Why did you hit the kitten? The only thing he learned was something negative about you. No, he doesn't know why you are "angry" with him. But he does know that you are unpredictable.

You have a cat that is allowed to go outside and you expect it not to hunt? Hunting is the natural and instinctive role of cats; it's what they do to survive. And they bring their kills inside for two reasons - to hide them from other cats and to show off to you. I "specialty" feed the birds on our property, and I have two cats. They are indoors only and everyone is happy and well-fed.

Striking a kitten is beyond my imagination.

Cat's are pretty good hunters. My cats always played with their prey and I could usually rescue little victims before their demise.

Well, that Kitty is a known killer and will keep bugs and snakes at bay. Look at the "bright" side. LOL!

You spanked the Kitty. He now has an identity crisis. Poor whittle tiddy tat. Now trying to find his little Kitty Within. Sniff!

I'm so sorry about the bird and how upset you got. Your kitten was only doing what instincts tell him to do. Spanking him won't teach him a lesson. You know what you have to do. Keep him inside till all the birds are grown.

We had the SWEETEST cat years ago - she was an outdoor cat named Delilah, and I'll never forget the first time she snagged a baby bird and the look she gave me when I was going to take it from her. I definitely saw another side of her that I never knew existed. We didn't have cats growing up so it was all new to me.

Sorry you had to see that - it's the whole circle of life thing.

Ditto what Sable said.

No doubt he brought the bird inside to show you because he was proud. He thought he'd done a good thing.

I suggest you keep him indoors all the time, in kittenhood and beyond. Otherwise he will keep doing what comes naturally to a cat. Because that's what he is.

Cat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Cat (Felis silvestris catus), also known as the Domestic Cat or House Cat to distinguish it from other felines, is a small carnivorous species of crepuscular mammal that is often valued by humans for its companionship and its ability to hunt vermin. It has been associated with humans for at least 9,500 years.[3]

A skilled predator, the cat is known to hunt over 1,000 species for food. It is intelligent and can be trained to obey simple commands. Individual cats have also been known to learn to manipulate simple mechanisms, such as doorknobs. Cats use a variety of vocalizations and types of body language for communication, including meowing, purring, hissing, growling, squeaking, chirping, clicking, and grunting.[4] Cats are popular pets and are also bred and shown as registered pedigree pets. This hobby is known as the "Cat Fancy".

Sorry to disappoint you. Your cat is normal.

If you want to let your cat outside without worrying about him killing birds, put a collar on him that has a jingle bell on it (a stretchy cat collar). The birds will hear the bell and may have time to fly away. This doesn't work all the time, and of course it won't work with baby birds that are still in their nest. So keep your kitten inside until the baby birds have fledged.

And please don't hit your cat again. It doesn't do any good, and it will make him hand-shy.

Sorry but I don't understand why you "spanked" your cat for doing what comes naturally to a cat.LOL Even if you keep him indoors "until the baby birds are out of the nest" you won't be solving the "problem",and baby birds are around all the time.Cats kill big birds too!LOL I would strongly suggest that you keep the cat indoors all the time unless you don't want him doing what cats do.

Junkyardgirl, I know you feel bad about what your kitten did and you know you shouldn't have hit him and you probably feel even worse after posting it here and not getting much sympathy. I'm sorry about that. (((Junkyardgirl)))

I don't let my cats outside at all because of the birds. When I first moved here I did let them out on the deck. The one cat was fine, but the other caught a couple Goldfinches and a hummingbird. I rescued all of them before they were killed, but then read that the cat's saliva/bite would kill the bird later (not sure if that is true or not).

I have never spanked a cat. Striking a rolled up newspaper or magazine against your hand startles them. I think cats should be kept indoors. Outdoor cats have a natural hunting instinct and will catch and kill birds even when they are wearing bells on their collars. You just can't be mad at a cat for killing a bird when you let the cat outside.

Poor bird and poor kitty. He thought he was doing good.
I have had my share of critters both dead and alive brought in by the cats. It's just what cats do.
I don't know if I feel worse for the bird, the cat because you hit it or you because I know you are probably very sorry you posted that you did that to him.
In any event, hopefully you will never do that again. And unfortunately the cat will kill another bird if he gets the chance...he's just doing what cats have done for millions of years.

Ditto again to what Sable posted.

Your kitten was just being what he is, a cat. It's very nice for you that your other cats don't bother the birds but perhaps this kitten needs a home without birds for your peace of mind and his.

