Living with predators

xilman · 2010-07-16, 09:24

If you live with predators, you should expect to find and/or provide prey. I live with four cats who've excelled themselves in the last 24 hours.

So far, I've found the corpses of a small bird, a large field mouse, a regular sized house mouse, a small house mouselet, a vole and a hare. The last had been dragged into the garden from quite a distance away because the nearest fields are at least 100m from our house. Half of one leg had been eaten by the time I found it. The remaining half was finished off raw. Later yesterday I removed the other leg, then cooked it because I wasn't entirely sure that it would still be safe to eat raw. The cats loved it.

Nature red in tooth and claw ...

Paul

cheesehead · 2010-07-17, 18:51

I used to have a neighbor who had several "inside" cats and one "outside" cat named Bee-bee. Bee-bee regularly made her patrol around my yard, house, and storage shed (as well as others') and was an excellent hunter. According to the neighbor, she always adequately fed herself and her kittens without any need for him ever to supplement their diet with store-bought cat food.

One day when the neighbor and I were talking out in the yard, Bee-bee walked up to us carrying a fresh mouse kill, laid it down right in front of me, then rolled over on her back beside it. I gave her the nicest long chin-and-belly rub I could manage, along with many voiced thank-yous.

firejuggler · 2010-07-17, 20:15

as long as said cat doesn't lay it in my bed, i'm fine

Uncwilly · 2010-07-18, 04:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheesehead

One day when the neighbor and I were talking out in the yard, Bee-bee walked up to us carrying a fresh mouse kill, laid it down right in front of me, then rolled over on her back beside it.

There was a case of an Orca bringing a seal (IIRC), to a biologist as a gift. First a live but stunned one, then eventually a dead one.

ewmayer · 2010-07-20, 00:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by firejuggler

as long as said cat doesn't lay it in my bed, i'm fine

My (former) cat used to bring me its nightly catch - 3-4 a.m. was the most common time. If the prey happened to be dead and I didn't wake up and turn on the light (in order to properly admire/praise kitty playing with its booty) fast enough for it, it would often jump up on the bed and lay the still-warm corpse right next to my face. Yum!

Sounds like I'm not the only cat owner who was blessed with such a generous, sharing animal.

Paul, quite an impressive - almost biblically so - scene of small-animal slaughter you described there.

davieddy · 2010-07-20, 10:29

In 1976, I married and moved to a first floor flat in Teddington
(uninterrupted view across Bushy Park, albeit via a busy road).
Daphne's sister Bea (Beatrice) gave us a kitten from Battersea
cats and dogs home. We named her Fizzics (Fizz for short).
Knowing what cats do, we got her neutered (that was cruel I know).
Her ability to exit and enter via the window impressed me considerably:
ground floor's windowsill, porch roof, window.

5 years later, moved to New Malden, complete with garden.
Seemed to spend a lot of her time establishing her territory.

1987 moved to Norwich. Watching her predatory activities in
the long grass opposite was a revelation.

She just outlived our marriage. (~20 years).

David

ewmayer · 2010-07-20, 17:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by xilman

The [killer rabbit with a mean streak a mile wide] had been dragged into the garden from quite a distance away because the nearest fields are at least 100m from our house. Half of one leg had been eaten by the time I found it. The remaining half was finished off raw. Later yesterday I removed the other leg, then cooked it because I wasn't entirely sure that it would still be safe to eat raw. The cats loved it.

Splitting hares as usual, eh?

xilman · 2010-07-20, 19:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by ewmayer

Splitting hares as usual, eh?

Hare today, gone tomorrow.

cheesehead · 2010-08-21, 22:58

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gn...aug_20/nam.jpg

2010-07-16, 09:24	#1
xilman Bamboozled! "𒉺𒌌𒇷𒆷𒀭" May 2003 Down not across 10,753 Posts	Living with predators If you live with predators, you should expect to find and/or provide prey. I live with four cats who've excelled themselves in the last 24 hours. So far, I've found the corpses of a small bird, a large field mouse, a regular sized house mouse, a small house mouselet, a vole and a hare. The last had been dragged into the garden from quite a distance away because the nearest fields are at least 100m from our house. Half of one leg had been eaten by the time I found it. The remaining half was finished off raw. Later yesterday I removed the other leg, then cooked it because I wasn't entirely sure that it would still be safe to eat raw. The cats loved it. Nature red in tooth and claw ... Paul Last fiddled with by xilman on 2010-07-16 at 09:26 Reason: change punctuation

2010-07-20, 10:29	#6
davieddy "Lucan" Dec 2006 England 2·3·13·83 Posts	I'm better on cats than I am on bamboo In 1976, I married and moved to a first floor flat in Teddington (uninterrupted view across Bushy Park, albeit via a busy road). Daphne's sister Bea (Beatrice) gave us a kitten from Battersea cats and dogs home. We named her Fizzics (Fizz for short). Knowing what cats do, we got her neutered (that was cruel I know). Her ability to exit and enter via the window impressed me considerably: ground floor's windowsill, porch roof, window. 5 years later, moved to New Malden, complete with garden. Seemed to spend a lot of her time establishing her territory. 1987 moved to Norwich. Watching her predatory activities in the long grass opposite was a revelation. She just outlived our marriage. (~20 years). David

2010-08-21, 22:58	#9
cheesehead "Richard B. Woods" Aug 2002 Wisconsin USA 1111000001100₂ Posts	Apres-meal http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gn...aug_20/nam.jpg

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2010-07-17, 18:51	#2
cheesehead "Richard B. Woods" Aug 2002 Wisconsin USA 2²×3×641 Posts	I used to have a neighbor who had several "inside" cats and one "outside" cat named Bee-bee. Bee-bee regularly made her patrol around my yard, house, and storage shed (as well as others') and was an excellent hunter. According to the neighbor, she always adequately fed herself and her kittens without any need for him ever to supplement their diet with store-bought cat food. One day when the neighbor and I were talking out in the yard, Bee-bee walked up to us carrying a fresh mouse kill, laid it down right in front of me, then rolled over on her back beside it. I gave her the nicest long chin-and-belly rub I could manage, along with many voiced thank-yous.

2010-07-17, 20:15	#3
firejuggler Apr 2010 Over the rainbow 2³·5²·13 Posts	as long as said cat doesn't lay it in my bed, i'm fine