Cat killing swallows...

willmunny1990

I have a 3 year old Tom at home and he's killed some of the swallows that have taken up residence in my shed. The two nests that are in the shed are located on one of the beams on the ceiling but as the shed is fairly low they are constantly st risk.

I've hidden in the store room of the shed with the door slightly open to see how he catches them and it appears to me he's been catching them when they fly in. He waits on a table and goes for them in mid-air. I haven'd actually seen him catch any with my own eyes but he's obviously been successful due to the dead birds i have had to pick up.

Is there any way to prevent him from doing this or at least limit the amount he kills?

I know its natural for a cat to do these things so I've been wondering should i even interfere at all as it is just natures way.

I have tried locking the back doors and windows of my house in order to prevent him going out the back to the shed but he just goes over the roof of the house now.

Any ideas?

Mothman

willmunny1990 wrote: »

I know its natural for a cat to do these things so I've been wondering should i even interfere at all as it is just natures way.

I do try leave nature alone, but the problem I see here is that the cat is not native and has no rightful place in nature here.

How does the cat get access into shed? I may have missed something obvious, but keeping the cat out of shed may work. The access gap that Swallows can get away with is smaller then the cat can fir through

willmunny1990

Mothman wrote: »

I do try leave nature alone, but the problem I see here is that the cat is not native and has no rightful place in nature here.

How does the cat get access into shed? I may have missed something obvious, but keeping the cat out of shed may work. The access gap that Swallows can get away with is smaller then the cat can fir through

The problem is i also have 2 large dogs that live outside and use this shed for sleeping/keeping out of the elements so i can't lock the doors. The shed is quite big and work goes on in it from 5.00pm onward so when i leave the cat out in the morning he has all day to go in and hunt, i can't watch him 24/7 so it's hard to stop him.

Of course when works starts in the shed he has no hope because there would be someone to stop him.

Pa Dee

Mod Edit: NOT APPROPRIATE

willmunny1990

Domestic cats are protected by law, it's a criminal offence to trap, injure or kill one on purpose.

No vet worth anything would put a healthy 3 year old cat down.

helimachoptor

Can you move the table or make it more difficult for him to jump and catch?

John_Rambo

Ah here....

Hey OP, fair play to you for giving a sheet. Could you try making a temporary entrance/exit out of feline reach for the swallows?

willmunny1990

helimachoptor wrote: »

Can you move the table or make it more difficult for him to jump and catch?

I have relocated some stuff but the main tables are actually work benches bolted to the walls. I reckon it's these benches he's getting them from because he managed to kill one after i did the rearranging.

Seriously, if you'd seen where he gets them from you'd be amazed how he manages to catch them as these swallows are super agile and fast themselves, it's amazing really.

Shrubz

Cats are not native to Ireland and it is illegal to allow the killing of Swallows.

downwithpeace

Cats are crafty at getting birds when they want to, I saw one of my past cats jump straight up in the air as if he was levitating then do a mid air 180 and pull a magpie out of a dive, it was astonishing to see.

The only thing besides barring the cat from your shed that I could think of is making the shed unappealing for Swallows before next summer, you and the cat will miss them but at least they'll be safe.

thebishop

willmunny1990 wrote: »

Domestic cats are protected by law, it's a criminal offence to trap, injure or kill one on purpose.

No vet worth anything would put a healthy 3 year old cat down.

What law might that be?

Traonach

Put some bells on your cats collar will also give the swallows a vital advantage. Get a quick release collar so your cat won't get hung on anything. I used to put 4-5 small bells on my cats collar and worked well, but I've now replaced with a huge loud bell that I got in local pet shop. He hasn't caught anything in around 6 months and the bell doesn't bother him at all. It sound like a cow bell.

Half-cocked

Could you try some chicken wire hung horizontally above the table so the birds can fly above it shielded from the cat attacks?

Mickeroo

Traonach wrote: »

Put some bells on your cats collar will also give the swallows a vital advantage. Get a quick release collar so your cat won't get hung on anything. I used to put 4-5 small bells on my cats collar and worked well, but I've now replaced with a huge loud bell that I got in local pet shop. He hasn't caught anything in around 6 months and the bell doesn't bother him at all. It sound like a cow bell.

