Cats as Serial Killers

[WX7P]

Well, Duh.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/trending/...the_wild_.html

My sig line used to dispatch two voles a day in Tulelake. Bhutan, our Birman/Siamese mix has earned the title of the most hated cat in the neighborhood by the scrub jay bird community.

That's what they do.

It's not uncommon for use to wake up in the morning to the scrub jays raising a ruckus after Bhutan has dispatch one of the flock. Or Fraidy wiping out a kangaroo rat and hauling it
inside for our viewing pleasure.

Next cat I get, I'm going to call Charlie, as in Manson.

[KB3LAZ]

Well, Duh.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/trending/...the_wild_.html

My sig line used to dispatch two voles a day in Tulelake. Bhutan, our Birman/Siamese mix has earned the title of the most hated cat in the neighborhood by the scrub jay bird community.

That's what they do.

It's not uncommon for use to wake up in the morning to the scrub jays raising a ruckus after Bhutan has dispatch one of the flock. Or Fraidy wiping out a kangaroo rat and hauling it
inside for our viewing pleasure.

Next cat I get, I'm going to call Charlie, as in Manson.

It is in their natural instinct but not ours. We call people serial killers when they act like this because it is not a natural urge like it is for cats. They are only doing what they are programmed to do.

[PA5COR]

Ours do a good jobbie taking care of mice and rats away, the occasional bird too...
But then, we feed the birds in winter and through hard times, when it's dry i have water out to drink and a bird bath out protected from the cats,
Dogs left alone outdoors can kill cattle too sheep etc.
All animals, including us, will kill in certain circumstances...

[ab1ga]

Go without meat long enough and your programming will change too, I suspect.
And cats generally don't kill other cats for food, I'd reckon.

The scary part of cat behavior is not that they kill, but that they can take so long to do it. Some animal behaviorists believe that cats play with their prey in order to work themselves into a killing frenzy, but I haven't studied cats closely enough to agree or disagree.

73,

[N8YX]

Next one I get will be a Savannah or a Bengal.

[W1GUH]

And felines have the characteristic that if a male cat sees a mother with cubs, or even kittens, he'll kill the cubs or kittens because that will make the mother go into heat right away and HE can have his way.

Saw a documentary where this behavior was observed in domestic pet cats.

Brings to mind one of the fascinations with domestic cats. When it is considered how much damage they could do to us if they wanted to, it's amazing that they're so docile and affectionate. Well, that's only to train us to feed them.

As for mice, I'm a total serial killer. Killed about 10 of 'em just this last week...the scuttlebutt is that the 2nd Ave. construction has exacerbated the mouse problem a lot. Sure wish I could have a cat here.

Not to mention the genocide I commit wrt roach breeding grounds!

[WX7P]

Next one I get will be a Savannah or a Bengal.

Savannah cats rule. My friend N6LDP has one by proxy. He's a very large and cool cat.

[W1GUH]

Go without meat long enough and your programming will change too, I suspect.
And cats generally don't kill other cats for food, I'd reckon.

The scary part of cat behavior is not that they kill, but that they can take so long to do it. Some animal behaviorists believe that cats play with their prey in order to work themselves into a killing frenzy, but I haven't studied cats closely enough to agree or disagree.

73,

Cats need to be taught to kill by their mothers. If they're not trained to kill they'll pretty much just play with mice. At one point we had two cats that hadn't been trained and one who was. The first two played and played with mice....til the third cat moved in for the kill. But even if they don't kill mice, they do a super job of keeping them away. I've seen them sit and watch for hours where they know there's a mouse hidden that they can't get to. Cats really earn their keep in this way.

[KB3LAZ]

Savannah cats rule. My friend N6LDP has one by proxy. He's a very large and cool cat.

I too am looking into getting a Savannah when Pili and I get back to the US. The price is a bit of a discussion between us at the moment though.

[KB3LAZ]

Cats need to be taught to kill by their mothers. If they're not trained to kill they'll pretty much just play with mice. At one point we had two cats that hadn't been trained and one who was. The first two played and played with mice....til the third cat moved in for the kill. But even if they don't kill mice, they do a super job of keeping them away. I've seen them sit and watch for hours where they know there's a mouse hidden that they can't get to. Cats really earn their keep in this way.

Growing up, my moms poodle was a better mouser than my cat.