I presently have three cats, which are indoors 99% of the time. I may let one or two out into the garden with me while I am weeding, but they must come back inside when I do. But it's not because I am concerned that they may kill a bird. It is for their own safety. I do not have any inside birds presently, but I have in the past. I do have feelings for animals other than cats, but as others have said, that is the nature of the cat and you can't fault them for it. I strongly suspect that if your other cats were left unattended outside, they also would revert to killing birds and other small animals. Not just for food. Sometimes just for the sport of it.

Hitting an animal, any animal, is wrong. It only teaches them to fear you. It may prevent them from doing the "wrong" thing in the future, but not because they know it's wrong, only because they know you will hurt them if they do it.

I won't scold you jygirl. Your kitty didn't know any better. I have indoor cats only. I used to have 2, until Maggie got sick. They've never ever gone outside. Even so, Blossom will set at the window and 'bark' at the birds outside, and drool. So, I think the instict is born in them. I love my birds. And would never let my cat outdoors to do harm to them.
Leslie

Thanks to everyone who tried to console me instead of chastising me, but I can take up for myself.

#1, I'm NOT sorry that I said I hit the cat. It's not like I beat him black and blue. I just applied my hand to his backside, not even very hard. I can't even imagine a cat with an identity crisis! The only identity crisis my cats have is that they think they're human. I also spanked my kids. They don't hate me, and neither one of them has an identity crisis.

#2, I'm NOT going to find another home for my cat. I've had cats all my life, some killed things, some didn't. I didn't send them anywhere else to live.

#3, The cat did not bring me a whole baby bird as a prize, he ATE IT! Yes, that's what cats do, but finding bits and pieces of a baby bird on your dining room floor is DISTRESSING! I love birds, so it made me angry. What if your dog brought a kitten in and tore it apart on your DR floor, leaving bits of fur and bones lying about? Would you be upset, or would you just say "Oh, he's just doing what dogs do." Does it make it any better because it's "just a bird?" Birds have separate personalities, and are very individual. Even chickens, ducks and geese.

I once had a neighbor's dog break into my chicken pen and kill all my baby chicks. He didn't eat them, he just killed them. I threw a brick at him. I didn't hit him, but I wish I had. And I would not have felt at all bad if I had.

I had a friend whose dog tore his cat to pieces right in the LR. He took it out back and shot it, because he said it now had a taste for blood.

#4 Quoting the Wikipedia to me, (which in my opinion is about as reliable as the weather in Florida) to prove a point is just...I don't even know what it is, but it ticks me off.

I'm not going to defend my actions. I'm sure some of you, even those who jumped on me, have done worse things in your life than pop your kitten on its bottom, so I'll quote the bible "Let he among you who is without sin cast the first stone."

I feel much better now.

jygirl,

Have you ever seen a cat catch a mouse/rat and, when it is unable to get away, swat it and bite it and grab it when it runs for a bit, playing with it? They'll do that for an extended period. Then, eventually, kill it. And eat it.

Just a cat being a cat.

That said, your cat didn't kill another cat.

Cats don't make a habit of killing other cats - that's unusual.

Not so humans.

We seem to have a predilection for killing other humans.

And in recent years we've found means to do it when they're not in sight of one another, and the farther that we can get from the enemy, thus putting ourselves less at risk, the better we like it.

What do you think battleships with 16" guns, aircraft carriers and bombers are for?

Humans are worse than cats.

We've been telling one another for centuries that we shouldn't do that.

And we in the western world say that when we build democratic systems, we care for one another, and should be more careful to cut back seriously on such activities.

Fat lot of good it's done.

ole joyful

OJ - cats DO kill cats. Tom cats will go after kittens and kill them all. I have seen that many times. Not all Toms - but sometimes you will get one that will go after every smaller cat he sees.

It is something to see a cat go after a rat. Sometimes the rat isn't much smaller than the cat. It is usually a mother cat that does the hunting around here. They catch the rat by then neck and snap it, just like that. They don't play with them, like a they will a mouse. This is serious preditor/prey action.

They are amazing hunters.

Men are the only animals that kill for sport. But yes, cats will kill other cats. Ever seen to wildcats fight? It's to the death or until one of them can get away.

Rats are vicious creatures, unlike mice. Rats will eat anything, including live prey. I've had rats kill one of my birds, and I've seen rats kill kittens (not mine) that were living under a house. Mice aren't really seen as "the enemy" to cats, but rats are. Especially to mother cats with kittens.

That being said, my kitten has not become afraid of me, and still loves me dearly, and slept curled up next to me last night with his head on my shoulder as always.