Author Topic: City cat getting used to country living (Read 2633 times)

smallholder in the city · « **on:** September 14, 2011, 01:05:25 pm »

When we lived in London our cat Salem was a bit of a hunter, leaving the occassional dead mouse for us and sometimes (if the weather was bad) bringing a live one in to chase around the house, we did try and discourage this.

Since moving to Lincolnshire a month ago he has started hunting more. Again mostly bring back dead mice. However, today when my husband got up after I had left for work he discovered a live, uninjured, adult rabbit hopping around the lounge !!

Fortunately he managed to catch it and release it. I think perhaps we're going to have to restrict Salem's access to the house or get used to coming home to a house full of rabbits !

Fleecewife · « **Reply #1 on:** September 14, 2011, 01:23:05 pm »

Many years ago when we lived on an RAF base near some big lakes, one of our cats brought a live coot into the house. OH, in his jimjams, tucked it under his arm and took it back to the nearest lake, just as all the top-ranking officers were setting off for work. He did get some strange looks but it just added to his reputation and the knowledge that we needed to be living on our own smallholding. The cat also on one occasion brought in a live rat which had to be dispatched by OH when he popped home for his lunch - not nice as it was apparently a very intelligent rat. The cat was also responsible for eating every one of the chicks in a rare Water Rail's nest at the rate of one a day for a week - not popular. I suppose that if she hadn't caught the rat it would have got the chicks....?

At least your cat brings in things you can eat

smallholder in the city · « **Reply #2 on:** September 14, 2011, 01:27:27 pm »

Yes that is one bonus. he's not a particularly big cat and I did wonder if he caught it then didn't quite know what to do with it so just left it for us.

little blue · « **Reply #3 on:** September 22, 2011, 08:59:11 pm »

Quote from: Fleecewife on September 14, 2011, 01:23:05 pm

The cat was also responsible for eating every one of the chicks in a rare Water Rail's nest at the rate of one a day for a week

one of ours (Alfie I think) did this with blackbirds - first the chicks, then the parents .... then he brought the empty nest into the kitchen!!
ok, they're not exactly rare but I still was not pleased (Impressed yes, just not pleased!)

jaykay · « **Reply #4 on:** September 22, 2011, 09:04:04 pm »

Our outdoor kattens used to bring in baby rabbits that I would find hopping around the kitchen, being watched with benign interest by the overfed dogs

piggy · « **Reply #5 on:** September 22, 2011, 09:27:52 pm »

My cat charlie only brings in presents out of protest,if i have run out of pouches for him the night before(he has biscuit as well) you can almost bet that in the morning there will be a dead mouse or half a rabbit in the pantry in the morning.Its as if to say well if youd have fed me meat i wouldnt have.

MikeM · « **Reply #6 on:** September 23, 2011, 09:20:19 am »

yup, moving from the burbs has certainly given our 12 yr old tom a new lease of life. Now that the weathers' turning he's turning his attention to the mice in the outbuildings. Fortunately, he has stopped:
a, bringing them in
b, going after the slow worms and grass snakes in the bank by the kitchen.