8/2/09

Moral Question

I was at the barn, with Miss Hammy, a few days ago & one of the cats had caught a small (chickadee, I think) bird. The feline was in the "playing" stage of the kill & hadn't yet caused any lasting damage.

When the kitty set the bird down in preparation for the festivities, I stepped in, shooed the cat away & picked up the bird (with a glove - wild birds can have parasites). We brought her over to a tree a ways off & she hopped up to a branch & flew away.

The question: Do you save the bird or let nature take its course?

7 comments:

pamibe said...

That may be a harder question to answer than you think. If a cat scratches a bird at all, it will probably become infected and the bird will die. Cats are walking infections. Saw that on National Geographic or Animal Planet.

So, save the bird if the cat hasn't touched it, leave it if it has would be my answer.

Mrs. Who said...

If the cat is fed by humans...let the bird go. It won't starve. And it WILL find another bird later.

RonnyEngrish said...

I kinda agree with Pam, and Mrs. Who. But until you see an owl take on a Tomcat.... That's entertainment.

It went kinda like this:
Young Cat: [sneaking up to a low bird nest] "Here birdy birdy. Can Tweety come out to play."
Owl: "hmm a tasty morsel 11:00 low." [swish Clamp!]
Cat: "HOLY MEOOOOOOOOOWR!!!!"
Owl: "What the?!? Four claws?!?"
Cat & Owl: [flying through the low altitude trading acupuncture secrets] "Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow."

The Cat got away when the owner decided to step in with a broom and scared the Owl off.

It was a Big bird. BIG.

Disclaimer: I am a cat owner (by marriage) but Harley stays indoors. The Current Dog on the other hand is about the same size as the the cat and I escort it to the back yard to do his business everytime. We have at least 3 of them nocturnal buggers looking for a meal on any given night. Big buggers. Big.. HUGE! Endangered by Aaaaaaa...........

There is also the story of Mister Tom. An Uncle's cat that took out a hawk going after the chicken coop. Cat was watching hawk and hawk was distracted by Chickens. Hawk began his swoop. Cat started his run across the top of a wooden fence and jumped as the hawk tried to make his snatch and lift and the cat broke the hawks neck as his added weight drove the hawk into the ground. I missed that one but the uncle was a cat hater turned admirer in one event.

So I'd say Nature has a funny way of keeping the score pretty much even.

Mrs. Who said...

Damn evil owl took my kitty. Should have taken the enternal pee machine/yappy dachshund. Much more meat on its bones than on the cat.

patti said...

Save the chickadee - trust your instincts.

Harvey said...

If you love birds, let the cat kill anything it can catch.

Reason being, anything that can FLY that is dumb enough to be taken by a predator on the GROUND will - if you rescue it - go on to have very stupid babies and undermine the fitness of its entire species.

Let kitty be the paw of Darwin.

Joanie said...

I'm all for saving the bird and giving the cat something else to eat.

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