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› Forum › THE LOUNGE › Very SAD Update
Well you may remember my Wild bunny nesting thread, and the babies that were dropped off.
Well the white trash next door neighbor’s cat got to them last night or this morning. Both babies have passed, I buried them under a bunny statue I have in the back yard.
I know it was the cat because of the bite marks and the fact they were still by the nest, a hungry predator would have taken them away to eat.
People who have outdoor cats in the suburbs piss me off to no end. This isn’t the country or a farm. You do not have 20 acres. You have an 1/8 of an acre, and your hose is 10ft from everyone else. I am tired of your cats on my car, their poop in my yard and near my house in general.
Poor bunnies
aww
RIP baby buns, binky free across the Bridge!
Awwww. That is so sad!
Poor things!!!
poor buns.
you have to belive not all outdoor cats are like that though. mine are outdoor and use their litterbox not gardens one catches birds but only because shes young and playful. She never hurts them though.. (except for the scare) all have survived.
I would hate to have found them. A life too short. Binky Free cottonbabies!
Sorry to hear you had to find the baby bunnies. I can imagine it must be really upsetting. My heart breaks every time I see dead animals, because I always imagine the pain and fear they went through. Good thing you gave them a nice burial.
Had it not been a cat, then it would have been another predator, so no need to hate the neighbour cat. In the wild, rabbits rarely live to the age of 2 years old, and actually in some colonies the death rate among babies is 99 % (!!). That is why rabbits are so fertile. It is truly sad, but the reality of life. Personally, I prefer animals killing animals to humans killing animals, so I think it was the luck of the bunnies to be found by a cat and not a human wanting to kill them. If it is any consolation at all..
Still sad though as they weren’t killed for food. It’s like when foxes kill. They often leave the body. I’m thinking Spidey is not fond of the cat (or more so the neighbours) for other reasons then the feline killing instinct.
The problem without door cats is they kill for fun. Reason is because they are well fed. SO they play with lesser animals thill they do not move anymore. When they are dead, the interest is gone.
Outdoor cats in the suburbs are annoying and a nuisance. You don’t let your dog wander the neighbor hood, why your cat. What makes a cat so special he gets free range?
We can surely take the discussion of outdoor cats, as I highly disagree with you, but I don’t see why you want to discuss this? This is supposed to be a friendly bunny forum.
I agree Karla!
I think Spidey is very rightly upset at this tragedy. Many of us were following her thread about the wild babies with interest, and I am very sad to learn about what just happened to them. Let’s just empathize with the babies and their mother, and hope that they didn’t suffer long.
{{{{{{Binky free, babies}}}}}}}
I’d just like to add that not everyone who has an outdoor cat allows them to get to the local wildlife. I was walking Jenna last week and, as usual, our feral Kitty was walking along with us. She heard something rustle the bushes and was on it in a flash. But she didn’t count on me being there to do something about it and I had to make her drop a baby finch that must’ve fallen from it’s nest. I think it was just stunned, because it flapped across the road and disappeared and I couldn’t find it after that. I know that nature probably could’ve taken it’s course either way, but I dragged the cat’s butt home and locked her up in the arctic entry for a few hours to make my point.
This is a cat who has lived off her hunting in the past (before we had her) and it’s a habit that is very hard to break in them. We feed her plenty and bring her indoors in winter and care for her all year…she doesn’t need to hunt…but I think some part of her tells her to keep her skills up, just in case. Plus most of our cats have caught things and brought them to us whole, as if they are ‘feeding’ us in return for what we do for them.
I am sorry to hear about the babies. That is very sad. It would have been lovely to watch them grow and see their day to day activities. I would find the people who own the cat more at fault than anything…but please try not to blame the cat itself. It’s just doing what nature has programmed into it for centuries. I am actually amazed the Mum Bun decided to have her babies so close to a residence, she had to have smelled the presence of predators in the immediate area. I take it there is no real wild place for her to have taken them otherwise.
Have you seen the mother at all since?
Posted By MimzMum on 07/31/2010 05:55 PM
I would find the people who own the cat more at fault than anything…but please try not to blame the cat itself. It’s just doing what nature has programmed into it for centuries
That was my original point. People who live in the suburbs should not let their cats outdoors. They do not let their dogs run free or any other animal but for some reason it is ok for cats?
For the people who think they ‘know’ what their cat’s do outside. That is amazing you can follow them and keep an eye on them 24/7, good for you!
I think you have to take into account the shock that Spidey went through. I agree that outdoor cats should not be permitted. I think that cat owners don’t care about what they’re cat kills until the owners of dead animals come pounding down they’re door. I think you might want to bring your concerns up with the owners.
From what Spidey said earlier, they sound like neighbors that are better left alone. They could have done better, but I’d hate to see them get into a confrontation with Spidey, and they don’t sound very approachable. If it were your pet, Spidey, you might pursue it. But there’s nothing to be done now in this situation.
The old saying “Good fences make good neighbors” is true at times like this.
