Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site terak.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!qantel!hplabs!hao!noao!terak!suze From: suze@terak.UUCP (Suzanne Barnett) Newsgroups: net.pets Subject: Re: Re: Cats killing birds Message-ID: <855@terak.UUCP> Date: Wed, 6-Nov-85 11:35:41 EST Article-I.D.: terak.855 Posted: Wed Nov 6 11:35:41 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 11-Nov-85 05:27:27 EST References: <301@drutx.UUCP> <554@kitty.UUCP> Organization: Calcomp Display Products Division, Scottsdale, AZ, USA Lines: 42 > > Is there any way to disuade him from this practice? I have > > seen people put bells on cats for this--but that would probably > > drive me up the wall. We feed the birds in the winter--I hate > > to attract them to their deaths. > I also question the efficacy of `equipping' a cat with a bell. If > you have ever watched a cat sit in or near a tree and wait for birds, and > then CATCH one, you would see how fast the cat was. I don't believe that most > birds would react to the bell fast enough to preclude being caught by the cat. > The only reasonable solution would be to keep your cat indoors. I have had cats practically all my life. Most have had bells on their collars. They generally don't work very well. The bells are usually too small and muffled by the cats fur, even when it's a short haired cat. However, I have found in the past couple of years, that several tags on the collar, identity, rabies and license isn't muffled, even by semi-long haired cats. One tag isn't noisy, but two or more are. But only when the cat moves. Cats tend to stare at and hypnotise a bird before going in for the kill. This is done from a fair distance (up to about 50 feet, possibly even more). Once the bird is hypnotised, teh cat never moves its eyes from staring into the birds eyes until the last pounce. I don't think the tag's noise would free the bird from the cat's hypnosis. Unless you keep the cat strictly indoors, I wouldn't feed the birds. That attracts them to your house and the cat. Quit feeding them and that, plus the cat's presence will discourage them from coming around; if they aren't there, the cat can't catch them. -- ************************************************************** Suzanne Barnett-Scott uucp: ...{decvax,ihnp4,noao,savax,seismo}!terak!suze phone: (602) 998-4800 us mail: CalComp/Sanders Display Products Division (Formerly Terak Corporation) 14151 N 76th street, Scottsdale, AZ 85260