Would that not only be effective if the cat is trying to sneak up on them? Sounds like he's nabbing them where they fly in and out to their nests in this case. if he's just waiting on the ground they won't hear the bell until its too late.

Couldn't hurt though I suppose.

kildare.17hmr

willmunny1990 wrote: »

Domestic cats are protected by law, it's a criminal offence to trap, injure or kill one on purpose.

No vet worth anything would put a healthy 3 year old cat down.

Eh since when??

Kess73

thebishop wrote: »

What law might that be?

Would assume that he is referring to the Animal Health and Welfare Bill

kildare.17hmr

Kess73 wrote: »

thebishop wrote: »

What law might that be?

Would assume that he is referring to the Animal Health and Welfare Bill

Anyone got a link to the relivent bit?

tricky D

Mickeroo wrote: »

Couldn't hurt though I suppose.

Iirc I read over on the Animals and Pets forum (or perhaps even this one) that using such collars risks the cat getting snagged and trapped.

Kess73

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

Anyone got a link to the relivent bit?

Pretty sure that the bits relating to domestic animals (pets) is in the Protection of Animals Act and the Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act. There was also something in the bill that was to be passed/amended in this year.

It should all be on the gov.ie website for you to view.

I know that one of the feral cat organisations were very unhappy with it as they made comment about how the Minister has protected domestic cats with the act but not feral cats.

kincsem

willmunny1990 wrote: »

He waits on a table
Any ideas?

In order of comedic value
(1) cut the legs off the table
(2) pour oil on the table
(3) tie a weight to the cat
(4) remove the table

willmunny1990

I've went and bought a collar with a bell on it. I payed a bit extra for a safety collar which i didn't really mind, at least if he gets snagged on a tree/fence it will pop open under pressure.

When i say large breed dogs im not referring to Rottweilers or Great Danes, just decent sized mongrels so i was thinking of putting a dog flap in the shed door so i can then lock it.

The cat would hardly be able to push a dog flap open if i got it made heavy enough. I have a soft spot for the birds at this stage and i would hate to see them upset or drove out. I'll defiantly work something out.

swifts need our help!

keep the cat in day and night - simples

willmunny1990

swifts need our help! wrote: »

keep the cat in day and night - simples

I have tried that in the past and it didn't work out. He went stir crazy.

He was 3-4months when i got him and i managed to keep him inside for nearly a year but he went to crazy in the end, he was aggressive and frustrated plus it was near impossible to have all the windows/doors closed.

charlemont

willmunny1990 wrote: »

I have tried that in the past and it didn't work out. He went stir crazy.

He was 3-4months when i got him and i managed to keep him inside for nearly a year but he went to crazy in the end, he was aggressive and frustrated plus it was near impossible to have all the windows/doors closed.

Sure that's cruelty right there ! A cat is an animal, He needs to be outside regularly. You are actually telling us you kept a cat inside for nearly a year, That's outrageous.

fryup

just to let you know...

***theres a special report about cats & songbirds on springwatch tonight on bbc2 8.00***

swifts need our help!

Pedigree cat owners dont let their cats roam night and day. Are dog owners allowed to let their dogs roam the streets? It's about time there were cat wardens.

I've seen cats kept in outdoor enclosures.

Looking forward to Spring Watch tonight.

Cats kill multimillions of small birds and mammals every year

V Bull

swifts need our help! wrote: »

It's about time there were cat wardens.

Cats kill multimillions of small birds and mammals every year

100% agree, something should be done about roaming cats.

I'm for ever chasing out of my garden, not only do they chase the birds, with the odd kill, I think they think it's a public convenience.....

Traonach

charlemont wrote: »

Sure that's cruelty right there ! A cat is an animal, He needs to be outside regularly. You are actually telling us you kept a cat inside for nearly a year, That's outrageous.

That's an unfair comment.
The main reason people keep their cats indoors is for their own safety (car accidents, attacks from other cats dogs) and also to help stop them killing birds, small mammals, frogs etc.

Mothman

I've locked this thread pending review.

The discussion has moved away from the specifics of the OP.

The ethics etc of keeping cats in/roaming cats blah blah has been done on Animal & Pets....probably to death...and will never reach consensus...

Cats do have an impact on our fauna hence discussion of same do have a place here, the debate of keeping cats in or not etc doesn't