Ed (the cat) Won't Stop Hunting !!! Help...

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

IdTattooU - 15 Jul 2003 18:47 GMT

Hi,

[Hope this isn't a repeat question...if so pls help me find the original
posting]

We have a beautiful, smart, friendly, large, companion cat named Ed. We also
have two Cairn Terriers. All three get along fabulously...play together, take
walks together, etc...
Here's the problem; I installed a 'doggy door' about a year ago for all of them
to use, and they do. It's made our life so much simpler not having to open and
close the door all day long. For about the last 4 months Ed has started
bringing 'fresh kill' into the house to share with the Cairns? Or to just show
off? But it's gotten out of hand and it's stomach turning to pick up these,
birds, mice, squirrels and other unidentifiable things. Most are dead but some
are still barely alive. I think you can understand how utterly disturbing, on
so many levels, this is to us.

Things We've Already Tried:
1. Putting a bell around Ed's neck. Result: within 2 days he's managed to get
out of the collar and ditch the bell along with it.
2. Closing the dog door. Result: three very bored and pissed off animals who
sit in front of their 'former access to the outdoors' and whine.
3. Cry. Result: puffy eyes
4. Consider the unconsiderable....giving Ed away. Result: Just can't go
there....

Facts about Ed's Neighborhood:
- Residential
- I've never seen a deer or anything wilder than a heron in two years.
- We live in Northern Virginia

PLEASE --- Any advice or experience will be GREATLY appreciated. I just can't
take it anymore....

Thank you....Lisa

Reply to this Message

Mary - 15 Jul 2003 21:46 GMT

>PLEASE --- Any advice or experience will be GREATLY appreciated. I just
>can't
>take it anymore....

A few suggestions. Get a magnetic door and only give the dogs the magnetic key
collar then the cat can't get out. Or, make it so everyone can go out but the
cat can't get in because he needs the collar. This way you only let the cat in
yourself when he doesn't have an animal in his mouth. If you're lucky, maybe
having an animal in his mouth will make his magnetic collar not work. There is
also this bib thing that is supposed to prevent them from catching prey. It
looks silly but is supposed to work. I think your kitty is trying to feed the
dogs, teach them how to hunt. You can also make it so there's nothing that
birds, squirrels would want in your yard, no bird feeder, no fruit trees, then
hopefully they won't come around. Good luck.

Reply to this Message

Priscilla H Ballou - 15 Jul 2003 22:42 GMT

Mary <mmmaryinla@aol.comspam> quoth: good stuff which I snipped.

I vote for eliminating the doggie door and going back to opening and
closing the door for the animals. That way you control who/what goes out
and comes in. Everyone loses a bit that way -- the nature of compromise.

Priscilla

Signature

Minutus cantorum, minutus balorum,
minutus carborata descendum pantorum.
(from topfive.com)

Reply to this Message

Bill - 15 Jul 2003 23:04 GMT

>"IdTattooU" <idtattoou@aol.com> wrote in message

news:20030715134736.29003.00000543@mb-m28.aol.com...

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
>
> Thank you....Lisa

The two cats in my household used to bring in prey, usually alive but
sometimes dead.

We would always take the prey away from the cats, much to their displeasure.

Bottom line....after a while the cats finally realized we would just take
the prey away from them if they brought it into the house, so they stopped
bringing them inside.

Bill

Reply to this Message

Brandy?Alexandre - 16 Jul 2003 04:27 GMT

IdTattooU <idtattoou@aol.com>, with thought and calculation, said in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav:

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 32 lines]
>
> Thank you....Lisa

It's cat. They hunt. What did you expect? You want to deprive him of
something within the very basic nature of his being?

Signature

Brandy??Alexandre?
http://www.swydm.com/?refer=BrandyAlx
Well, would you?

Reply to this Message

kaeli - 16 Jul 2003 14:33 GMT

> It's cat. They hunt. What did you expect? You want to deprive him of
> something within the very basic nature of his being?

Um... ;)

-------------------------------------------------
~kaeli~
There is no justification or rationalization
for mutilation. Ban declawing as inhumane.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace
-------------------------------------------------

Reply to this Message

Gilbert Chew - 16 Jul 2003 16:51 GMT

> Hi,

[snip]

> For about the
> last 4 months Ed has started bringing 'fresh kill' into the house

[snip again]

> PLEASE --- Any advice or experience will be GREATLY appreciated. I
> just can't take it anymore....

Okay, you asked for it! Assuming you have WAY too much time and money on your hands, you might try to
contact the people who did this:

http://www.quantumpicture.com/Flo_Control/flo_control.htm

(Someboday made a computer-controlled pet door that only opens if the cat isn't carrying anything in its
mouth.)

Reply to this Message

IdTattooU - 17 Jul 2003 01:23 GMT

I sit here in awe of the time and coding that must have gone into the
development/research of this 'product'. WOW. Thanks for providing my 'new
thing learned today' or as the Daily Show calls it 'My Moment of Zen'.

Can you imagine the other ways this could be utilized?

Lisa

Reply to this Message

David S. - 18 Jul 2003 02:49 GMT

> (Someboday made a computer-controlled pet door that only opens if the cat isn't carrying anything in its
> mouth.)

Way cool!

David

Reply to this Message