[TN-Bird] Cats Vs Birds
- From: "THCumbie" <thcumbie@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 15:25:49 -0500
Greetings,
Cats and their feeding habits are interesting. My observations over the years
is they differ so much. My family has two cats.. my daughters. And she and
her husband love and care for them.
The two cats are Sterling and Rossie.. a Silver tabby and a Bombay.. seemingly.
Rossie, the Bombay, is very black, quiet, loving and peaceful. Has remained
small in size not much larger than a juvenile cat... Adopted in Washington,
D.C. one February and was not expected to survive. Ten years later she is
still enjoying life in North Atlanta.. Is fascinated with nature and loves to
inspect everything. But she is not destructive.. of wild life. I have never
seen her stalk or try to catch a bird or animal even when the bird was on the
patio right in front of her. All the family would agree with this.
However, Sterling, the silver tabby, is our action cat.. Also small in size, we
have seen her stalk a huge Doberman who lived next door at one time. Well fed
at home, it doesn't matter. She brings in butterflies, grasshoppers, frogs,
voles, mice and yes, at times regretfully birds. Oh and I left out snakes..
right through the pet door. She is loved and is loving. Loves nature and
prowling at night.. My daughter got special treats so Sterling would come in
when called. And when she is let out they try to monitor her.. But if a leaf
moves she chases it.. So she is drawn to movement.
A Cooper hawk could probably carry her away. She is just a little larger than
a gray squirrel without the squirrel's tail. We all love birds, feed birds and
my daughter has put her feeders in a position where they can monitor them
especially when Sterling is out. But these cats are part of the family and we
love them.
I have noticed feral cats have certain areas in the fields around me that they
go to stalk different animals. One gray and white cat has not been to my
feeders this year but it ate a lot of juncos, doves, and two juvenile robins
during one year's time.
Another feral cat is often seen in the field evidently stalking mice and what
ever lives in the holes there. The same cat is always seen in about the same
field area.
I have no idea where these feral cats live.. one neighbor cared for stray
cats.. but that seems to have diminished over the last few years. The feral
cat population seems to have diminished too.
It is sad to see these stray cats. The kittens often are killed by one of the
other cats.. It is difficult to get help to care for them in small
communities.
But I have found personality differences in cats.. and their behavior towards
birds as well as their stalking habits. And perhaps this is wishful thinking,
but I do hope that more cats are like the Bombay in our family and the field
mouse stalker. And that maybe all cats are getting a bad name for killing
birds due to cats like Sterling. Alsothe gray and white feral bird catcher..
this one ate them all but a few feathers.
Thelma Hughes Cumbie
Herndon Chapter, Elizabethton, TN
Buladean, NC Mitchell County
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