A wildlife rehab center confirms that cats are killers

[Idaho_Cowboy]

A wildlife rehab center confirms that cats are killers
By Joshua Learn October 18 at 10:15 AM

When the Wildlife Center of Virginia, a hospital for native wild animals, took a close look at a decade’s worth of admissions records, it found the unsurprising culprits behind many of the thousands of injuries and deaths: cats.

More startling was the sheer number of native species — more than 80 — that felines had preyed upon and killed....
...
The authors looked at close to 21,000 records of patients admitted to the center, in the central Virginia city of Waynesboro, from 2000 to 2010. Of those, almost 3,000 had been injured by cat attacks — some 14 percent, divided about evenly between birds and small mammals. Among the cat victims were mourning doves, blue jays, cottontail rabbits, southern flying squirrels and rarer animals, such as purple gallinules, a kind of water bird. Larger species such as ducks also turned up, and even a kestrel, a kind of falcon....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2016/10/18/a-wildlife-rehab-center-confirms-that-cats-are-killers/

[ConstitutionRose]

I lined up my three and tried to read this article to them.  They got bored, pried open the cabinet door and began rolling a can of cat food around the kitchen floor.  The only thing these three can kill is a bowl of food and a cardboard box.

[sinkspur]

28 signs your cat is plotting to kill you

http://blazepress.com/2015/03/28-signs-cat-plotting-kill/

[Gefn]

Ping @Hopalong Ginsberg

[Hopalong Ginsberg]

Ping @Hopalong Ginsberg

Adorable, adorable killers.

[Gefn]

Adorable, adorable killers.

@Hopalong Ginsberg   

[Oceander]

The last cat we had was a sadistic serial killer.  He would kill mostly mice and display them all in the same way on our back patio:  On their backs head out.  One time he nabbed a hawk.  Yes, a hawk.  Displayed it the same way.  It was weird how they were always laid out the same way as though on display.

He was very lovable to us.  Only he had this funny habit of playing tackle when he was outside.  He would see my husband and just run and slam into his leg.  It was his greeting because he was happy to see him.

I think that was the cat's way of showing loyalty to you by providing you with fresh caught kill.  It was in that way acknowledging that you were the alpha.

[Gefn]

I think that was the cat's way of showing loyalty to you by providing you with fresh caught kill.  It was in that way acknowledging that you were the alpha.

Both my kitties were indoor kitties, However, I put out a bird feeder for them. They would watch from the safety of an inside window of course, fascinated with the birds while I was at work. I'd see them on weekends. Their eyes would stare, they would salivate, their paws would flex, and I would wonder what these little guys were thinking. Do birds taste like chicken?

You can take a domesticated kitty out of the jungle, but in the end, she's really not 100% domesticated even though I gave them so much food, toys, and warm places to sleep they didn't need to chase anything other than the red dot.
Oh well. Still love them. Still proud to be a cat lady.

[Elderberry]

He was very lovable to us.  Only he had this funny habit of playing tackle when he was outside.  He would see my husband and just run and slam into his leg.  It was his greeting because he was happy to see him.

I was out in the yard talking to the neighbors. I then saw my cat running toward me. Little did I know what what about to happen.

He ran straight to me. Up my leg, stomach, and chest, and then stood on my shoulders. Before I keeled over in pain.

[Night Hides Not]

I think that was the cat's way of showing loyalty to you by providing you with fresh caught kill.  It was in that way acknowledging that you were the alpha.

Growing up, we had a cat whose dad was a bobcat. He'd bring gophers and mice to our back porch, to show his love for us. lol

During the spring, he'd let mockingbirds dive bomb him for a few days. We could tell when he stopped playing by the bird feathers strewn about our back yard.

Beautiful cat, deep gray coat, we named him "Smoky". Had paws larger than silver dollars, weighed over 20 pounds.

[roamer_1]

Beautiful cat, deep gray coat, we named him "Smoky". Had paws larger than silver dollars, weighed over 20 pounds.

Sounds like a Maine Coon. We had one similar... Named him Bigfoot.

[roamer_1]

He ran straight to me. Up my leg, stomach, and chest, and then stood on my shoulders. Before I keeled over in pain.

I had one named Midnight who did that regularly - She'd see me fixing to walk fences (I have a special repair kit in a sling-bag that I bring with me for light repairs)... If that bag went on, up she went, and would lay around my neck under the brim of my Bailey.

We'd get out to the fences, she'd climb out and perch on my shoulder, looking intently for movement in the grass across the fence... Many's the time that cat launched from that perch - Death from the sky for some unsuspecting mouse...

You get used to the 'climbing up', btw, though I'll admit that I normally have the advantage of a heavy flannel shirt or Carhardt canvass coat...

[ConstitutionRose]

I was out in the yard talking to the neighbors. I then saw my cat running toward me. Little did I know what what about to happen.

He ran straight to me. Up my leg, stomach, and chest, and then stood on my shoulders. Before I keeled over in pain.

I'm sorry I fell out of my chair laughing.  I'm still snickering.  I had a feral cat who would atack (teeth and claws) some people when they got close to me.  And some people he just rubbed against and purred.  Cats are always a fur covered surprise package.

[rodamala]