regularly
killing birds? Has it ever occurred to you the damage it may be doing to
local native wildlife??

Maybe I'm naive, but I just can't understand people allowing their pets to
wander around doing what comes naturally - ie hunting. I don't like cats,
but I don't blame them. It's their owners, who to me seem either very
unaware or very selfish.

Mark.


Doyley,

I agree whole-heartedly. I cannot believe how much native wild-life
returned to our homestead after the last pet cat died, and puddin was
getting 2 square meals a day! Nearly every night, it would bring home a
bird, or one of the nocturnal lizards. And I was devastated to hear a person
(who lives in the district) tell how her cat brings home one of the
marsupial mice nearly every night! I was seriously thinking about slipping
down to her place and shooting her cat...

In keeping with the Original Post, I have actually found feral cats eating
leftovers in the chook-house when I went to lock the door at night. Those
particular cats are now wearing wings an a harp each, but the chooks didnt
get attacked by the cats. However, we are yet to see a really big feral
cat, which may try to eat a chook or two. My policy is to shoot the cat
first, and then discuss how it might be affecting the chooks.

Also, in nobbling afore-mentioned kitty, I discovered that chooks completely
switch off when the sun sets. The .45 handgun fired a foot-long tongue of
flame at the cat, and I was very relieved to be wearing ear-muffs for the
noise. The chook (not a foot away from the cat in question), merely opened
an eye, had a quick look around, and back to sleep.

The pet lambs in the shed next door nearly took out the back wall from the
gun shot, but Mrs chook was off duty...

I, too believe the cat is just doing what it evolved to do, and that it is
the owner who needs to be given a kicking. If I ever consider having a cat
again, it will have an enclosed run that it can use, and will live in the
house. No running free for my moggy...

For the moment, I am happy with my assortment of frogs, lizards, the odd
snake, and an assortment of very weird birds. Last count was 8 Spotted
bower birds in the house yard at once, along with all the other
species...Makes for an interesting time!

Cheers,

Rod.......Out Back