Cats and raptors

1818 Views 5 Replies 5 Participants Last post by jusjim, Apr 28, 2012

jusjim

Discussion Starter · Apr 28, 2012

I saw an article the other day about a young woman in the UK who was walking her 'Handbag Dog' when it was attacked by a Red Kite. These raptors have been reintroduced into the UK and there's now said to be around 2,000 of them.

This got me wondering how much danger there might be to a cat from one of these birds. Missy is an indoor cat, but in any case she's probably a bit heavy for one of them to lift. ?? However, Guy is a totally outdoor cat of a size that might make a nice liight snack for a large raptor, as would the free running Caddie from next door. There are eagles that come down here from the north shore mountains.

Any thoughts?

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maggie23

· #2 · Apr 28, 2012

i don't think i've ever seen a story about a hawk or eagle nabbing a cat, but i wouldn't put it past them. eagles are HUGE! i saw one hovering above us once with *something* in its talons and it was eating while flying. if they can grab a rabbit, a small cat would certainly be possible.

we have been thinking of letting our Angel venture out in our catproof backyard during the summer, and we do have hawks that hang around and the very rare eagle and i am going to be hovering over Angel the whole time! i'm not taking any chances!

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Greenport ferals

· #3 · Apr 28, 2012

I live on a hillside above the Hudson River. There is a bald eagle's nest in one of the tall cotonwoods at the river's edge and I often see them soaring high above the river. But last week I saw an eagle right above the house and it concerned me. They are feeding their ravenous chicks now, and one of my cats hunting in the open fields surrounding the house might look tempting.

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Cat'sHouse

· #4 · Apr 28, 2012

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/science/21birds.html?_r=1

Looks like birds have more to worry about than cats....tho if I had an outdoor cat that I let out often, I would assume it could become prey to some predator as well as be the predator itself.

And the huge number of wind farm deaths on birds like Eagles is something I had not realized.

One species sure can have an effect on another species. Had it not been for an asteroid, I wouldn't be typing this...Raptorman would.

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CJinCA

· #5 · Apr 28, 2012

Back when I was in college i looked out my kitchen window to see my cat Winky being attacked by a pair of mockingbirds. They took turns swooping down and pecking at his head. He must have got close to their nest. Poor guy, he did his best to fend them off, ended up with a few scratches. Ok, they're not raptors, but they sure were acting like they were.

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jusjim

Discussion Starter · #6 · Apr 28, 2012

CJinCA said:
Back when I was in college i looked out my kitchen window to see my cat Winky being attacked by a pair of mockingbirds. They took turns swooping down and pecking at his head. He must have got close to their nest. Poor guy, he did his best to fend them off, ended up with a few scratches. Ok, they're not raptors, but they sure were acting like they were.

This is not unusual. I've seen it. One bird swoops on the cat's head from behind. It turns to defend itself and the second bird comes down from the opposite side. Crows will do this to people in the nesting season. It's almost impossible to protect oneself. Some birds are smart.

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