Aw poor buns, that’s so sad! I know what you mean about the cats Spidey. When I lived with my parents the people across the street had cats and they would let them run around (I’m assuming they weren’t spayed because there has been more cats around the neighborhood). The cats still are around but they now have a bunch of dogs that bark all the time. I no longer see rabbits in my parents back yard, I think they stay in the high grass because of all the cats in the area.
Hmm… I’m on the other side of the fence with the cat thing. Cats to me just aren’t indoor-only animals. They are predators by nature. Any cat that I have seen that is indoors only just doesn’t seem to have the personality that an indoor/outdoor cat has. Keeping them indoors just doesn’t seem right to me.
That said, most of my cats haven’t been the type to just randomly kill critters. My last kitty, Neko, would only hunt bugs. She would watch birds and mice and other small animals, but would never chase or kill them. She would also only use her litter box, would never go potty outside. And she stuck to our yard, wasn’t a wanderer.
We also lived in a city when we had her, and all the other cats we have had over the years. We would always spay and neuter them, so no random litters of kittens were because of our cats.
And Spidey.. I DO know what Neko did 24/7, as she was very attached to me and would follow me around like I was mama cat. She was a gentle little thing, so please don’t blame every outdoor cat for the problems you ahve. Perhaps blame the people who allow the pets to do these things. Cats can be trained to not go potty in places other than litter boxes. They can also learn not to hunt small critters and birds. Only one of my cats would regularly bring me mice each day that he caught and killed, but he was also a feral kitty that had been rescued. he thought he still had to hunt. He eventually learned that he didn’t have to, and stopped the critter killing.
As a cat owner, I do care what my cats have done/will do in the future. So please don’t lump me in with bad pet owners as well.
And now, I will leave this thread so I don’t start getting too cranky.
MB, thank you for saying much better what I could not. Although I’ll disagree with you a bit about the personalities of indoors cats and invite you to come see my Griffyn and Myuu. They have all the personality needed for several households of people. ^_^
I would rather keep all my cats indoors at all times, just for their personal safety, besides the safety of other animals. And I think it can benefit some dogs as well. I’ve seen a few tragedies linked to the canine club that seem unnecessary also.
Anyway…. ;P This thread is getting a little hot for me as well, so I’m stepping out now, thanks.
Posted By MimzMum on 07/31/2010 05:55 PM
I am actually amazed the Mum Bun decided to have her babies so close to a residence, she had to have smelled the presence of predators in the immediate area. I take it there is no real wild place for her to have taken them otherwise.
Have you seen the mother at all since?
Initially when Spidey posted the pics of the nesting rabbit, I had thought they’d have a chance being outside a rabbit lovers residence. But your comment Mimz reminded me about rabbit colonies & the heirachy. The dominant Does get the best spots for their nest and the subordinates have to go further from the warren. Some of the really inexperienced mums pick less safe places too. I also remembered learning about the incidence of infanticide which was hard to accept. So theres a chance another Doe or even the mother could have been the culprit as much as I hate to say it.
Some other members had posted picsof wild kits before and some didn’t make it. I’ve never seen pics of the Doe preparing the nest though. That was pretty good to see!
I’m sad to hear about the babies. |
{{{{ Binky Free little ones}}}}}
On the subject of outdoor cats I feel the dangers the cat faces alone should be enough for most owners to keep them inside. I’ve seen way too many cats hit by cars in my neighboorhood to let my cats out. My neighbour feeds stray cats and last summer two of them showed up after being shot with a pellet gun. One died before they could get him to the vet. I volunteer for an organization who helps and spays/neuters cats and have heard some horror stories of what can happen to cats left outside.
I’m not saying your a bad cat owner if your cat goes outdoors, it’s a personal choice. I’ve just seen too much negative to let mine outside.
I also don’t like my cats killing for fun. My cat I had when I lived with my parents, I loved her dearly, but she was constantly bringing home all sorts of animals, some not yet dead. She killed a baby bunny once and I was devastated. My indoor cats get lots of toys and exercise and are happy and safe.
Sorry to go so off topic on the cat thing.
Oh, I am feeling bad. I definetely dont like that people are stepping out. MonkeyBun and MizMum, if your reading this (Which I think you might be) PLEASE dont think I have anything against you, your cats, or cats in general. I am NOT reffering to you when I said my initial post. I am sure that as bunny owners you would NEVER allow your pets to go on killing sprees. I am just saying, people get fined for letting there dogs run around, so I dont see why cats have that freedom. I live in a neighborhood where cats ARE let out all the time, and I have seen dead birds, bunnies, and squirrels all over, you can probably see how this topic speaks to me. Not to mention we have had tons of lost cat posters, including one of a cat lost before a large snowstorm we had (3 feet of snow! WOOHHOOOOO!) Me and a couple friends managed to rescue that cat and bring her home, starving with a broken leg, but intact. I wish that was the end to most of the lost pet stories.
› Forum › THE LOUNGE › Very SAD Update